Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree Story Trailer Reveals Messmer's War & Miquella, St. Trina Connections

FromSoftware premiered a new trailer for the upcoming expansion of the critically acclaimed RPG Elden Ring. According to its updated description, the latest story trailer lets players in on "the history of the Realm of Shadows, the unseen land," which will be the central location in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

The expansion is scheduled to be released on 21st June 2024 for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and PC via Steam. With less than a month away from its release, the Story trailer doesn't reveal much or show footage that doesn't make much sense until players return to The Lands Between next month.

The Story trailer begins with a grotesque scene featuring a figure pulling or removing something from likely one of the Godskin Duo, Apostle, or Noble. The narrator speaks of "seduction" and "betrayal" before referencing "an affair from which Gold arose" before "Shadow was born," which may speak of how the Realm of Shadows came to be.

A war ensued, led by Messmer the Impaler, during which a few enemies that were previously seen in the Gameplay trailer reappeared before figures resting on pikes arising within the flames. Given the slight appearance of horns on these figures, it's safe to assume that these are Omen, which a recent post on Twitter revealed an Omen-like creature players could encounter.

Given the possible connections between The Primordial Crucible and Omen, a tree reminiscent of the Erdtree can ooze a golden-hued sap, representing order or the Golden Order. If one were to assume that the absence of this sap could speak of order, it might be interpreted as the lack of order within the Realm of Shadows, which makes sense given the presence of living creatures potentially birthed or derived from The Primordial Crucible.

The trailer cuts to its next sequence of scenes, which might indicate Miquella's rune, which could be discovered by exploring the Realm of Shadows. While these runes haven't been confirmed as to their purpose within the context of the Realm of Shadows, it's possible they could be new Sites of Grace markers as the narration speaks of Miquella "abandoned everything" from his "golden flesh," strength, and "his fate," which teased an image of St. Trina.

So far, it's been confirmed that players will explore the story of St. Trina in the Shadow of the Erdtree, courtesy of Hidetaka Miyazaki's comments in an interview this year. This connection between Miquella and St. Trina will be explored by players and was alluded to throughout the Story trailer, especially towards the end, with likely followers of Miquella or St. Trina seemingly asking if they'll "walk with us."

The trailer will continue to generate much discussion online, especially within dedicated forums for Elden Ring, as more mysteries continue to enrobe what players can expect in Shadow of the Erdtree. Having watched a fair share of Elden Ring lore prior to the game's release in February 2022 and reignited with the DLC announcement, Elden Ring players may have seen a trailer that makes no sense for now or one that may have revealed key details right before eyes.