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The Elden Ring was first created by an enigmatic, godlike power known as the Greater Will, and from it came the Erdtree. This would be the very expression of order, deciding the laws of reality in the Lands Between. Those restrictions were flexible, though; Empyreans, semi-immortal entities, might serve as receptacles for the Elden Ring and alter its character. One such entity was Queen Marika, who took over the Elden Ring and became a god launching an era known as the Golden Order.
To safeguard her children and herself, Marika took the Rune of Death off the Elden Ring. She also had a lot of offspring who would grow to be the Lands Between's demigods. The warrior Godfrey was her first consort; his children were Godwyn and the cursed Omen twins Morgott and Mohg. Marika sent Godfrey on a series of missions to apply the will of the Golden Order over the Lands Between, appointing him the first Elden Lord. Once he was finished, though, she exiled him and his army in hopes they would return from outside operations stronger and more prepared.
Elden Ring creates a complicated and intriguing narrative by means of obfuscating speech and rich mythology. Mostly by talking to NPC, players learn more about the Lands Between, its inhabitants, and its demigods; nonetheless, their flawed knowledge and implicit prejudices create an inadequate picture. Each item they pick up has a flavor text that offers a piece of information, but to fully understand the whole story, much reading and search is needed.
Shadow Of The Erdtree, Dlc for Elden Ring, will carry on that narrative by visiting the Land of Shadow. There it is believed to find hidden Elden Ring knowledge about Marika, Miquella, and Messmer. Players entering Elden Ring's DLC may do with a quick story refresher before starting Shadow of the Erdtree, if it has been some time since they last touched the basic game.
The Shattering brought the Lands Between down into anarchy. Many of Marika's children carried fragments of the Elden Ring, sometimes known as Great Runes, and hence each possessed a fraction of its ability. They started to go by Shardbearers. But the influence of the Elden Ring quickly corrupted them, and they started battling for the surviving fragments. The Shardbearers quickly found themselves enmeshed in a lifetime of battle. The Greater Will left them, and the Tarnished banished were once more blessed with Grace.
One such Tarnished that returns to the Lands Between under Grace's direction is the player character of Elden Ring. There they come upon Melina, a mystery woman extending an alliance to them. Melina transforms the run-through stones they get from defeating enemies into strength, therefore enabling the Tarnished to grow more strong - level up. She also gives them Torrent, a horned horse they can call forth whenever they so want. She begs simply that the Tarnished lead her to the foot of the Erdtree in exchange.
Marika denied Godfrey his access to the Grace of Gold, a gift bestowed upon the Elden Ring. She so produced the first Tarnished, so named for the fading golden light from their eyes upon their departure from the Lands Between.
Marika became her second Elden Lord after taking a second King Consort, Radagon. From his former marriage to Lady Rennala (Radahn, Rykard, and Ranni), Radagon had three children; Marika raised all three to demigod level. Together, they had two more children: Miquella, cursed to stay a kid always, and Malenia, born with Scarlet Rot. The two fingers of the Greater Will in the Lands Between selected Ranni as Marika's successor. Ranni turned down this position, though, pilfering a fragment of the Rune of Death and transforming it into a set of black knives to be used for god killing.
The Tarnished reaches Farum Azula while the Erdtree burns. They pass through it and subvert Marika's defensive shadow, Maliketh. Claiming the Rune of Death from Maliketh, the Tarnished returns to Leyndell, the old royal capital. There they will discover that their former friend Gideon Ofnir, leader of Roundtable Hold, has turned on them. They will also battle Godfrey, the first Elden Lord, whose Grace brought him to this moment as well. Beyond, though, the Erdtree opens its door.
Inside, the Tarnished first encounters Radagon—who has invaded Marika's body. Then they battle the Elden Beast itself, an astral creature dispatched to guard the burning Erdtree, the last boss of Elden Ring. The Tarnished is allowed to approach Marika's broken body and grab the last bits of the Elden Ring once the Elden Beast is defeated. They then set about reforging (or destroying) it, and the way they do so determines which ending they view.
Once more Melina shows up and advises the Tarnished to visit the Giants' Mountaintops. There they can recover the Flame of Ruin, a manifestation of the Fire Giants' fell deity, and use it to set the Erdtree alight, therefore erasing the barrier. Melina gives her life to ignite the Erdtree with the Flame of Ruin. The Tarnished can alternatively assert the Frenzized Flame for the same intent. Melina thus leaves the Tarnished and orders them to employ the Frenzied Flame themselves.
[Warning: Spoilers for all conceivable Elden Ring ends abound in the next section.]
From Software, developers of games including Armor Core, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne, debuted Elden Ring. Assuming the role of a Tarnished, a being once banished to the Lands Between, players go back to fix the Elden Ring following "The Shattering." "The Shattering" happened when Queen Marika's children fought to retrieve the Great Runes, or Elden Ring shards. Their conflict has brought lawlessness, damage, and anarchy to the nation; the player will challenge them with the help of a Maiden called Melina as they trek toward the great Erd Tree to face their destiny and to become the one true Elden Lord. Whether they are a fierce swordsman or a strong magic caster, players can approach the game anyway they choose and adventure across worlds as they develop their character; they will have total control over their build.
Elden Ring's Shadow Of The Erdtree Expansion less than a month away calls for players to focus on finishing their characters and constructions.