Elden Ring‘s cryptic lore leaves plenty of room for interpretation, thanks to FromSoftware’s fragmented storytelling format, which doesn’t feed the narrative to the player through cutscenes, but rather through environmental hints and textual cues from in-game objects.
As a result, there are thousands of theories surrounding the action-RPG’s lore on the internet, with a recent one proposing a connection between Marika’s shattering of the Elden Ring, the absence of true death in The Lands Between, and how Messmer may play into it in the upcoming Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.
The Shattering’s Effect On Death
The Golden Order, established by the Elden Ring, canonically dictates the natural flow of life and death. The Two Fingers serve as vassals of the Greater Will. However, The Shattering disrupted this cycle. Several enemies remain as undying spectral beings, their forms ravaged by undeath. This suggests death isn’t doing its job properly, but why?
Throughout the entirety of Elden Ring, there are several references to a potential afterlife. This realm could be where souls journey after death under the Golden Order. Marika shattering the Ring might have inadvertently severed the connection between The Lands Between and this shadowy afterlife.
Shadow of the Erdtree will plunge players into a brand-new map called the Land of Shadows. Since the DLC’s trailer debut, fans have been wondering how these lands connect to the established lore of the base game. This is where the theory kicks in.
Elden Ring‘s Afterlife Might Be Right In Front Of Us
Here’s where things get interesting. Messmer, the supposed main villain of Shadow of the Erdtree, resides in the Land of Shadows. He’s confirmed to be a demigod as well, making him a potential child of Marika. This is hinted at further by one of his lines in the trailer:
Mother, wouldst thou truly Lordship sanction, in one so bereft of light?
The theory suggests Marika’s shattering of the Elden Ring severed the connection to the afterlife, which explains the spectral presences of the aforementioned enemies. However, what makes the theory even more plausible is the speculation of where the actual afterlife is.
The Land of Shadows in Shadow of the Erdtree could very well be the afterlife that Elden Ring alludes to. The Shattering might have sealed it away, preventing deceased souls from travelling to it and therefore being forced to linger in The Lands Between.
Where does Messmer fit into all this? He could have been trapped in the Land of Shadows when The Shattering took place, inadvertently banishing him from The Lands Between. This may also explain why he has a bone to pick with you in the DLC, as defeating the Elden Lord may be his shot at returning to The Lands Between.
This theory explores fascinating ideas we haven’t considered before. The afterlife is a concept that is proven to exist in The Lands Between, and it’s only reasonable to assume that death isn’t working right if spirits still roam free in the lands.
The connection of death to The Shattering is very intriguing, as it was a huge event that irreversibly changed The Lands Between. It’s fair to assume that the concept of death was impacted too, and if the Land of Shadows is actually the afterlife that got sealed off, then slow claps for Miyazaki are in order.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree launches 21 June 2024 on PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series X/S, and PC.
