Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree - Blind Playthrough #01: Gravesite Plain

[@Aegon_of_Astora]

Hi, friends! Thanks for being so patient while I (very) slowly worked my way through the DLC. I really appreciate you all for being here with me, even though Shadow of the Erdtree playthroughs are likely old hat now that the DLC has been out for so long. I've not completed my playthrough yet, but I suspect that I'm very close to the end. So, I decided to start releasing the backlog of episodes I've built up over the course of the last few months. The current release schedule for the series, which is subject to change, is as follows: For the rest of December, new episodes will be released on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 3pm eastern time. Then, beginning in January, there will only be one new episode per week, which will be released on Saturdays at 3pm eastern time. After completing this playthough, I'm planning to wrap up the longest-running lorethrough in history by returning to Dark Souls 3 Let's Talk Lore with a finale episode discussing each of the remaining areas at a high level. I've started preliminary work on the script, but production won't begin for quite a while. I've also considered putting together another video essay on Elden Ring, but I don't have any concrete ideas at this point in time, though that may change once I've actually completed my playthrough. As always, I can't make any promises in terms of when any of this will be done, but that's what I currently have planned for the future. Thanks again, friends, for all your kind love and support, and especially for being here with me so many months after the DLC was initially released. I've been having a blast putting this series together, and I hope it's as enjoyable to watch as it was to record and edit. Take care. -Aegon/Callum

[@GabrieleFerrariPsychocandy]

YES! I've been waiting for this since I've discovered your channel a couple of months ago and started watching your blind LP of the base game. Now I just have to finish it and then I can enjoy you having fun with possibly the best piece of ER content!

[@scholaroftheworstgame3313]

Honestly sooner than expected, no worries!

[@HarryBaxter-c6m]

got unreasonably excited when I saw this pop up in my feed

[@HistoryisAwkward]

Same

[@Mana-Dorks]

This is exactly what I need right now.

[@HistoryisAwkward]

@@Mana-Dorks The Mr. Rogers of the Souls Community.

[@nuada1470]

54:05 “tutelary” refers to the deity’s role as a guardian or protective spirit. Kind of how many cities in antiquity had a particular patron god/goddess.

[@koildup]

i don't think i've ever waited for a youtube playthrough as earnestly as i have this one. thank you, aegon, for the truly insightful analyses, the positivity, and just being the best.

[@jooblesgoobles9921]

I SCREAMED SEEING THIS POP UP!!! So excited to watch this later!! 💖💖💖

[@3l_Raro]

Aegon just a small thing about the scadutree fragments and the spirit ash. They are meant to be upgraded the same way as the flasks or weapons. You would say it's the DLC upgrade system, cus things ramp up like crazy. Also, apparently the word "Scadu" is from old English, and it means Shadow. Great vid keep up with the great work and hope you are having fun with your play thru

[@ghostmacekillah821]

Man I missed this series! Love your methodical approach!

[@horribleaudible]

Pleasant surprise to see this! Excite!!

[@jolteontrainer7489]

Omg, you're back! Your commentary is calming and thought-provoking

[@Makkovar]

So happy to see you back! Your commentary is one of a kind!

[@fledgyyy]

IT'S HERE! this is a great reason for me to finally finish the dlc, excited to watch!

[@wayneasing5278]

Cheers Aegon! I have been waiting for more "fun with definitions!" Very glad to see your video. Hope you are doing well and thank you for everything you do.

[@lucki-wg6jb]

he is back!!! still have half the base game playthrough to watch but i am really excited to get here at some point. hope you enjoyed it

[@brenrosam]

Welcome back, friend! What an absolute joy it is to see a new Aegon video. You have truly been missed. Your videos are simply a warm safe space in a progressively more hostile internet (and, let's be frank, world). Pre-liking and settling down to enjoy this!

[@ioverslept.]

Let's goo!! I was almost thinking this might not happen.

[@Lindoge52]

Been waiting for this for a while

[@Rincewindus]

The shadows are not the same model as the Commoners. Aside from just being a new model, there's one big detail they have that the commoner's don't. Edit: Also, that is a new description for that Larval tear, so I'd say give it a read.

[@kryssikarpentur5996]

HELL to the YES!!! Welcome back Aegon!!! It's so cool to see you've been able to play Shadow of the Erdtree!!! I genuinely loved it. It's honestly my favorite piece of Elden Ring now. So excited to see your playthrough! Love and best wishes!

[@xtreme1321]

This popping up in my feed made my month! So glad to watch, & happy to hear about Dark Souls 3 Lets Talk Lore returning down the road. Hope all is well

[@andrewbowen2837]

I checked your channel a few days ago to see if I missed anything about you playing the DLC. I saw your community post, and now we're here. It will be great

[@uniformxii]

It's wonderful seeing you back! Thank you for taking the time to record and upload your playthrough of the DLC. This was quite the pleasant surprise, and I look forward to seeing what kind of trouble Regret will find himself in. Take care, Aegon ;)

[@gloameyedprince]

The joy I feel seeing an upload from you almost brings a tear to my eye after following you so many years. Hope you're keeping well, Aegon!

[@STABxWEST]

The legend returns! A glorious day!

[@Keeks33]

Yesssir! Happy Holidays to us all.

[@jolteontrainer7489]

One last comment: You are doing great. Your readings of the lore and your interpretations are so good. Get those anxious jitters out.

[@UncleFenris]

Huzzah for the return of the King! Soulsmas is real! So good to see you back in my feed, Aegon! So funny to see your first steps into the Realm of Shadow matched my own to an uncanny degree. The first landscape upon arriving is so heavily scarred by the ravages of war, FromSoft really smacks you in the face with it... Or rather, caves in your noggin with the two-ton fist of an incandescent cage golem. What's really compelling is the language they use to describe the war-- Messmer led a "crusade" to scour the land with fire. Is the religious zeal that word connotates sincere? Just an excuse? Does it matter either way? The past year has had me thinking a lot about motivations behind war and genocide and the reasons and results of colonial violence. There are some harrowing parallels that can be gleaned between Messmer and the hornsent and things that are ongoing to this day. It all reminds me of this quote from fantasy author Joe Abercrombie in his novel RED COUNTRY: "Evil turned out not to be a grand thing. Not sneering Emperors with their world-conquering designs. Not cackling demons plotting in the darkness beyond the world. It was small men with their small acts and their small reasons. It was selfishness and carelessness and waste. It was bad luck, incompetence, and stupidity. It was violence divorced from conscience or consequence. It was high ideals, even, and low methods." Really lovely of you to share your playthrough with us! Very excited for your thoughts on what's to come. This DLC was a very intriguing extension of the base game and it is very dense. Can't wait!

[@sirwickel4240]

This has truly made my day.

[@HubbaBubba768]

Wasn't expecting to see this in my feed but it's most welcome.

[@Donddanno]

Ahh, the playthrough we've all been waiting for

[@TheRealGovika]

I'm so happy you are able to play the DLC!! So happy for you playing! :)

[@Torikuso]

50:17 not gonna lie I only got this reference upon hearing you say it, this is so much funnier now I was so excited to watch this first thing in the morning as a treat! I missed your playthrough style tremendously after finishing your base game series. Everything is just right, like coming back home. Thank you for the hard work in recording and editing etc. It's only the first episode and already you are picking up on things that I didn't in my own journey, which makes me so happy as it helps to deepen my experience of the lore. And I have to say you are actually doing quite well combat-wise. This DLC's difficulty is no joke as you will have no doubt learned by now, ugly displays are an inevitability even for the best among us. 😄If the speedrunners I've watched are anything to go by. Anyway, looking forward to more thoughts and observations from your perspective, Shadow of the Erdtree's lore is incredibly rich and inspiring both in terms of introducing brand new concepts as well as revealing critical hints about the established "known" world. (And yeah you are not the only one who thought "huh, things are getting very Dark Souls in my Elden Ring all of a sudden".) Edit: I spat when you did the Ooooo~ ghost voice thing again for the first time, caught me off guard after this time gap, but I laughed so hard thank you.

[@LilGief]

Great to see you back Aegon. The Scadutree being presented as a shadow of the 'real' tree is kinda funny. As you get close to the Scadutree you notice that it is solid, material, while the Erdtree is the one that is ephemeral. I did not find any confirmation of this theory on the game, but when I noticed this I convinced myself that the Scadutree is the felled and rotting trunk of the original Great tree that somehow took parts of the lands between down to the shadows with it after whatever happened to create the Erdtree happened.

[@Proxy1199]

My bro is back 😤😤😤. Cannot wait to get your thoughts

[@MrYadaization]

Hell yeah! Excited to see you play through

[@gulleygullet]

the legend is back

[@voxstelarum]

Lets goooo. Im finishing watching your base game playthrough and i will jump into the dlc. Its one hell of a ride for sure

[@valerievalerievalerievalerie]

been excited for this one

[@TheRealFacemanguy]

Wow I haven’t even finished the DLC yet. This’ll be the first time I’ll playing the game along with aegon how exciting! Also I never understood the “playing online and reading messages are spoilers” it’s the intended way of playing the game especially given how obtuse these games can be.

[@auberondd]

yessssssss!!! really excited for this

[@mr_jyggalag]

Hi, Aegon! Been waiting for it!

[@alecmusat8386]

Aegon, please, take you time and not forget to enjoy yourself. Much love bro

[@entozoon8598]

I finished your elden ring series literally two days ago so this is perfect😂

[@bump_versino]

loved your long essay, i had been watching a lot of lore and theory content at the time i found that video, but that one so so full of fresh ideas and unique perspectives, i am excited to watch your journey through the shadow lands, and i am interested in hearing your perspectives on this lore as compared to the base game and how the two connect

[@jolteontrainer7489]

Omg your high-pitched voice is a great addition to this playthrough 😂❤

[@dante.nathanael]

Welcome back Aegon. 🫂

[@lute6904]

Great start to the playthrough! There’s a lot of material in this dlc that fits your analytical style and I’m interested to hear your thoughts

[@s717w]

LFG!

[@insertedgynamehere___969]

"Blood loss in vicinity" bleed procs that happen near you give you a damage boost

[@manasawasthi]

Let's GOOOO❤‍🔥💥

[@TheMemitim]

we are so back

[@kepe7323]

LET'S GO REGRET LET'S GO

[@TheFifthBanana01]

oh my glob

[@GilroyGoldBlood]

OH SHIT IT'S TIME

[@GezzarTV]

You should probably check out the story trailer for the dlc if you haven't already, its basically the intro cutscene for the dlc but for some reason is nowhere in the game

[@alafosca5724]

Yoooooooooo!!!!!!

[@dorkmoonblade4315]

Did you watch the story trailer?

[@killervic7379]

Aegon what’s happening?

[@WalditoElHuasito]

Christmas came early this year. Love all of your content bro, I had given up hope for a DLC playthrough 🥹