The fastest route to starting Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

So, you want to access that Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, do you? Perhaps you didn’t slay one of the bosses required to access the content or don’t know how to start it. Or maybe, like me, you finished your original Elden Ring playthrough and started a New Game+ before promptly moving on to other games. 

Whatever the reason, before you can begin enjoying Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, you’ll need to navigate through a few hoops. The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is only accessible after players have reached a certain point in the base game. Namely, Tarnished must have already conquered both Starscourge Radahan and Mohg, Lord of Blood. If you’re returning to the Lands Between and load up your save to find that this is already complete, you’re in the clear. All it takes to start Shadow of the Erdtree is interacting with the cocoon at the rear of Mohg’s arena. 

For new players, or those returning to discover they haven’t found and defeated Mohg, there are several prerequisites before Tarnished can even reach the hidden depths where the Lord of Blood can be challenged. Thankfully, the route to Mohg isn’t nearly as complicated as it might seem. Following these steps, you can get into the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC as quickly as possible.

Step 1: Start the Radahn Festival

The first task that must be accomplished to reach Mohg and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is starting the Radahn Festival. While players in a New Game+ save, or those still close to the start, may think they need to defeat Margit and Godrick to open up the northern parts of the map, that’s not the case. The two early bosses certainly provide some worthwhile Runes if players are under-leveled, but they can be wholly circumvented via a cliffside path to the right of the Castleward Tunnel (past the Finger Reader Crone).

There are two ways to start the Radahn Festival: one involves progressing Ranni’s questline, and the other is after players use the Grand Lift of Dectus. Depending on where players are in their save, they may be closer to one than the other, but the Grand Lift of Dectus will have to be activated eventually. If players are strong enough to take on Radahn (recommended level 70), they can skip Ranni’s quest and speedrun to the two Dectus Medallion halves. Otherwise, the trip through Caria Manor in Liurnia of the Lakes will be a good leveling opportunity.

The first half of the Dectus Medallion is located within Fort Haight, southeast of the Mistwood Ruins. The second half can be found in Fort Faroth, in the much more deadly Caelid region. With both pieces of the Medallion, players can head through Liurnia of the Lakes, to the Grand Lift of Dectus in the north. Using the Medallion grants players access to the Atlus Plateau, where players can rest at a Site of Grace to trigger the Radahn Festival when night falls.

If players choose to go the Ranni route, an illusory wall just past the Kingsrealm Ruins will allow easy entry into the Caria estate. Once the Manor has been cleared and players can access Ranni’s Rise, they can chat with the Witch at the top of her tower to swear allegiance. Ranni will want the Tarnished to meet her associates and then asks for players to assist Blaidd in locating the lost city of Nokron. 

To relocate Blaidd, players must head down the Siofra River Well, north of Fort Haight, where the first half of the Dectus Medallion was found. Once in the depths, players can head straight ahead and up the next lift. This deposits the Tarnished in a more open underground area with plenty of enemies. Blaidd can be found on the right side of this area after it opens up. Just after players see the first set of stairs on the right, the NPC will be a bit further ahead on an outcropping of stone.

Blaidd will suggest that players visit Seluvis in Seluvis’s Rise for information about progressing. Naturally, Seluvis will make players continue their journey, suggesting they seek out Sorceress Sellen in a hidden basement at Waypoint Ruins. Thankfully, the trekking is just about over, as players will just need to revisit Blaidd in the Siofra River Well Depths and exhaust his dialogue.

Step 2: Defeat Radahn

With the Radahn Festival active, players can make their way to Caelid and head for Redmane Caste in the south. If players went the Ranni route and didn’t grab both parts of the Dectus Medallion, this is an excellent chance to swing north to Fort Faroth. Once players reach the Site of Grace at the Impassable Greatbridge, a waygate teleporter will take them further into the caste. From there, it’s just a short run by some mounted flamethrowers and into the castle’s plaza.

Up some stairs, the Festival’s attendant, Jerren, will open the path to Radahn after an imposing introductory cutscene. From there, Radahn will test whether players are ready to progress further.

Step 3: White Mask Varre

After players have taken care of Radahn, the next step toward Mohg requires the help of an NPC, White Mask Varre. The NPC can be found in the Rose Church at Liurnia of the Lakes, but if he’s not there, players can return to his original spawn point just outside of the tutorial dungeon. In that case, players can exhaust Varre’s dialogue, try talking to Finger Reader Enia in Roundtable Hold, and try their luck again.

When spoken to at the Rose Church, Varre asks what players think of the Two Fingers. You must select the option that says, “I don’t trust them,” to which Varre agrees and assigns players a job. The White Mask will provide Festering Blood Fingers and demand that players use them to invade three others. While you don’t need to be the victor in these invasions, you can alternatively use the invasion sign in Writheblood Ruins to summon Magnus the Beast Claw to complete the task.

With Varre pleased by the invasions, he’ll give players another job. This time, Varre wants you to soak a cloth called Lord of Blood’s Favor in the blood of a dead Maiden. There are four ways to soak the cloth. Players can find the dead Maidens at the Church of Anticipation and the Church of Inhibition, or players can elect to kill Heyetta or Irina and use either of their blood. That said, the latter options will eliminate any chance of doing those NPCs’ quests later on. As a reward for the bloodied Lord of Blood’s Favor, Varre will slice off one of your fingers and offer the Pureblood’s Knight Medal.

Step 4: Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum

Players can use the Pureblood’s Knight Medal to teleport right to Mohg’s doorstep. The path to the boss isn’t long, but there are plenty of formidable enemies in between. From the first Site of Grace, players will head straight ahead into the swamp, moving toward the back left of the area. Another Site of Grace will lead players up a mountain pass and through an underground crypt before depositing players before an elevator ascending to Mohg’s arena.

All that remains is for players to defeat the Lord of Blood. If players are having trouble, they should ensure they grab the Purifying Crystal Tear from the invader at the Second Church of Marika. It provides the Flask of Wondrous Physick with the effect of essentially ignoring the massive attack Mohg does when he changes phases. Once Mohg is down, the cocoon at the back of the room provides transport into the Shadow Realm, beginning the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.