Elden Ring's Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC Reveals Hidden Lore About Everyone's Favorite NPCs

hides a terrible secret about several fan-favorite characters from the base game. The DLC expands on the lore in seemingly innumerable ways, unlocking a new region of 's map, chock-full of sordid details about its most central characters' pasts. Players learn about where Marika came from, what Miquella was doing during the base game, and how Messmer earned the moniker of Impaler. They come out of the DLC far more knowledgeable about 's pantheon of gods and lords.

But as tragic and fascinating as all the lore surrounding Marika, Miquella, and Messmer can be, those characters aren't exactly fan favorites. They're too distant, too omnipotent to make a significant impact on the individual player's experience. Many prefer the down-to-earth, practical characters they interact with repeatedly. That goes double for those with unusually sunny dispositions that contrast with their gloomy settings, like Solaire and Siegmeyer from the series. has one such character — in fact, a whole village of them. They don't appear directly in the DLC, but some of its lore does tie back to them.

It's easy to understand why Alexander the Iron Fist — and the Living Jars more generally — are some of the most popular NPCs in. Alexander proves a delightful respite from the usually hostile characters that populate the rest of the Lands Between. Alexander is disarmingly friendly from the moment the player meets him, asking them to get him out of a pickle: he's stuck in the ground. Later on, players can visit the idyllic Jarburg, home to the largest community of Living Jars in, and even help the Jar Bairn recruit a new potentate. Players generally complete the game with a healthy respect for these largely peaceful creatures.

Alexander's quest line in ends in a final duel at Crumbling Farum Azula. However, he's not mad at the player character for killing him; he is honored to have died a warrior's death. He rewards them with the Shard of Alexander .

's DLC flips this narrative on its head,