FromSoftware’s latest title is now available for inspection. This has triggered speculation about the first wave of Elden Ring DLC. There are some obvious options for Elden Ring’s DLC, such as diving into the Miquella backstory and heading to the Badlands. However, there is still room for expansion. A memorable DLC adventure could be found in the forgotten corners of the globe, which are hidden beneath the Lands Between.
FromSoftware is fortunate to have plenty of unexplored areas beneath the Lands Between in Elden Ring. This could provide more maps for players to explore. It could be anything from uncovering lost areas of Nokron’s Eternal City to learning more about the Mohgwyn Dynasty or the lore surrounding Miquella. The best way to expand on the existing lore is to follow the lead of previous games.
The Lands Between is an unusually constructed world. Elden Ring’s map is located above several underground environments. Other ruins occasionally peek out from the edges of the cliffs. The Deeproot Depths, Mohgwyn Palace and Nokron/Nokstella are the most prominent of these underground ruins. If FromSoftware was interested in exploring the history of the Lands Between or the Demigods, any of these areas could be easily expanded.
Nokron or the Deeproot Depths
FromSoftware tends to backtrack with more content than it pushes forwards, so exploring Mohg or Miquella may not be an option. If that is the case, Nokron or the Deeproot Depths may be the places players can return to when exploring the dark past of Elden Ring’s Golden Order. Some players have been able piece together the backstory of each one. It involves the Erdtree’s subjugation of an indigenous population. This could be a fitting part for the Soulborne formula.
Explore the Deeproot Depths to Meet the Crucible Knights
The Crucible Knights are seen as a dangerous enemy by most players. The details of this enemy type’s design and the backstory they tell from their gear offer a little insight into the origins and history of the Lands Between, and even the Erdtree. The Primordial Crucible from which the enemies get their namesake is an object that extends beyond Elden Ring’s explorable world. It harkens back to the time before the Greater Will was created.
We know that these knights from Elden Ring were once servants of Godfrey, First Elden Lord. They have appeared all over the globe since then, but the leadership of these Crucible Knights seems to have found a new home in the Deeproot Depths. This may make it possible to explore the place where Death has spread, and the ex-soldiers of an old lord’s fallen soldiers have found a new home in a completely dark narrative to follow as they dive deeper beneath the Lands Between.
Only a small section of the Deeproot Depths can be viewed from the base game. It only gives a glimpse at how deep the Lands Between can go. The many trees found in the expanding universe of Elden Ring suggest that there is more to the rotting roots beneath the earth than one tangled ruin. Due to the Crucible Knight’s connections to Godfrey Loux and Godfrey, this could lead to a highly sought-after trip to the Badlands.
Elden Ring Nokron
Although it is not part of the main quest, Nokron and Nokstella are important parts of the Ranni the Witch side mission. The Demigod is chasing the Demigod to clear her path to kill her Two Fingers. Players make two trips to the bottom during that time. Players are limited to seeing the remnants of this demolished civilization and only a few buildings between the two adventures.
When it comes to exploring new DLC areas, the lost history of the Eternal City may actually work best for the FromSoftware formula. The developer’s past history of using new locations and boss fights to expose the tragic mistakes made by older generations can be seen in the content that Bloodborne’s Old Hunters has added to Dark Souls 3’s Ringed city. Many of these new additions are about how the world fell apart, whether it was Gwyn’s curse against humanity and its darkest soul or the sin of killing the Great One Kos.
Elden Ring Crystal Cave
Perhaps even more impressive than exploring the areas beneath the Lands Between is finding something new. This could be a chance to find something the Erdtree had long forgotten about and that only becomes visible when the player lights it on fire toward the end of Elden Ring’s main storyline. This would allow you to discover more about the world than what was revealed in the minor item descriptions.
Final words
FromSoftware’s stories are based on the same themes as other Soulsborne content. They focus on the cyclical nature in which new beings come into power and then fade away while the next generation rebuilds everything. To stand out from the Dark Souls trilogy, Elden Ring must dig deeper beneath Nokrom and the Deeproot Depths to discover another land that has been destroyed by the ones above it. A new area could have other implications than the narrative. It could also be a source of new enemies, not just copy-pasted from the base game. This could give combat the extra boost it needs.