Where to access Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Shadow of the Erdtree, the first major expansion for Elden Ring, will send you to a new region named the Land of Shadow. There, in a landmass roughly the size of the game’s Limgrave region, you’ll explore the Land of Shadow and follow in the footsteps of the Empyrean Miquella. But getting there can be tricky.

Like other FromSoftware games, you’ll have to progress through parts of Elden Ring’s story and explore its huge open world before you can access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. You can’t just select Shadow of the Erdtree from an in-game menu — you’ll have to put some work in.

Our Elden Ring guide will show you where and how to access the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.

Where to find the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

To access Shadow of the Erdtree’s new region, you will need access to Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum in Mohgwyn Palace. You’ll also have to defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood, to get unfettered access to Miquella’s Cocoon.

Mohgwyn Palace is only reachable by teleportation. There are two ways to get yourself there:

1. Complete a portion of White Mask Varré’s questline to get the Pureblood Knight’s Medal, which grants you an audience with Mohg
2. Travel to Consecrated Snowfield in the northeast region of the Lands Between, and use a Waygate to teleport to Mohgwyn Palace

Completing a portion of White Mask Varré’s questline is likely the faster path if you’re starting a new playthrough of Elden Ring. But if you’ve skipped parts of his questline, and have access to all (or most of) Elden Ring’s sites of grace, you might just want to teleport to the Consecrated Snowfield or a nearby region.

Whatever the case, make sure you’re properly prepared for a battle with Mohg. He’s a tough Demigod Boss.

Below, we’ve broken down the two primary routes for reaching Mohgym Palace in Elden Ring.

White Mask Varré route to Mohgwyn Palace

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

White Mask Varré is one of the first NPCs you’ll meet in Elden Ring. He has a relatively easy questline that’s worth doing, but here are the basic steps you need to do to get an audience with Mohg through Varré:

• Meet Varré at the First Step site of grace and speak to him repeatedly until you’ve exhausted his dialogue.
• Meet your maiden, Melina, and travel to the Roundtable Hold.
• Defeat Godrick the Grafted to acquire his Great Rune.
• Return to the Roundtable Hold and speak with Finger Reader Enia.
• Varré will travel from the First Step to Rose Church in the southwest region of Liurnia’s lake, west of Gate Town. Speak to Varré at Rose Church and he’ll give you the Festering Bloody Finger item
• Invade another world. You have two options to complete this step:

1. Invade another player’s world using the Festering Bloody Finger three times. This requires an online multiplayer connection. Note: You do not need to successfully defeat the player(s) you’ve invaded to progress Varré’s quest.
2. Invade the world of NPC Magnus the Beast Claw. His invasion sign can be found in Writheblood Ruins in Altus Plateau. The closest site of grace is Bridge of Iniquity. Defeat Magnus the Beast Claw to progress Varré’s quest.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

• Speak to Varré at Rose Church again and he’ll ask you to annoint you. Agree, and he’ll reward you with the Lord of Blood’s Favor item, then ask you to soak it in the blood of a maiden. There are four options to complete this step:

1. Travel to Church of Inhibition, northwest of Frenzied Flame Village, and interact with the corpse there.
2. Travel to Chapel of Anticipation (the starting area), using an Imbued Sword Key at the Four Belfries, and interact with the corpse there.
3. Kill the NPC Irina, at the entrance to Weeping Peninsula (if she’s still alive).
4. Kill the NPC Hyetta, who can first be encountered at the Lake-Facing Cliffs site of grace in Liurnia, if you’ve finished Irina’s questline by completing Castle Morne and finding her father.

Once you’ve dyed the cloth of the Lord of Blood’s Favor with maiden’s blood, return to Varré. He’ll perform a gruesome ritual on you and reward you with the Bloody Finger. Speak to Varré again and he’ll give you the Pureblood Knight’s Medal.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Use the Pureblood Knight’s Medal from the Tools tab in your inventory, and you’ll be transported to the steps of Mohgwyn Palace, near the Dynasty Mausoleum Entrance site of grace.

Work your way through Mohgwyn Palace until you reach Dynasty Mausoleum Midpoint. Your battle with Mohg, Lord of Blood, is nearby. If you’re having trouble, consult our guide on how to beat Mohg.

Consecrated Snowfield route to Mohgwyn Palace

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

To reach Consecrated Snowfield in Elden Ring, you’ll need to progress a little further through the storyline and acquire the Haligtree Secret Medallion. That medallion is split into two halves:

Haligtree Secret Medallion (Right) is found in the southern part of Liurnia of the Lakes in the Village of the Albinaurics. To reach the Village of the Albinaruics, start at the Folly on the Lake site of grace and head south through the shadowed, swampy area filled with giant crabs. Travel up the slope on the far side and you’ll reach the village.

There you’ll find a lone, conspicuous urn — smack it, and you’ll reveal the village’s lone survivor, Albus. He’ll get you the right half of the Haligtree Secret Medallion.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Haligtree Secret Medallion (Left) is found within Castle Sol in the Mountaintops of the Giants region. You’ll need to defeat Commander Niall to get access to the left half of the Haligtree Secret Medallion.

Once you have both halves, journey to the Grand Lift of Rold in Leyndell, Royal Capital — a location you’ll only have access to once you’ve acquired two Great Runes. At the Grand Lift of Rold, select “Hoist secret medallion” (not “Hoist medallion”) to gain access to Consecrated Snowfield.

The Waygate that teleports you to Mohgwyn Palace is located in the western edge of Consecrated Snowfield, northwest of Yelough Anix Ruins and west of where you are invaded by (and must defeat) Sanguine Noble. If you teleport to the Inner Consecrated Snowfield site of grace, just head due west to find the Waygate.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

The Waygate in Consecrated Snowfield will transport you to a dark cave, the exit of which opens into Mohgwyn Palace. You’ll need to work your way northwest through the blood lake, avoiding Nameless White Mask invaders and giant spectral skeletons, to reach the Dynasty Mausoleum Entrance site of grace.

Work your way through Mohgwyn Palace until you reach Dynasty Mausoleum Midpoint. Your battle with Mohg, Lord of Blood, is nearby. If you’re having trouble, consult our guide on how to beat Mohg.