Summary
Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erdtreehides a terrible secret about several fan-favorite characters from the base game. The DLC expands on the lore in seemingly innumerable ways, unlocking anew region ofElden Ring’s map, chock-full of sordid details about its most central characters' pasts. Players learn about where Marika came from, what Miquella was doing during the base game, and howMessmerearned the moniker of Impaler. They come out of the DLC far more knowledgeable aboutElden Ring’s pantheon of gods and lords.
But as tragic and fascinating as all the lore surrounding Marika, Miquella, and Messmer can be, those characters aren’t exactly fan favorites. They’re too distant, too omnipotent to make a significant impact on the individual player’s experience. Many prefer the down-to-earth, practical characters they interact with repeatedly. That goes double for those with unusually sunny dispositions that contrast with their gloomy settings, like Solaire and Siegmeyer from theDark Soulsseries.Elden Ringhas one such character - in fact, a whole village of them. They don’t appear directly in the DLC, but some of its lore does tie back to them.
Elden Ring’s Living Jars Are The Product Of Brutal Human Experimentation
Shadow Of The Erdtree Confirms The Worst About Alexander
It’s easy to understand whyAlexander the Iron Fist- and the Living Jars more generally - are some of the most popular NPCs inElden Ring. Alexander proves a delightful respite from the usually hostile characters that populate the rest of the Lands Between.Alexander is disarmingly friendly from the moment the player meets him, asking them to get him out of a pickle: he’s stuck in the ground. Later on, players can visit the idyllic Jarburg, home to the largest community of Living Jars inElden Ring, and even help theJar Bairnrecruit a new potentate. Players generally complete the game with a healthy respect for these largely peaceful creatures.
Alexander’s quest line inElden Ringends in a final duel at Crumbling Farum Azula. However, he’s not mad at the player character for killing him; he is honored to have died a warrior’s death. He rewards them with theShard of Alexander.
Elden Ring’s DLC flips this narrative on its head, though, by revealing a terrible truth about Alexander and his kin:the Living Jars are the direct result of cruel experimentation on living humans, and contain the dismembered remains of slain innocents. Most players will likely first discover this as they explore Belurat Gaol, an optional dungeon west of the Abandoned Ailing Village. Inside, they’ll be treated to a terrible surprise when a mutated, once-human blob pops out of an open pot and attacks them.
The player may also find a series ofGreater Potentate’s Cookbooksscattered throughout the Land of Shadow. The flavor text for each of these reads, “Haunted by the grotesque practice of his village of birth, he stuffed great pots with all manner of things.” So it would appear thatthe original potentate wasn’t just a noble protector of the Living Jars: he was also their creator, and was only able to do so through shocking cruelty.
Does Shadow Of The Erdtree Add A New Ending To Elden Ring’s Base Game?
Shadow of the Erdtree is a massive expansion for Elden Ring, adding dozens of hours of new content, but does it add a new ending, too?
A thread posted on X (formerly Twitter) byCollin Biggsfurther explains the connection between the Living Jars and various other items found inElden Ring’s DLC, revealing thatit was mainly the Numen - Marika’s people - who were subject to stuffing into Living Jars. Later, in Bonny Village, the player may find a weapon called the Bonny Butchering Knife. The flavor text for this one is more explicit, revealing that it was once used by the greater potentate there to prepare human bodies for stuffing into jars. Further along, an item known as theTooth Whipreveals that “the flesh of shamans was said to meld harmoniously with others.”
Biggs makes the connection between shamans and Numen based on the placement ofMinor Erdtree, Marika’s secret incantation, in the DLC’s Shaman Village area. Also found in that location is a lock of Marika’s golden hair. @ManusCeleson X points out that similar tresses can be seen on theInnard Meatitem. The ultimate conclusion, then, is thatthe Numen were tortured and experimented upon by the Hornsentin the Land of Shadow, who believed themselves naturally superior due to the blessing of the Crucible. Marika took revenge on them with the help of her son, Messmer. She may have also cursed their descendants into becoming Omen in the Lands Between, as many of these beings also bear twisted horns.
The Living Jars In The Lands Between Differ From Those In The Land Of Shadow
Jarburg Vs. Bonny Village
Despite Marika’s scorn towards the Hornsent who tortured the Numen by turning them into Living Jars, the practice continued in the Lands Between even after her ascension to godhood. However,the Living Jars inElden Ring’s base game are very different from the ones in the DLC, even if their horrible origins are the same. The flavor text for theCompanion Jar, atalisman inElden Ring’s base game, refers to them as “rather kindly folk.” This holds true: despite the few hostile Living Jars that players face, the overwhelming majority are friendly, helpful, and charismatic. So what changed?
One Brutally Hard Elden Ring DLC Boss Is Inspired By Equally Violent History & Terrifying Mythology
Mesmer the Impaler, a boss in the Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, is inspired by a blend of real historical figures and mythological entities.
Ultimately, it seems to come down to a cultural difference in the creation of Living Jars betweenElden Ring’s base game and the DLC. Transformation into a Jar is always viewed as an honor by the potentates, but not always by those who are getting stuffed into them.The Numen rightly view the jar as a punishment, usually for a transgression against the Hornsent. A ghost NPC can be found begging an unseen character not to turn him into one. Elsewhere, a Hornsent ghost refers to the process as the shamans' natural lot in life, and compares it to sainthood.
Butto the people of the Lands Between, to be a Jar is an honor. It means becoming a courageous warrior, greater than the sum of one’s parts. It means an eventual hero’s death. And afterward, it means that one’s body will be used to fuel the Minor Erdtrees dotted around the Lands Between, supporting a symbol of Marika’s authority and the Golden Order’s brilliance. This is why Minor Erdtrees' roots are always littered with cracked jars, representing the noble sacrifice of the Living Jars.
While Alexander himself doesn’t appear inShadow of the Erdtree, many of his kin do. The truth of their origins is terrible, and reveals a great deal more about Marika’s past and Messmer’s anger. That said, it doesn’t take away from the Living Jars' likability. If anything, the horrible reality of the Living Jars revealed in the Land of Shadow makes their counterparts' joy in the Lands Between even more admirable. This endears the player to the Living Jars further in bothElden Ring’s base game and its DLC.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is a popular game released by From Software, creators of games such as Armored Core, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne. Players assume the role of a Tarnished, a being once exiled to the Lands Between and has returned to repair the Elden Ring after the events of “The Shattering.” “The Shattering” occurred when the offspring of Queen Marika battled to claim the shards of the Elden Ring, known as Great Runes. Their war has brought lawlessness, destruction, and chaos to the land, and the player will challenge them with the assistance of a Maiden known as Melina as they travel towards the great Erd Tree to face their destiny and to become the one true Elden Lord. Players can tackle the game how they choose and can adventure across realms as they build their character how they want - be it a powerful magic caster or a brutal swordsman - they will have complete control over their build.
