With the worldwide release of ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree on June 21, a new CGI trailer has been unveiled by Bandai Namco Entertainment Inc. and FromSoftware, Inc., revealing a glimpse of what lies within the Realm of Shadow, and expansion of where we will have the opportunity to delve even farther into the lore and bear witness.

The DLC expansion called Shadow of the Erdtree is a part of the ELDEN RING world that was created by Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware and George R. R. Martin of the fantasy series "A Song of Ice and Fire". In Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree enter the Realm of Shadow we will face frightening bosses armed with upgraded weaponry and armor, and embark on a brand new adventure rife with mystery and danger. 

But if we delve deeper into this new trailer, we find even more fascinating findings. Based on what we see in this new trailer the opening line that says, "Miquella the Marika and the Crucible Kind spoke of the beginning. The seduction and the betrayal. An affair from which gold arose.", it seems like Marika created the Erdtree. Based on what we know about the initial shape of Eritrea, this enormous tree-like structure made of bodies could be The Crucible of Life. It is obvious that something strange is happening because she is sticking her hand inside this object that looks like Kos. Perhaps this being was a deity who safeguarded The Crucible. In order to establish her hierarchy, Marika manipulated and betrayed it.

Then she says, "And so too was Shadow born. But then there was fire. And with fire came disparity. Heat and cold, life and death, and of course, light and dark. Then, from the dark they came, and found the souls of Lords within the flame". Now, A light can't exist without simultaneously casting a shadow. Something new comes out of this shadow. The Erdtree's light casts a shadow, which could be the Land of Shadow; and this trailer seems to be echoing the same idea, albeit in a different context.

Much like the first trailer, this one also depicts the war. According to this teaser, Messmer was at enmity with a faction that was affiliated with the Crucible or the Omen. It appears that the enemy from the first trailer, who was burned alive, was actually Messmer's ally in the war. The bodies from The Crucible Tree displayed at the beginning are reminiscent of the ones burning inside. "They were never saints". is another statement from the first trailer. It so occurred that they were fighting in a losing cause. At this point, I think it's obvious that this is describing the Crucible side of the conflict. The war between Marika's faction and The Crucible's faction is logical once Marika develops the Erdtree by capturing the primordial Crucible tree. Messmer set fire to the country, so it's obvious that the Crucible side lost.

The trailer also shows an intriguing-looking character. This character seemed like the Gloam Eyed Queen. However, our knowledge suggests that Maliketh vanquishes the Gloam Eyed Queen when she wields the Godslayer Greatsword. It also appears that this character holds a spear. Maybe most of us are simply trying to find proof that Melina isn't the Gloam Eyed Queen. But think of the Drake-Knight Set when you look at the spear; its design is very similar to Messmer's. No matter who it is, I predict this individual will play a significant role. Then, we get this opportunity

Following that, we see Messmer in the next scene, with his fireball resembling the Dragon Communion Seal and his yellow eye resembling the eyes of a Dragon Communion participant. Perhaps Marika's allegiance had already been taken by the dragons; hence, she exiled Messmer to the Land of Shadow in order to conceal her decision to join their cause in battle. After that, we get a glimpse of the shadow tree with Messmer setting fire to creatures from Omen or The Crucible. The exact composition of this tree remains a mystery to me. Perhaps it is the Crucible tree, cut down and decaying after Marika's actions.

What follows are several images of this Rune-like symbol that appears all around the Land of Shadow. As Miquella travels across the Land of Shadow, these will serve as landmarks, perhaps serving as DLC similar to the sites of Grace. Miquella is shown in this image while we hear narration about him shedding his flesh. Using sleep items causes a purple glow and the appearance of flower petals. Then it must be St. Trina, isn't it? The fact that she doesn't resemble Melina in this image is obvious. Perhaps she'll get a new style at a later time! At least it remains believable to me at the moment. 

It ends with an animation of some characters, likely damaged, who have made it to the Land of Shadow to pursue Miquella, and we hear what seems to be one of their lines. "But we are not deterred. We choose to follow. Will you walk with us?" Many of these characters were introduced in the first teaser. But is it the same individual standing at Mohg's entry in the first trailer? Though it's difficult to discern, the robe appears to be quite same.

Seems like they could be the same person who says the line in the first trailer as well as this one. "Come now, touch the withered arm, and travel to the realm of shadow. I will not be far behind. May we meet again". I get the impression that it is the same voice. Could it be a new waifu? Why not? Then the trailer ended leaving us with so many questions. Was Marika the one who wooed The Crucible? Is it possible that Melina is really Miquella's secret identity?

I guess we'll soon find out all these mysteries once the ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expansion releases on June 21. We'll go where Miquella has gone and find out what happens on the other side of the ELDEN RING lore. ELDEN RING Shadow of the Erdtree will launch on PC via Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles. The expansion is available for pre-order now on all platforms, including special packages that contain the main game.

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Senior Editor, NoobFeed