Summary

• Entering Shadow Keep in Elden Ring's DLC reveals a new area, Stone Coffin Fissure, leading to new quests and boss battles.
• The messages that pop up when the player enters Shadow Keep also signify the progression of NPC quest lines.
• Players should complete NPC quests like finding Miquella's crosses before entering Shadow Keep to avoid missing content.

Once players enter the Shadow Keep in Elden Ring's main story, the player is left to explore the world and infer plot details on their own.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Elden Ring's DLC.]

But without any guidance, it can be hard to understand the true meaning of these messages - or even where to start looking. Considering how dramatic and sudden this message is, some players may also come to believe that they've made a mistake. That may or may not be true, depending on the player's progress through Shadow of the Erdtree's NPC quest lines. But again, from the message and sound effects alone, there's no way of knowing exactly whether they've ed the point of no return.

What "Somewhere A Great Rune Has Broken" Means In Elden Ring's DLC

Opening The Way To Stone Coffin Fissure

In the simplest , the message reading "somewhere a Great Rune has broken" means that the player can now access a new area of Elden Ring's DLC map: specifically, Stone Coffin Fissure. This area is located at the absolute southernmost point of the Land of Shadow, near the southeastern tip of the peninsula depicted in the map above. It's a pretty large area, containing a variety of different points of interest. Namely, players can expect to continue Elden Ring's Putrescent Knight optional boss.

If the player tries to travel to Stone Coffin Fissure prior to visiting Shadow Keep and breaking the Great Rune, they'll simply see a wall of golden fog (not totally unlike the ones that adorn boss arenas), which bears a seal. If they attempt to cross it, they'll simply be told the entrance has been "sealed and obscured by Miquella." So, it's pretty clear that Miquella doesn't want the Tarnished to cross this barrier; there's something in Stone Coffin Fissure he doesn't want anyone to see. But it takes a fair bit of doing before the player can figure out what that is.

As it turns out, Miquella's other half, St. Trina, is lurking in Stone Coffin Fissure as well. That's why Thiollier is there: as a worshiper of St. Trina, he seeks communion with her through potent somniferous concoctions. St. Trina seems to know what's best for Miquella, or at least to think they do: they tell the Tarnished that to allow Miquella to become a god would be akin to imprisoning him. It'd be better, St. Trina insists, simply to kill him.

The seal itself isn't actually Miquella's Great Rune; it's just a manifestation of the Great Rune's power. The actual Great Rune can be claimed by the player after they've defeated the Scadutree Avatar in Elden Ring.

What "And So Too Has A Powerful Charm" Means In Elden Ring's DLC

Progressing Shadow Of The Erdtree's Quest Lines

The second message, "And so too has a powerful charm," effectively means that the player can continue most of the NPC quest lines in Elden Ring's DLC. All the different characters the Tarnished encounters in the Land of Shadow - Leda, Ansbach, Thiollier, Moore, and Hornsent - introduce themselves as followers of Miquella. However, their outlooks and beliefs differ greatly; they'd normally be rivals, but they're united by their common cause to trace the Demigod's footsteps.

But it's later revealed that there's more than courtesy keeping Leda and her compatriots together: they're also afflicted with Miquella's mind control. It's long been established that Miquella can compel affection from others at will. That's how he seduced Mohg and Radahn to his side. This is the "powerful charm" referenced in the message above.

But with Miquella's spell broken, all the NPCs in Elden Ring's DLC will also begin to turn on each other. Most of them will branch out on their own, and Leda will question Thiollier and the Hornsent's devotion. The player's actions from here on out can affect which of several slight variations of Elden Ring's ending they later achieve.

Everything To Do Before Entering The Shadow Keep In Elden Ring's DLC

Shadow Of The Erdtree's Secret Point Of No Return

In short, these two messages signify that the player has reached Shadow of the Erdtree's point of no return. By the time they see it, it's likely too late to go back - but if they haven't autosaved recently, they may be able to quickly exit the game without saving and see if that returns them to a time before. That said, with a little bit of foreknowledge, players can ensure they have all the missable content checked off their lists before they head into the Shadow Keep and see the Great Rune shattered.

Some of the NPC quest lines in Shadow of the Erdtree can come to a premature end if the player enters the Shadow Keep before progressing them to a certain point. Ansbach's is the easiest to catch up with: the player just needs to find as many of Miquella's crosses as possible, then report back to him.

Don't forget to talk to each NPC until they repeat themselves to exhaust their dialogue.

It's also best to progress Moore's quests until he asks the Tarnished to deliver a package to Thiollier. Completing that task will bring Thiollier up to speed. Players should also give the Hornsent the Scorpion Stew recipe provided by Grandam. Once that's all completed and the Great Rune is broken, each of these NPCs will move to a different location. The player will have to locate them once again in other regions to further their quest lines.

The player's entrance to Shadow Keep is one of the most significant events in Shadow of the Erdtree, but the player wouldn't know just to look at it. The pop-up messages describe what's going on in the most cryptic possible , and it's up to the player to explore and discover. Knowing where to look for answers can ease the process significantly, and speed along the player's progress in the second half of Elden Ring's DLC.