It’s not a mistake when people call Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree‘s expansion the most mechanically demanding art that FromSoftware has ever produced. After all, it makes sense why this expansion is the way that it is, featuring a post-endgame land mired in a never-ending spiral of war, death, and destruction.
Yet FromSoftware has a penchant for carefully balancing order and chaos. Beyond the bloodshed and violence that much of the Land of Shadow is trapped in, there is an area so calming, saddening, and yet unbelievably crucial to the lore that it may just be this expansion’s most outstanding achievement.
Shadow of the Erdtree’s Shaman Village Is a Particular Standout Amongst Everything in the Land of Shadow
Beyond the debates of difficulty and lore inaccuracies surrounding Miquella, the expansion is home to some of the most captivating stories FromSoftware has told, all while adding a ton of missing context to the base game’s lore.
Amongst these tales, the environmental storytelling of Shaman Village stands out. Near the “Shadow Keep, Back Gate,” Site of Grace, lies a small room with a beheaded statue of Marika. Upon using the “O Mother” gesture in front of it, the path to the land of Shamans will open up to you.
Once you reach the village, the most somber rendition of Elden Ring‘s central theme begins to play, signaling the location’s importance and revealing its place in history.
Utterly detached from the violence seen in the rest of the land, the village feels like a breath of fresh air and, most importantly, one of the most peaceful and beautiful areas of all FromSoftware games.
For all the lore-heads out there, though, the Shaman Village may be the most significant piece of the puzzle surrounding Elden Ring‘s god and antagonist, Marika.
Shadow of the Erdtree’s Shaman Village May Clear All the Fog on Marika’s Motivations Behind the Shattering
Even if Shadow of the Erdtree has its fair share of problems, its most incredible achievement is how differently it portrays Marika from the base game, using only a few in-game items and the environmental storytelling of the Shaman Village.
We get to understand how the Shamans were Numen, Marika’s family, and the victims of genocide at the hands of the Hornsent, who brutalized them and turned them into living jars.
The village and the items found here paint Marika as a young girl from simple origins with perhaps some talent that attracted the Greater Will, who ascended to godhood to exact revenge for her people but was left broken as her past came back to haunt her through Morgott, Mohg and all that happened with the Carian royalty.
It’s a strangely different depiction from the psychotic, ruthless ruler we were told of in the base game, or perhaps that ruthlessness was the by-product of her past trauma.
That being said, though, what are your thoughts on Shaman Village and the new lore surrounding Marika? Have you reached the Hinterlands in Shadow of the Erdtree yet? Let us know in the comments below.
