Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC: Solving Players' Endless Mystery

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At some point soon, Elden Ring is set to receive an exciting major DLC expansion called Shadow of the Erdtree. FromSoftware has a great track record with their DLC efforts, which often become highlights of their respective games. The upcoming expansion promises to bring new adventures and lore to Elden Ring, and fans who have completed their previous quest will be eager to jump right into it.

However, the Souls community will have to exercise patience as FromSoftware is likely to release Armored Core 6 before Shadow of the Erdtree. Nevertheless, we can expect an official trailer to be unveiled during the summer trade show season. Until then, speculation about the contents of Elden Ring's DLC expansion is rife, with much of it focused on the enigmatic Miquella and the dark Erdtree seen in a teaser image. While the DLC could take various forms, many fans are particularly looking forward to learning more about a major character.

Melina Remains Elden Ring's Most Mysterious Figure

Despite her significant role in Elden Ring, Melina remains shrouded in mystery. As the Tarnished's maiden, she facilitates leveling up, provides the player with their trusty steed Torrent, and grants access to the Roundtable Hold hub. However, Melina's involvement in gameplay and the story grows even more pronounced as the game progresses, and players who explore during specific windows can gain a wealth of valuable lore. Despite this, Elden Ring never delves too deeply into Melina's backstory.

Melina is, by her own admission, reticent when it comes to discussing her personal life. We know only that she was born at the foot of the Erdtree, that something may have happened to her physical form, and that she wanders the game world with an as-yet-undefined purpose. Beyond these broad strokes, speculation is difficult. She is not present in Morgott's boss arena, and her summon for that battle shares many moves with the Black Knife bosses. Additionally, she seems to be able to hear echoes of Marika's speech in certain locations, and displays an unusual gloam eye in the Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending. Fans of Elden Ring are eager to learn more about this enigmatic character, and it is hoped that future installments will shed more light on her mysterious past.

Shadow of the Erdtree Should Tie Melina More Into Elden Ring's Background

Whatever Melina's deal is, players may learn more about her in the DLC, especially if an implication in the teaser poster holds true. Among Elden Ring's demigods, Miquella is commonly speculated to be skilled in handling spirits, and if the horseback figure in the poster is him, he may have been Torrent's original master. Explaining how the spirit horse ended up with Melina could be a good jumping-off point to reveal more about her origins and her mysterious purpose that is occasionally referenced but never elaborated on.

Any clues regarding Melina's normally-closed eye and apparent connection to Destined Death would be greatly appreciated. Even deducing that Melina is a secret daughter of Marika trained to ensure a new Elden Lord takes the throne doesn't explain this aspect. Her eye also brings to mind the Gloam-Eyed Queen from Elden Ring's backstory, who herself has a deep connection with the Rune of Death. Whatever place Melina occupies in Elden Ring's lore may be deeper than players know, but it's ultimately up to FromSoftware to shed more light on the matter.

Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.