Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s first trailer was launched recently, and it shed a very bright light on what this DLC would be all about. It would have a bunch of new bosses, and it would expand the story of previously unseen but heard characters. And most importantly, it would give fans a brand-new area to explore.
And where is this new area in Elden Ring situated? Well, it’s in the name, in “Shadow of the Erdtree”. A new area with its own lore and a very surprising reason for it being hidden till this moment. But before the DLC releases, a new fan theory suggests that this area was hidden because Queen Marika wanted it hidden.
The Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree fan theory sheds some light on the story of the expansion
There’s a lot to be said about Queen Marika. She is the only one who really rules over the Lands Between. And she is the only person who went ahead, defying the greater will and smashing the Elden Ring into pieces.
The main narrative suggests that she actually destroyed the Elden Ring in anger because of her son Godwyn’s death. He was no doubt a noteworthy figure, ending wars, making friends with enemies, and such. There’s no doubt she was fond of him too; hence, it did not come as a surprise when she lost herself after his demise.
Then there was another side of her that not many fans knew. Especially those who do not delve into the lore of Elden Ring. She once told her children, “Hear me, Demigods. My children beloved. Make of thyselves that which ye desire. Be it a Lord. Be it a God. But should ye fail to become aught at all, ye will be forsaken. Amounting only to sacrifices…”
This line has convinced fans that maybe it was Marika who set in motion plans to kill Godwyn. She wanted to defy the greater will, and this was her way of starting that game. There are also a number of hints throughout the game that suggest that it was Marika who was guiding the Tarnished through his mission.
Let’s not forget that when she banished her first partner, Godfrey, and his soldiers, she cursed them to lose their grace. But she also promised that once they were dead years later, they would rise up and once again gain that grace and would be led to the Lands Between. If she had planned hundreds of years in advance, how could she have let her beloved son die? The only explanation is that she knew this was going to happen.
This brand-new fan theory by Alltheheroesaredead suggests that maybe Marika is the one who has hidden Land of Shadows that players would see in the DLC. They suggest that maybe this place hides some dark secrets about Marika. Maybe that’s why, besides hiding it, she also tasked Messmer with protecting that secret.
They also point out that the baldachin-like drapery falling over the land is reminiscent of Marika’s bed chamber. This suggests that maybe she created a massive veil to cover the Land of Shadows and hide it from the rest of the world.
This is no doubt a very interesting theory. And it holds some weight too, as Marika has always been a trickster; let’s not forget she fooled half the world by simply becoming Radahn.
Where do Messmer and Miquella come into play?
Maybe the DLC brings Messmer in as a pawn of Queen Marika? Maybe he is hiding some of her darkest secrets just the way Lady Maria did in the Bloodborne Old Hunters DLC. And maybe Miquella is there to find answers or to make things right.
After all, if all this is Marika’s plan, then she has brought a lot of chaos to the Lands Between, and the only person who seems to want to make things right is Miquella. Whatever role they are playing in this DLC, fans will find out when it launches on June 20, 2024.
