Summary
This article contains spoilers for the base game of Elden Ring and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC!
In the base game ofElden Ring, players are warned that partaking in Dragon Communion by consuming a Dragon Heart will grant them the powers of dragons, though it will have grave consequences. However, players won’t get to experience these consequences before reaching any of themain endings inElden Ring, leavingElden Ring’s dragon lore feeling somewhat incomplete.
While the base game forElden Ringdoesn’t explicitly reveal the consequences of partaking in Dragon Communion, certain item descriptions help to paint a more complete picture. Specifically, the description of theMagma Wyrm’s Scaleswordreveals that those who partake in Dragon Communion are cursed to transform into a wyrm – a flightless dragon. Even with this insight on the consequences of Dragon Communion though, there is still plenty ofElden Ring’s dragon lore that the base game leaves unclear. However, now that the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is released, players can finally experience a more complete story ofElden Ring’s ancient dragons, alongside finally experiencing the consequences of Dragon Communion firsthand.
Elden RIng’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC Tells the Full Story of Elden Ring’s Dragon Lore
The ancient dragons are believed to be one of the first inhabitants in the Lands Between, and during the age of dragons,Dragonlord Placidusax was once the Elden Lord. Originally, the events that led to the fall of the age of dragons were uncertain, althoughElden Ring’s new Shadow of the Erdtree DLC finally sheds light on some of these missing details.
According to the Dragon Communion Priestess, the beginning of the end of the age of dragons was brought about whenDragonlord Placidusaxwas challenged by a drake known as Bayle the Dread, and while they both survived the battle, Placidusax and Bayle were both severely wounded. Soon after, Dragonlord Placidusax commanded any willing fighters to become drake warriors to slay the drakes and consume their Dragon Hearts as a sacrifice.
InElden Ring, drakes are lesser, modern dragons. Unlike the ancient dragons, drakes don’t have arms separate from their wings and typically can’t wield powers associated with Dragon Cult Incantations.
Ultimately, the strength that humans were granted by consuming Dragon Hearts evolved into an insatiable hunger for power, despite the consequences. Presumably, this hunger is what led humans to turn against Dragonlord Placidusax and the otherancient dragons inElden Ringto hunt them the same as they did the drakes, with the ambition to consume their hearts to gain their power. However, this last part is unclear considering that drake warriors were not the only humans who hunted the ancient dragons.
Elden Ring Shadow of the Edtree’s New Dragon Transformations are Game-Changers for Dragon Builds
On top of delivering some of the missing pieces forElden Ring’s dragon lore, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC finally reintroduces some of the best parts of dragon builds from theDark Soulsgames that came beforeElden Ring, which are the dragon transformations. Despite Dragon Cult and Dragon Communion Incantations already being extremely powerful, the new build-crafting tools like thedragon transformations inElden Ringtruly take dragon builds to the next level.
Considering that the game warns players that there will be consequences for partaking in Dragon Communion, in hindsight,Elden Ringnot featuring dragon transformations in the base game was a missed opportunity. Not to mention, dragon transformations were an iconic part of the Dark Souls games that have been a highly requested feature to be added toElden Ring. So, with theShadow of the Erdtree DLCintroducing dragon transformations, alongside a deeper dive into the mysteries surrounding dragons,Elden Ring’s dragon lore and dragon builds have finally come full circle.
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
WHERE TO PLAY
Shadow of the Erdtree is the first and only DLC expansion for FromSoftware’s groundbreaking Elden Ring. It takes players to a whole new region, the Land of Shadow, where a new story awaits the Tarnished.
