15 Amazing Secrets in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

[@VaatiVidya]

Apparently the path to the first cross is obvious to many people 😅 sorry about that. Hopefully the part about the talisman is still interesting

[@sombrerochad]

I love you man

[@memeseller9444]

As in- have him summoned and win with him alive?

[@FishS0cks]

Weird requirement tbh

[@VaatiVidya]

@@memeseller9444 That's what the wikis are saying? Not 100% sure on that..probably best to make some save backups if you REALLY want this spell

[@formatomi]

@@VaatiVidya im fairly certain its not the case based on my experience. Fextra can be unreliable at times (most)

[@j-radrussell4313]

Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this, but all Marika statues in the base game have one braid cut short, which makes sense now that we can find Golden Braid

[@DestroManiak]

CINEMA

[@serjofcinder8925]

That's ridiculous attention to detail

[@maverick5474]

Dude that is an amazing discovery and as other peeps have said attention to detail! I would of never noticed that before! Thanks for sharing

[@zora508]

That means she always keeps it short....

[@berserk4souls]

You can see the cut braid much more clearly during the cutscene for Radagon’s introduction!

[@juliuscesarbatul8424]

if i remember correctly, this is the first VA role for the VA of Igon. and boy he really deliver the character

[@Salmon_Toastie]

he def put 250% effort and it shows, he did wonderfully.

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

Dude Igon was the best character in a DLC populated with cool characters! God I love him so much. Sir Moore started as my favorite, but Igon stole my heart better than Miquella ever could!

[@DustdeviIs]

Some of his lines definitely sounded like it was his first performance

[@Faude18]

not his first VA role but his first role for a video game. There's an interview from IGN (iirc) high up on the elden ring sub right now. It's really worth the read.

[@yellowcard8100]

Most VAs in FromSoft games are first time VAs for video games. Majority of them are theater actors.

[@LuckyLiarK]

Did you guys know, most of the NPC armor set in DLC increase power of their fighting style, Rakshasa, Ansbach, dancer of Ranah,... and yet Ymir's high priest robe doesn't, even though his staff enhances finger socceries. But it did mention: "Conceals the abundance of squirming beneath.". The secret of the robe only reveal when you use the feature "alter garment" when rest at site of grace or talk to Boc the Seamster, then it will show its true form, have new description and finally, enhances finger socceries. Edit: I find out about this from Bartonman channel, randomly get recommend by youtube and get shock seeing that. Also Freyja only has her sword enhances Redmane battle skill.

[@Furionic696]

very cool detail thanks for sharing that!

[@Heowolf]

Freyja's doesn't do anything besides make for good spartan cosplay.

[@DemMedHornene]

That's so cool! I was wondering about that

[@gamersreactions9267]

😂😊

[@LuckyLiarK]

@@Heowolf ah yes, sorry, her sword do instead of her armor.

[@asterrose9345]

I had a realization this morning that I feel some of you may find interesting. When Hewg says that Roderika the spirit tuner reminds him of someone he once knew, he's obviously referring to Marika. With new information from the DLC, it has made me believe that Marika seperated her beloved people the shamans from the hornsent, and elevated them to royals, as indicated by Roderika's red hood. Not only that, but I believe that Godrick was purposefully targeting the shamans or using his own shamanic blood to do the grafting, now that we know that their flesh melds easily with that of others from the DLC. This would also mean that in trying to save her people from persecution, she potentially resigned them to a diffent kind of it from one of her own children.

[@Howuf]

This post needs more likes.

[@TheDragon9157]

Godrick doesn't need to target specifically shamans, he is one himself and can graft as much as he wants because his flesh allows it. I'd believe the hewg and Marika thing tho

[@Martedamm]

Sounds really cool, but there's currently no evidence at all suggesting any of this. And Roderika was a royal outside of lands between, she was expatriated and sent to faraway lands, the lands between in this case, despite the fact she never even once saw Grace, which is the usual requirement and the whole reason for Tarnished to return to LB, like Marika foretold. Opening cinematic shows us the moments when all the notable Tarnished died and grace appeared to them, after which they were transported to lands between in an unknown manner. Lore from her hood alone proves 2 things, the first one is that she wasn't alive when the Tarnished were exiled from Lands Between, since she never once saw Grace. The second one is that she was actually sent to LB by her superiors in the lands of the tarnished and that she traveled to LB in another manner than the grace-given Tarnished. She's talking about "crossing the sea", but it's hard to say exactly what that means. Though the name "navy hood" could really imply they just used ships. There are many different lands outside of LB where the tarnished where exiled to, you have the land of reeds, badlands, the land where Fia lived and lay with exalted nobles, and possibly many more other "states", with their own leadership, kings and so on. Roderika was born in one of these lands and she was royalty there, and later she was sent away and ended up in LB. In the game there exists no connection to the Erdtree royalty, Marika and events related to her like the shaman village, which happened thousands of years ago.

[@CloudianMH]

​@Martedamm you know there are ships off the sourhern coast in the base game... right? You can see them from 2 places.

[@tarrencetherock1938]

Then does that mean godfroy is a shaman​@@TheDragon9157

[@YourManZan]

To go further on the Snake skin in the Bonny Village, Vaati has stated before in his video, "The Lore of Elden Ring is Blasphemous", that the Devourer Serpent has most likely been slain and reborn. And the Land of Shadows is where all death arrives. So I would like to think that the Devourer Serpent was killed and continued on in the Land of Shadow, only to reborn or somehow escaped into the Lands Between. Perhaps by ritual or, sacrifices, which the inhabitant of Mt. Gelmir also did make. And perhaps that was what spurned Leyndell to attack Mt. Gelmir. The rebirth of the Devourer Serpent.

[@dannattack4211]

Could his rebirth and escape from the shadow lands require him to shed his skin? Possible but probably not important.

[@palehorseriderx]

"CUUURSE YOOOUU BAAAYYLE!!" has been my favorite part of this expansion.

[@dopedagoth1789]

First 20 attempts (RL1) i didnt even get to hear him finish the speech Really started to annoy me until i actually had a good enough rng that bayle did attacks i did know how to dodge Then his speech became music to my ears!

[@v0Xx60]

The VA really delivered the line with his whole chest.

[@Dan_d00d]

Came to comments for exactly this. wanted to yell it out myself

[@wtfserpico]

WITH A HAIL OF HARPOOOOOOOOOOOOOONS!!!!!!!!!

[@tossapat027]

I HEREBY VOW! YOU WILL RUE THIS DAY!!!

[@Mauntium]

The incantation given by Florissax when going the alternative route with her quest reads: "[...] There was a time when the priestess never knew love, and thus never used this incantation herself." Her summon reads: "[...] Long ago, Florissax assumed human form to share Dragon Communion with the world. Now, she has acquired a human heart." And thus, Vyke isn't the only tarnished to learn how wholesome dragons can be. The real reward here was immaterial.

[@sirith9157]

It's funny how a lot of people interpret Souls games as "hopeless", when a lot of npcs wish player success. Elden ring have even more of them. Becoming Elden Lord is more about healing the world and it's inhabitants than being a ruler. In this case we helped a Pristess who's lord dumped her after one unfulfilled prayer...

[@ExileTwilight]

@@sirith9157 It's a little hollow by the fact we have to basically roofie her for it however :p

[@zennim125]

we drug and deceive her, so, like, yeah, not that wholesome, quite a shame

[@dopedagoth1789]

You dont deceive her though, you admit to have done it which is why she wants to make you her new lord

[@khajiitimanus7432]

​@@ExileTwilight Fair. But I recall that she only gives you her spirit ash (and loyalty) after admitting you did so - thus, it seems it doesn't bother her. Perhaps she even finds it a bit funny, as if she's flabbergasted that such a small thing (relatively, given she's kinda immortal) would get her ignored by Placidusax.

[@DanielGarcia-rx3kt]

Cool thing to consider about Anastasia the Tarnished Eater. She is likely from the Land of Shadows and wears the Finger Maiden outfit to lure and butcher Tarnished with her knife that is exactly the same as the Bonny Village Potentate Butcher Knives. Exactly the same. Also, in one of her invasions she drops the Sacred Scorpion Charm. Scorpions don't exist in the base game but are in the Belurat Tower Settlement and by the Bonny Gaol next to Bonny Village. Anastasia may have had a hand in the existence of the base game Living Jars. Something to consider.

[@Mare_Man]

Scorpions are known in the Lands Between, as evidenced by the _other_ Scorpion charms and the Scorpion's Stinger.

[@seanopher]

@@Mare_Man thats true but those items could've been created around the same time before the realm of shadow was separated taking all the scorpions with it

[@Ake-TL]

LB Jars seem to operate differently from LoS Jars

[@craniumdiode1263]

I completely doubt she had a hand in the process of living jars in the base game, but I am willing to believe that she could come from or been inspired by the Greater Potentates of Bonny Village at least.

[@michaelbentley1591]

One note - scorpions are also found in the Ancient Ruins of Ruah

[@Endofnames]

Fun fact: The legend at the bottom of the in-game map while you are in the lands between labels the "land of shadows" as the "shadow realm". Miyazaki literally sent us all to the shadow realm.

[@SILENTFEATHERSFTW]

It's time to. D-d-d-d-dadadada DUEL!!!!!!

[@MrSpartan993]

YOUR MOOOVE!

[@Humblemumble7]

What does that mean? Sorry, if it's obvious

[@alvin2076]

@@Humblemumble7 Yu-Gi-Oh

[@Humblemumble7]

@@alvin2076 Ahhh... Thank you

[@angel_dot_data]

Love it when the jars commit sudoku.

[@KNRG04]

LOL

[@david_unknown36]

I’m hoping he meant to say seppuku. Lmao

[@ezratrujillo7289]

couldn't be, then it'd be talking about unaliving and this site will have none of that

[@RobinLSL]

@@david_unknown36 It's a common joke to say "commit sudoku"

[@GR8Trollio]

@@RobinLSLcommon where? Literally YOUR house. Nobody farther than the end of your Wi-Fi range uses that term as a joke

[@Speculaas]

0:12 You don't have to take this path. You can just jump over the rubble before the scorpion room, opposite to the elevator shortcut.

[@AsCo1d]

Exactly this. And it's not even hidden.

[@zack31191]

Thanks I accidentally committed sudoku [sic] like the Soldjar ashes trying to jump down

[@LawfulBased]

Both options are super easy to miss though.

[@ToiletCloggerDemon]

yeah this ain't that hidden

[@yezzariael965]

Found it that way, too

[@HeyHeyHayden]

Another hidden/not obvious thing: 2 of Placidusax's heads are stuck on Bayle's back, likely leftover from the fight they had long ago. You have to wonder how hard Placi bit down on Bayle for them to be lodged so tightly that he couldn't get them off.

[@valcristPL]

Or Bayle's heat is so intense it melded the heads into his body so hard.

[@formatomi]

Seeing that Placi lost those heads, they were locked on Bayle like an angry wolverine lol

[@music79075]

I didn't even SEE those lol

[@SolitudesSanity]

Saw that video too, very cool

[@VictorIV0310]

Now, my question is: How many heads does Placidusax exactly have? People can’t seem to agree if he had 4 heads or 5 heads in total since while his model shows him having 2 heads with 3 missing head stumps, the Old Lord’s Talisman depicts him having four heads, and two of his severed heads are stuck on Bayle’s body. The fifth head, if there ever was one, remains to be seen.

[@evanthurmond7432]

Vaati, not sure if anyone has mentioned this but, if you head down and fight the Scadutree Avatar, you'll get Miquella's Great Rune. It doesn't do much for a majority of the DLC, but it is a reusable item. Well, if you get grabbed during the Consort of Miquella phase, you can actually use it to dispel Miquella's charm and give yourself extra chances to survive that grab.

[@DaneShroogan]

not sure if this qualifies as a secret, but on the southern shore of the island off the cerulean coast, there are two adorable waddling penguins with unique animations I haven’t seen anywhere else in the game

[@grfrjiglstan]

If you’ve been having trouble unlocking the spiritsprings, just use one of the shackle items. If you’re standing at the spring, the radius of the shackle’s hitbox will be large enough to hit the stones sealing it every time.

[@plipplop728]

Holy shit! Is that true?? Never thought to use them like that, I thought they're only works within "closed" space/area like dungeons.

[@mollika3587]

@@plipplop728 it works, i tried it at the ruins one ^^

[@dumbsterdives]

​@@plipplop728nope, theres no limitation on em its just a giant hitbox

[@SiriusYTChan]

This would be good to be tested. The one that's farthest to it's spiritspring is the one in the Rauh ruins.

[@mollika3587]

@@SiriusYTChan thats the place where i tried it, because i couldnt be bother to look for it, and it worked!

[@foxmind2490]

I love the fact that in my first play through I found the Remembrance Graves by the finger graves but completely missed the one by the church 😅

[@Joshradleigh]

Same. But I missed a bunch of obvious stuff ploughing through the game.

[@llamawarllord]

Yup me too

[@kalebweeks8296]

Same

[@JTvTK]

same lmao

[@7ambris]

Same

[@wampXs]

I find it interesting that each of the Remembrance Coffins are on each of the Three Finger Ruins. Def. some lore behind it

[@formatomi]

At least there are TWO! things of interest in them, yay

[@zacharyperlee4179]

Wait, there's 3 finger ruins..... 3 remembrance coffins...... 3 fingers

[@Reikis645]

two in the pink, one in the stink

[@declanm810]

It’s interesting as well that each of the finger ruin sites has a hanging bell to ring as part of that questline, while the walking mausoleums from the base game that can clone the great rune boss remembrances have a bell too

[@mdcrumpler]

There are two bells of awakening ​@@formatomi

[@PlamoTherapy]

With regards to the Furnace Golem Trick, there's a note about throwing items in it near the main entrance of Shadow Keep. What's NOT apparent is that the footsoldiers wandering about that area also drop Furnace Visages, so you have a relatively easy time stocking Hefty Furnace Pots.

[@tylerturner1429]

Does anyone else think maybe Radagon and Marika, as well as Miquella and St. Trina could appear as two different, distinct beings in the same body may have something to do with the reason the hornsent started putting the Shaman in jars? Like, the whole “flesh that easily melds,” thing allows for some kind of duality between literally different beings in one body.

[@sophisticatedbear3374]

So interesting thing about Tanith. The name is a variant of Tanit. Tanit was a goddess in ancient Phoenician and Punic cultures who was associated with serpents and was known as the "Serpent Lady" She was the patron goddess of Carthage and was also worshiped in Malta, Sardinia, and Spain. Tanit was the goddess of fertility, creation, dance, motherhood, and the divine feminine all of which seem to be contained within her character in elden ring. She was also the protector of Carthage and oversaw love, sexuality, and the cycles of life. Tanit was associated with the sun, moon, and stars, and was invoked for fertility. The serpent was a symbol of the Earth's life force, and Tanit was also associated with palm trees, which represented the desert version of the Tree of Life. Another thing to point out is that Castanets are thought to have been invented by the Phoenicians over 3,000 years ago. Also, the dancer of ranah's attire is stylistically similar to those worn in ibza to this day, especially as she wears a seemingly traditional ibizan dancers necklace and head scarf. Ibza has strong associations with the goddess tanit once even having a temple to her. There are so many interesting hidden details if you dig into the etymology regarding names i suggest people try its fun. A brief example would be great horned Tragoth. Tragoth comes from tragos which meant goat or more accurately a billy/bull goat. So yeah his armor is called that for a reason, as his name is great horned bull goat. It would be interesting to dissect all the dlc names one by one.

[@F1shyBab1shy]

Can you do the Ancient dragon names? (Fortissax, Gransax, etc.)

[@embargovenom9948]

@@F1shyBab1shy Fortis means strong, powerful. Grand means big. Floris means flower. They're pretty much all latin words + sax.

[@HeevaEgo]

@@embargovenom9948 placidusax is also related to calmness and tranquility

[@sophisticatedbear3374]

@@F1shyBab1shy Given there are several latin names aswell as them the dragons being made of gravel stone I would assume in this case it is the latin word sax or saxum which can be read as stone, rock. Keep in mind, it usually denoted a large rock not a pebble and could even poetically be used for mountain in some cases. So Fortissax = "The Enduring/strong stone/mountain" (fitting since its stated he fought long and hard in his remembrance) Placidusax = "The Unmoving/calm stone/mountain" (which is fitting as he floats perfectly still when you first encounter him)

[@sophisticatedbear3374]

@@embargovenom9948 sax is saxum I assume which is latin for stone as all the dragons ancient dragons scales are gravel stone and they're the only ones with this name convention. But yes it's also quite fitting Florissax can give you the flowerstone gavel.

[@MaximusPrimusKay]

Oathseeker set in the Church of Benediction. Leda, last of her order, wears an altered version of the same outfit and talks about making sure only the "worthy" can serve Miquella. I don't think it's a coincidence that we find a full set, with a weapon, right above the area where we first arrive at the Land of Shadow.

[@MrFallenone]

It clearly states somewhere she killed her entire order.

[@Freshomania]

@@MrFallenone should be her weapon description

[@MaximusPrimusKay]

@@MrFallenone She does but here's what piques my interest. I believe you can find this set before Miquella's charm breaks. That's why I find it interesting. We know the Oathseekers seek a lord to serve. Miquella in this case. We also know Miquella has no problem charming everyone he meets. So if multiple Oathseekers were in service to Miquella, they like Leda, were probably charmed. If the charm that affected them is anything like the one we see in-game, it would probably stop them from murdering each other. Leda is shown to be eager to kill most of the NPC crew after it breaks. The only thing stopping her was the charm. So if she did kill this particular Oathseeker, in the Land Shadow, presumably while under Miquella's charm, how did she do it? When did she do it? I could be chasing a tangent that goes nowhere and maybe the nearby Curseblade, as unexciting as it would be, took out that particular knight and the placement is entirely coincidental. For now, I find it fascinating to think about the possibilities.

[@chrisStep619]

One thing I discovered by accident looking for secret passages was that Mogh or Morgoth's shackles destroy stacked stones, as they do with traps and the like. I didn't locate any of the stone piles, because I always activated them long before I found them, releasing the wind jets.

[@KprinoRPG]

very useful

[@Rad_Akali]

They also break the locked spiritsprings! Very useful to avoid having to look for the stones that unlock them.

[@Inferryu]

@@Rad_Akali Yes, that's exactly what the comment is saying.

[@belecjea]

They also drop the hanging pots

[@chrisStep619]

@@belecjea no waaaaay

[@A-Duck]

Pretty pleased with myself for discovering nearly all of these secrets on my own. Only things I missed was one of those hanging pots, and the fact that crystal darts work on those smith golems. Makes sense when I think about it, just didn't occur to me to try.

[@theyfearme1379]

Exactly , same here. I only looked cause I'm on the final boss. I didn't shoot the pots either. Although I remember seeing one. True souls players EXPLORE BABY! 😂

[@LordErmac2000]

​​@@theyfearme1379 Same here, I put 60 hours into the DLC, I refused to use guides and do not regret a thing it was a great experience, especially making my way to the Abyssals woods. I loved it.😂❤

[@andyscoming4919]

@@theyfearme1379good luck on the final boss! If you haven’t already beat it. Just beat it finally a couple hours ago. Still feel elated tbh. Definitely Malenia tier heart pounding adrenaline towards the end of my final try!

[@camikaze3654]

yep, same

[@theyfearme1379]

@andyscoming4919 I'm level 16 scadutree and this is def the hardest souls boss ever. Never had this much trouble with a boss fight .think I need more scadutree

[@ThunderGuppies]

@:49 the spirit jars “commit Sudoku all by themselves” 😂 I’m picturing them stopping mid battle to take a dump and fill out some math puzzles

[@FutureFunkMonthly]

I'm glad it wasn't just me who heard that lol.

[@heyitsbookie]

It’s an ancient Vaati reference from the days of DS2.

[@amberhernandez]

​@@heyitsbookie Wasn't that MaatiMovie though??

[@Case_]

@@heyitsbookie It's a not so ancient reference to a really common joke of replacing "seppuku" with "sudoku". Like *really* common. Even people who never touched a videogame in their life know it/say it.

[@rromcovers6254]

1. For using the fire pots against the giant fire baskets, you get a hint at this outside Shadow Keep. To the right just outside the main gate you will see a dead fire basket and can find a note from a soldier newrby warning others to keep fire away from them because as we see it only takes a couple to make them blow. 2. Unrelated to this video, if you haven’t seen it yet be sure to go into your garments and alter the High Priest outfit you get from Count Ymir. You get a dramatically different and really cool, albeit a bit gross, outfit that relates to his relationship to the fingers.

[@zephyrpp]

The note can be easy to miss since the furnace golem often ends up standing right on top of it. They should’ve put it a but earlier in the narrow passage to the golem.

[@thefolkbloke6656]

Also if you alter the High Priest garment into the full robes, it gives you bonus damage with Finger Sorceries. So that's worth doing if you're using any of those spells.

[@fabi3790]

​@@zephyrpp it's in a tent right next to the shadow keep entrance. I have never seen the golem on top of that tent or even near it. He was always in the camp

[@zephyrpp]

@@fabi3790 I never saw that note. I meant the golem at east Scadu Altus, before Rabbath’s Rise.

[@bertvanbeterbed9702]

I'm late, but here is my fun fact I discovered in a whimsy of "this is so dumb it cannot possibly work". The hidden ladder that eventually leads you to the abyssal woods, firsts leads to a valley with a small fortress and some dead fire baskets. One rises and starts attacking you, the other one, blocking the entrance to the fortress, can actually be ignited by throwing a fire pot *into* it. Which is also the only way you can get it to move out of the way.

[@ItsNaberius]

I found almost all of these secrets (except the first) on my first playthrough, but all of them were because of messages left on the ground telling me what to do and where to do it. So to everyone who leaves helpful messages like that, thank you!

[@T3AR_HD]

And remember to use the vaatividya community group password! Always kind and helpful messages if you do

[@matthewwhittall1205]

There's actually multiple instances of a Smithscript Golem petting a lava tear (or lava slime as I like to call them). I can't remember where, but I think another one is in the forge that's guarded by Misbegotten.

[@FelisImpurrator]

*hot dog

[@Heowolf]

there are two there (if its the one with the long seesaw pipe), one after you cross the long pipe and head right, and another after you drop down and climb a ladder (this one you have to jump to and does nothing otherwise)

[@Arkayjiya]

But the two golems Vaati mentions, are ones you *want* to kill because they're the only two who can drop the golem fists.

[@Heowolf]

@@Arkayjiya Same forge I mentioned before (the one with a long pipe) on the left near the end of the pipe there are 2 that can drop it (this is where I grinded out 2), and the one petting a fire slime or w/e after you climb the ladder can drop it. Any golem not holding a pot or stick drop it. Mobs drop what they use if its on the drop table

[@Arkayjiya]

@@Heowolf The golems fists are ranged weapons, there are only two golems in the whole game that can drop them because there are only two golems in the whole game that uses those ranged fists to attack you. Just try and go to a non-pot golem, for example in the "ruined forge lava intake", and even if the golem doesn't have a lava pot, he will never throw his fists at you, because he doesn't have the golem fist weapon. You can't get them from him. Also there are two forge with a long pipe, one of them is the one Vaati mentions, Taylew's Ruined Forge and is the one where you can loot the gauntlets on two specific golems. The other two ruined forge (one of which also has a pipe) have plenty of golems that don't have lava pots, but they don't have those ranged fists either.

[@rederickelliott]

I really went through every corner of the DLC and was happy to find there was even more to discover!

[@rickyma646]

12:43 I killed the slim from afar, the golem proceeded to petting air

[@MaraCamille]

For a bit more on the summoning NPCs stuff, any NPC that has their summon sign inside of the boss room, it means summoning them will affect that character's questline.

[@kryvexi]

bayle and hornsent, to my knowledge!

[@MaraCamille]

@@kryvexi Thiollier and Ansbach at the end as well

[@bruhvenant]

@@MaraCamille nah, their summon is outside of the boss room, and whether you use them or not the result will be the same

[@MaraCamille]

@@bruhvenant ah my bad

[@maximilian2843]

@@kryvexi where can you summon hornsent?

[@warwolfman]

Obviously Zorayas is enjoying her journey and getting big and strong along the way and I am happily awaiting the day she returns to tell her beloved champion all about it

[@Reemon27]

aw thats the best conclusion i saw yet ☺

[@user-jd93la049s]

I feel like that serpent skin was just a little trolling so we would feel paranoid every time we cross one of those bridges haha

[@Foatizenknechtl]

fromsoft wouldnt do that ever? xD

[@Ryan-nm8pw]

That's a good point, it could very well be just a Sekiro Easter egg.

[@DarrieusJohn]

​@@Foatizenknechtl I would shit myself and then turn the game off. The Sekiro snake already traumatized me enough. I fucking hate snakes 😭

[@jakesteinberg5902]

I think it has something to do with the base serpent

[@qerga]

@@DarrieusJohn I instantly stood still and started looking up between the trees in the abyssal woods when the dev placed "warning" said "dont let it see you" waiting for a giant ass frenzy snake and was a bit disappointed in the end

[@yarugatyger1603]

The guide on the bellbearings was invaluable, I only found the one by the waterfall naturally.

[@FurieMan]

0:10 you don't have to jump down there. There is some rubble you can jump up on right of the entrance to the big room where a big spider falls down on you. There are a lot of marks showing this and also a lot of marks on the rubble itself hinting at it being possible.

[@Moghty]

I was gonna say this... not secret at all. It was my natural pathing before even jumping on the roofs or going into the tower with the spider scorpions.

[@gunnarschlichting9886]

​@@Moghty Secret enough that I missed it despite finding the path to the Dancer on the Cerulean Coast. It can be hard to tell rubble your supposed to climb apart from rubble that blocks your path sometimes for me, especially because it was such a steep angle in this case.

[@derkasoup127]

Yeah I was kinda mad he got somthing so simple wrong.

[@pink_haired_viking]

Runes translate to - "you were at my side all along", excellent choice for the design

[@_claymore]

was hoping for a classic "try fingers, but hole", but this is also a nice choice. also thx for the info

[@alexafton3008]

"A serpant never dies" and "All manners of death end up in the realm of shadow" Could that possibly mean that the God Devouring serpant goes through a rebirth in the realm of shadow and it's silently growing there? The serpant did die before Rykard after all.

[@formatomi]

Or the other way around, since its a smaller skin, it might be originated from the Lands of Shadow

[@lacroustillenecroustillepl2637]

@@formatomi i thought the same so, and since there is winged snakes in volcano manor, this snake might have something to do with messmer snakes ? Theres both the "bad" snake and the winged ones in both places

[@Heowolf]

@@lacroustillenecroustillepl2637 The models for the shed skin and Messmers snakes don't match at all unfortunately. It'd look at the Bonfire vid for him, those snakes have eyes EVERYWHERE.

[@lacroustillenecroustillepl2637]

@@Heowolf oh yeah i am aware, but they both have a link with destruction. In symbolism the snake is both the devourer of world and the one that birth worlds, the winged snake could refer to the later, the base serpent and ryckard snake can refer to the first one. I cant unsee that despite their difference they have things in common, especially about the winged snakes symbols

[@dopedagoth1789]

@formatomi or maybe both

[@misdrevenous]

I just love the effort that you put into your videos. It is well made and you have such a smooth voice perfect for your well written narration. Good job! 🥰

[@SentinalSlice]

You can actually get another Bellbearing. In Rabbath’s rise, if you get there from the shaman village and a bit of parkour, you can get a bell bearing for infinite Rabbath’s Greatbolts. Which go with the new Cannon/ballista you can get there too.

[@frozi1541]

This is just like Gorbino's Quest. This is the Gorbino's Quest of VaatiVidya.

[@ChadwickHarold]

This is the Gorbino's Quest of Life.

[@jobogriff]

Gorbino but real

[@bebopjohnson6430]

I can't wait to add the Vaati Chunko pop to my collection

[@chend2713]

over 500 hours of mind pumping action

[@Pcr12]

The only video game in the world

[@nogsan195]

Igon deserves a video. Best NPC, best summon, best VA.

[@vania7988]

Igon def the goat npc of the dlc

[@Almoniification]

He already has an entire book.

[@sunlesssirris]

You can save Moore. In my second playthrough I warmed the kindred of rot being and collected the 7th cookbook from him but forgot to speak to him afterwards all the way until after the final boss and he was still there, special dialogue too.

[@scorpiowarrior7841]

And he dosen't join the fight at the end?

[@sunlesssirris]

​@@scorpiowarrior7841Exactly, he didn't show up for the fight against Lady Leda.

[@sunlesssirris]

SPOILERS FOR MOORES SPECIAL DIALOGUE. "I never change, always friend to you." "My Brood is no more. No one comes to visit, not Lady Leda, not Father Dane, not Sir Ansbach, not Freyja, not Thiollier, not the Hornsent. Where have they all gone?" "Thank you, No one comes to visit. Except you."

[@gavinmcphie6936]

Yeah there's barely anything online about this but the way to trigger this is by choosing "I don't know." In his dialogue he laments how nobody visits him anymore

[@-M05]

@@sunlesssirris even the scenario where Moore survives is still sad 😭 Why can’t our NPC friends get a happy ending?

[@sissichu]

I've noticed that the Shadow Realm may quite literally be in the middle of the Lands Between, in the ocean that the Lands Between twist around. The placement of the Scadutree coincides with the Erdtree, to Towers in Lands Between would circle around the Shadow Realm and the South Eastern part with the Dragon Peaks coincides with where Greyoll and bunch of other dragons are in the Lands Between.

[@esellwan]

Visit the top of the Suppressing Pillar for your confirmation.

[@GR8Trollio]

Love the tips, the new cracked tear that buffs you while a summon dies actually has a few boss fights where it would seem to be really useful just as-is. I like using Tiche for my mage build, but she can be squishy sometimes because she’s so aggressive. Then I’m left at the tail end of a fight and that bonus damage would come in clutch when it’s most needed. But the video had a few ideas on that which opened up some interesting possibilities. Love the creativity.

[@benevolentduck9598]

Regarding the serpent skin in the Land of Shadow: There are also two abductor virgins outside the Fort of Reprimand. I don't know why they're there or if they even belong to Rykard but I think there's a possibility that whatever made him rebel against the Erdtree was something he found within the Land of Shadow

[@Heowolf]

Has anyone tried dying to the grab vs those yet? Would be funny if there was another hidden TP

[@allthe1]

​@@HeowolfI did and sadly nothing (lore related) happened

[@0la_N0rdman]

I think those two were given by Rykard himself as a contribution. Maybe they are also a way for him to gain access to people who can share secrets of the war. The maidens are supposed to have once had a teleportation spell inside them.

[@axiras]

​@Heowolf yep, I tried both. Nothing sadly

[@violalei5424]

The abductor virgin is very similar to the marika holding baby painting insidie Messmer's room. Inside the abductor virgin is snakes...I really feel it's not snake betrayed the erdtree, but Marika betrayed the snake. Rykard probably also knew the original sin and the virgin is a hint from him.

[@jacquesbossou5484]

About the snake skin in Bony Village, it reminds me of the fact that the being from which Marika seems to be taking runes off in the trailer looks like a white snake to me.

[@mcswaggerduff8946]

Think maybe Marika helped kill the original Great Serpent? Maybe that had something to do with her "seduction and betrayal" to the hornsent?

[@wingbm]

@@mcswaggerduff8946Could also explain why Messmer recieved that curse

[@tamasnoelmiklos5431]

My headcanon so far: Marika turned into a snake to seduce the previous holder of the elden ring, who was actually the missing head of placidusax turned into the great serpent. She gets pregnant with mesmer, betrays the serpent for the elden ring, leaves behind her snake body, returning into numen, she ascends. The snake body collects her body parts and turns into radagon leaving behind the snakeskin.

[@zain1045]

@@tamasnoelmiklos5431 jeez marika's wild af OOF

[@predict0518]

what about the serpent npc the daughter from the women in vulcano maner she said at the end of the quest that shes going somewhere if you spare her

[@S0uLDraKe]

Great video dude! Regarding 8. The shielded golems -- it may be worth mentioning that there is a Note that can be found right outside the Shadow Keep, on the Eastern side that informs the players of their weakness pretty straightforward.

[@Foatizenknechtl]

and if you crit them, just run up to the right side (so if he was lookin at you, his left side) and charge a heavy attack, it will hit him in his weak point 10/10 while hes standing up and stagger him right back so you can crit him again.

[@tysimpso1448]

Man this cannot be how I learn about new bell bearings, well back into the DLC!

[@JameyMan]

I just finished the dlc lore overview seconds ago and now there’s another Vaati video, might this be god?

[@JoeKing69]

Praise the Dog!

[@peppermintflap5743]

Edge required ahead

[@F1shyBab1shy]

I want to go home! And edge

[@partyrock4144]

I think it’s cool how miquella’s pose are a mix of the 2 versions of the band of the hawk from berserk. They are misfits given a place but were drawn together by or charmed in the presence of miquella and his divine aura only to be discarded and fend for themselves

[@thebigenchilada678]

Only to be discarded and used as sacrifices.

[@partyrock4144]

@@thebigenchilada678 pretty much yeah. Except instead of being devoured by demons while he ascended to godhood, they were to delay the tarnished while he ascended to godhood.

[@partyrock4144]

@@thebigenchilada678 and miquela riding rohdann gives me serious grifith riding zodd vibes

[@ryankerins361]

yesss I thought the exact same thing!

[@legitrequisite]

I'm actually surprised how many of these I knew about. Whole playthrough I felt like I was missing out on half the content but turns out I've been more observant than I thought 😅

[@DaveyTheDuck]

it’s pretty relieving finding out i only missed a few of the ones listed. glad i was very through in the dlc

[@Usilitos]

A thing to notice about the 6th secret. Next to Bonny Village you get the "O Mother" sign so maybe it has to do with Messmer and a shedding of his humanity or something like that.

[@Heowolf]

I thought that was just a desecrated shamanic shrine, like the one in the tree at shaman village.

[@WujaszekDracul]

and this emote opens secret path

[@WetterF]

CURSE YOU BAYLE! - This line alone deserves a voice acting award

[@capybara9921]

I will always summon Igon for Bayle. His lines make the fight so much more fucking epic.

[@glowerworm]

That golem petting the slime is actually the exact golem that I felt was basically a well-made DS2 boss. You fight the golem while another summons slimes, so you have to manage fighting the golem while keeping on top of the slimes, and then when the golem is near dead the other one jumps in and joins the fight. Took me like 15 attempts with a quality build on NG+ but it was a blast to challenge myself.

[@UnbanMeNowOfficial]

Your tips for handling the furnace golems and Smith script golems especially came in handy. Had a few challenges with the friendly pests but eventually got there.

[@mitchelmckee4253]

Lore implication no one has talked about yet, this hot off the press (my brain) the cathedral where you meet Ymir, where metyr is located under, is named Cathedral of Manus Metyr. Now without knowing Metyr is mother of fingers, and is a child of the greater will, the name means nothing until that revelation. One thing to note, manus is Latin for hand. In the base game, on the moonlight plateau, the cathedral where Ranni goes under ground to slay her fingers, is called Cathedral of Manus Celes. Using the same logic, I feel that implies there's an additional 'mother of fingers' like being named Celes, another child of the greater will, maybe the father of the fingers. I'd say the fingers ranni slayed, but they don't have the same appearance as metyr, but I suppose that doesn't mean anything or fromsoft didn't want to give a boss design from the dlc away that early.

[@KenseiRaptor]

Celes means moon. It's just a literal reference to Ranni.

[@thehunter8417]

Is Celes possibly the dead finger being that Ranni is sitting on under Manus Celes? Both Metyr and Celes are found beneath their respective cathedrals and both have at least three major appendages (the entwined ones +the head on Metyr). Idk though, I just came to a similar conclusion after going through that segment.

[@notxpara0001]

Guys it's worth pointing out Ranni follows in the footsteps of the Dark Moon not the Greater Will. The Cathedral of Manus Celes is likely a reference to Ranni herself as the messenger to the Dark Moon outer God.

[@sdqsdq6274]

how that metyr is mother of finger? that boss below is mof

[@DudeNamedDude1776]

Bro made merch and gave them an item description lmao I love Vaati. I've been watching him since the beginning and I love to see where he's come from to where he is now. Nothing but well wishes to you, Vaati!

[@uta390]

For more shadoooooteee fragments, they're also dropped by some shadow people with pots too!

[@_ikako_]

@@uta390 specifically the ones with sparkling pots. Many are carry pots and don't drop them, but if their pot is sparkly they will drop one of the two upgrade items

[@lukkkasz323]

​@@_ikako_or rare materials

[@jbark678]

Kitetales has a solid theory about the snake. Basically, she holds that the snake was chopped up and put into the jars. The jars were filled with parts of many different creatures and the shaman were used as the glue that held them together. This was done, essentially, to create Marika.

[@Mon22king]

I also noticed that any lava golem near the lava tears sometimes randomly interacts with them. It's so neat to see that!

[@hackcat]

3:09 "Yahaha! You Found me!"

[@Ixxlostinabox]

The snake skin instantly made me call back to the DLC trailer, where Marika pulls something out of a corpse that looks like it could be the snakes skin. The location also relates to Marika with the O Mother emote being right next to it.

[@gamongames]

Those corpses in the trailer are saints, shamans mutated to be stuffed in jars. It's about her whole backstory.

[@spaendonk19]

​@gamongames Nope. The corpses have horns - thus hornsent - thus not shaman. Try again.

[@Brendonherring522]

No. It is not a snakeskin. Look closely and you will see the stitches around the opening that Marika reaches into. I wanted it to be a snakeskin too, but it's not. It is a bundle of cloth. At this point I do think that it's a sack, containing flesh with the Shaman innards in it. The gold color on the innard meat is actually there, which is a theory I originally hated. But it makes sense and fits with a motif across multiple cultures where God's weave the threads of people's fate. She is weaving those threads into the elden ring, which is said in the OG E3 trailer to be "that which commanded the stars," wherein via Ranni's quest we learn that the stars and people's fate are intertwined. We can also see threads coming off of the Elden Ring and clinging to Marika's hammer in that same trailer.

[@aranthur]

Possibly relevant to the snake skin: Bonny Village is very close to the Fort of Reprimand, the only place in the DLC where we find Abductor Virgins. A direct connection to the Volcano Manor Perhaps Eiglay was sealed in the Land of Shadow for a while but one of these machines teleported it back to the Lands Between, and this is how Rykard first encountered it??

[@HoboPrincess]

Oooo this is so true!!

[@deathnotehell1]

Could be. Marika seems to be from the Shadow Lands too since you can find her braid there so maybe Rykard went to those lands at some point after learning of them from Marika looking for something possibly to help him fight against the Erdtree forces and found the snake.

[@haloguylevi]

My favorite world interaction is the family of fingies walking up the road at the second finger hole place, can’t bring myself to hurt such beautiful fingies

[@ernestodark198]

Just visited your store from this video and purchased a white greatsword hoodie. Although its only 50% cotton, the design is sick, so I hope to be pleasantly surprised hahah. Been subbed for almost a decade, love your content and I wish you all the success you deserve. Thank you

[@dommetoretto]

if you attack the hornsent grandam until she's unconscious (i know, i know... but i had to do it for science!) before the dancing lion fight, the beginning cutscene dialogue is delivered in a more pained/strained way! i thought that was a cool attention to detail!

[@_ikako_]

Here's a tip: as with illusory walls, Mohg and Margit's shackles can be used to break both spiritspring stone stacks *and* the hanging pots with bell bearings. The spiritspring trick is especially useful when the stack is hidden behind a mini challenge, such as the spring leading to Scaduview Cross. It also just saves the effort of searching for it if you find a sealed spring.

[@nilspochat8665]

*the tablets freyja and ansbach are looking at* in the specimen storeroom / grand library are also found in the base game in *one very specific location* : near the dead minor erdtree of the consecrated snowfield

[@dessertrelatedstuff8701]

I believe you can also find them in Marika's room just before the erdtree too

[@Saliva_IDK]

Not sure if this has been explained yet, but I just noticed while fighting Radagon, that in the cutscene it shows Marika being held up by (what looks like) a rune ark. But also she’s been impaled by something (and to me at least) it looks like the colours of Messmer and his fire. And you know: Messmer the IMPALER. So again, I’m not sure if this has been covered before but I thought it seems like something 😃

[@compresseddepression7403]

it's probably a coincidence because it's the same kind of impalement we see in the Elden Beast grab attack, you even get T posed like her.

[@etch-e-sketch4051]

TFW You found all the secrets before a Vaati video. Pure glee.

[@nhilosaurusx4126]

Hey all. Not sure if this is obvious but if you look at the shape of Lands Between map and incorporate Realm of shadows in the center, it appears like it was all conjoined at some point. Hope that makes sense. The new lore implications in this dlc are insane.

[@Heowolf]

Everything matches up (almost, scale is a bit off) if you align the tower of suppression to the center of the cloud on the map on the base game. Jagged peak area in particular would lead to/connect farum azula and dragon barrow. The Cerulean fields would be around the same area as the Soifra ,which is VERY blue underground and has similar architecture. I havent checked anything else yet yet, but I have a feeling a divine tower might fit somewhere.

[@MrFallenone]

Damn. Could the Divine towers be the thing Marika used to conceal the Land of Shadow?

[@andrewbowen2837]

It really does not fit. I don't know why people keep suggesting this. The maps overlap a ton

[@Heowolf]

@@andrewbowen2837 The scale is off for sure, though a lot of overlap can be dismissed due to the locations being vastly different vertically. As it is with it's current scale the entire south western section doesn't make any sense outside of the geometry of the area. Which isn't that unique imo, there are still a few things to check - like if the primary watersource for the DLC somewhat lines up with Liurnia i'd say that's something.

[@andrewbowen2837]

@Heowolf even then, it would have to have the divine towers within its landmass, it's ares would overlap with Liurnia and Caelid, and it just doesn't fit unless you shrink it down a lot

[@TajinQ]

Isn't Eiglay the actual name of the god eating serpent? With the snake at the altar just being one of his molt?

[@blizzardgaming7070]

It's not confirmed but makes sense

[@portalmanHUN]

That's the general consensus

[@ayayron8221]

the question is if it was Eiglay what was he doing in the realm of shadow?

[@MrFallenone]

@@ayayron8221 The same thing the mother of fingers is. He landed there from outer space.

[@allthe1]

​@@MrFallenone​ That actually makes a lot of sense. Just watched a lore vid from Max Derrat stating that in alchemy the dual serpent and the abyssal serpent are akin to the base material of the universe, the ether/void, which makes it a celestial being. It's what makes all the other opposing elements coexist and mix. Super interesting.

[@KyleB_95]

The finger reader crone in Altus at the bridge just blew my mind. She speaks of messmers curse on Merika , and speaks of serpents

[@isvind3843]

Something curious I noticed recently is that Miquellas vow to you in the grab-attack of the final boss follows the same structure as Ranni’s vow in her ending, suggesting that bringing in a new age requires making such a vow. Man the details in these games are insane.

[@rossjamestobitt]

8:06 Oooh la la I didn't know they were wearing that kind of shield! 🤣 Brassiere ≠ Brasier

[@user-cu8in8dw8l]

Commit sudoku is golden

[@tarnished-ml3fr3jq8w]

Glad someone else noticed that! 😂

[@ThomasBerglund-y8f]

haha had to replay that part :D

[@portalmanHUN]

A joke as old as the internet

[@BaalFridge]

We need a sociology paper on how we now widely accept "commit sudoku" and "unalive" . Social media censors are rewriting language.

[@oliverelphick2450]

Been using that term for a while its great 😂😂😂

[@Shizn0id]

you can get a second gourmet scorpion stew from the granddam if you eat the first one in front of her and then reload at the grace nearby, she'll have gone to sleep and left a second one in front of her as a pickup item.

[@portalmanHUN]

You don't even have to eat it, she'll give a second one anyway.

[@jovancheema2807]

I know it’s weird but Vaati’s videos when drunk is one of the best things I’ve seen

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

I found all of these except for two of the bell-bearing pots, and Sir Moore's progression on my first blind playthrough! This DLC is just full of so much cool stuff. I loved that blind playthrough! I'm on the side of the shed snakeskin being related to Messmer. We know Marika spent some time with the Shamans and maybe the Bonnie villages, and there's a petrified woman there like in her home village. Though how or why the serpent got there is hard to say 🤔

[@ShrimpEmporium]

If you think the dlc hippos are scary, keep this in mind: Real hippos are omnivorous.

[@chaincat33]

real life hippos have the strongest bite force in the world, are omnivorous, and are essentially blind, meaning anything and everything that gets too close to them is percieved as a threat. They can also run WAY faster than in the dlc (they can keep up with motor boats by running underwater, and they can outrun humans by a wide margin). Hippos do not view humans as food. They view us as annoyances at best and threats to be crushed in their obscene jaws at worst.

[@NickHunter]

@@chaincat33 they're absolutely terrifying fr

[@happy.lil.hooman]

I guess they take the most human lives of the big 4 in Africa too

[@Horstolord04]

Just mash r1 to get out the grab!

[@MrDommy9]

Hey Vaati, didn't know the jars commited sudoku 😂

[@tristaneast9430]

Glad someone caught that 😅 idk why he said sudoku

[@yunghana7556]

He said that on purpose. KZbin demonitizes videos for the S word.

[@Paco-loco]

@@yunghana7556 Seppuku is the right word though, and I'm pretty sure YT doesn't care about this one

[@katyyulig]

@@tristaneast9430 it's a meme. just google images for "commit sudoku" and you'll find a bunch.

[@jesperaro2086]

Way back in a dark souls 2 video vaati made the same mistake and was made very aware this mistake. I think this was a intentional joke.

[@waga5338]

Wassup vati, love from Italy, the first part of this video is literally the only couple of items I vas missing to have every single thing in the dlc, been going crazy to find a way there since I first got to bellurat when the dlc dropped

[@noahwalker9757]

Non sei l'unico fratello 🗿

[@allthe1]

T'es pas le seul mec 🗿

[@-TriP-]

YOOOO I had no idea about using crystal daggers against the Smiths, thanks!

[@kraezee-3523]

can we all appreciate the effort he puts into these videos and the absolute drip he cooks each vid.

[@NXUS24x]

You know know its gonna be a good day when vaati uploads

[@platypuspracticus2]

You don't have to jump down like that for the cross in secret 1. It's near the scorpions and the shortcut elevator; just jump over the rubble.

[@JameyMan]

“Something incredible ahead Therefore try joy”

[@xoox2609]

Everytime i watch a video on Erdtree, i see some new area. This dlc is huge.

[@japmokiddy6848]

Hey @Vaatividya in both Afrikaans and Dutch for the word "Shadow" we either say Skaduwee (Ska-Doo-Veer) or Schaduw (Ska-Doo). . . You don't have to feel bad at all. You were saying it right the whole time.

[@JoeKing69]

When VaatiVidya uploads a new video and you talk to your friends about the lore: "You know, I'm something of an Elden Ring Lore Master myself!"

[@PTristanS]

Wow I finished the game and didn't noticed the hanging pots, never expected to do something like korok hunting here

[@allthe1]

Ikr, the scadu tree are so rare I feel I have to comb every little corner to get the most of them. Didn't think to go hippo hunting though, I love me animals and am loathe to kill them without cause. 😢

[@MrThamses]

I think Eiglay's skin is there because Bonny Village served as a nursery for Eiglay when it was too small to eat a human whole. The villagers chopped corpses into small chunks, like what happened to Rykard's corpse in the intro, and fed them to the snake. Once the snake was big enough, it moved to the Volcano Manor.

[@Brendonherring522]

Just as an FYI, that is the God devouring serpent's skin, not the Serpent God Eiglay's. They are different beings entirely. This can be derived from the Kanji used to describe them in Japanese. The serpent deity Eiglay is written as 蛇神, which denotes it as either an "ancient god," (i.e. below the level of an outer god), or a god on a similar level to Marika (less likely imo). Contrasting with that, Rykard’s Great Serpent is 大蛇. It is NEVER referred to as a god or 神 in any item description. So the god-devouring serpent is quite distinct from Eiglay. Notably, Eiglay (or Eglé) is the name of a serpent deity in Lithuanian folklore about women who transform into trees having children with snakes that you should definitely read about if you're a lore enthusiast.

[@webkarma9654]

Igon may just be the most vocal character of all Fromsoft’s games and I find it honestly hilarious

[@shaneambrose5179]

and vaati, it's about time you started playing like a seasoned ER veteran...use Mohg's shackle for the bell bearings. Can be used for flame pillars in catacombs, locked spirit springs, and hidden doors, too

[@Rolasu_Draygan]

12:00 Curse you, Bayle! I hereby vow! You will rue this day! Behold, a true Drake Warrior! 🐲⚔ And I, Igon! Your fear made flesh! Solid of scale you might be, foul dragon 🐉 … But I will riddle with holes your rotten hide! With a hail of harpoons! 🦯 With every last drop of my being!

[@IkklThePickle]

8:03 "Get up high and throw a furnace or a fire pot into their giant *brassiere* from above." Should have known. That's how you turn Anor Londo dark in DS1, too. ("Brazier" is usually pronounced BRAY-zeer or similar in English to avoid this homonym.)

[@ronaldsegrest3464]

That joke was more roundabout than the paths in the DLC.

[@Mr_Jokeman]

0:48 I heard "Sudoku" and had to go back and listen again😂

[@tluangpuiatluangpui1194]

I commit sudoku occasionally

[@ketchupjonmustard4514]

your voice is so calming thanks for making souls content with out yelling at me.