How to start the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in Elden Ring and get into the kingdom of shadows

You're probably wondering how to start the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in Elden Ring, because for this you need to perform a couple of non-obvious actions. Let us remind you that the new expansion includes a completely new region – the Kingdom of Shadows – with additional bosses, weapons and quests. So now we will tell you how to get there.

How to start the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in Elden Ring

Let us immediately note that it will not be possible to get to the new area at the very beginning of the game. You will first have to deal with two very strong bosses. You will most likely be able to do this at about 60-80 character level. So, let's look at each step separately.

Defeat Starscourge Radan

First of all, you will need to deal with Scourge of the stars Radan - This is the main boss of the Starry Wasteland, which is located east of Zamogilya. Before you can go against him, you will have to wait until the fight festival begins, and then go to Red Mane Castle, located in the southeast corner of the region, and go through the portal on the beach (see screenshots below).

There are three ways to start the festival:

• Just get to any Grace Place on the Altus Plateau (can be seen at interactive world map ).
• Follow Renny's quest, until you tell Blade about Radan on the Siofra River.
• Continue with Renny's quest until you tell Idgie about the witch hunter Jerren.

Note that the Starry Wasteland is a rather dangerous region. We advise you to first go through Zamogilie, the Weeping Peninsula and Ozernaya Liurnia, and only then go to the Red Mane Castle.

Defeat Mog, Lord of Blood

Next, you will need to kill an even more dangerous enemy - Mog, the Lord of Blood. You can find it in the Mogwin Palace - this is an underground location that can only be reached in two ways:

• Use the portal in the western part of the Sacred Snowy Field.
• Apply the Pureblood Knight Medal by completing White-faced Varre's quest.

We discussed both methods in this guide. There we also indicated exactly how to reach the boss and quickly kill him using a small bug. However, this location is still quite a dangerous place, so be well prepared before going here.

Touch the Withered Hand in the Mogwin Palace

Having dealt with Mog, go to the huge cocoon in the far part of the palace. To the left of him you will find a girl knight in a white cloak. Approach her and enter into dialogue. She will introduce herself as Leda and invite you to touch her withered hand to be transported to the kingdom of shadows, where Michela the Merciful now lives.

Note: If the girl knight is not in the specified location, then try to move to another place of grace, and then return back to the palace - thereby you will reload the area, which will lead to the appearance of the character you need.

Now just touch the withered hand and agree to go to the kingdom of shadows. After this, you will automatically be transported to a new location. Note that you can return to the world of the original Elden Ring at any time through the map menu.

As for the new region, if you were able to kill Mog yourself, then the new monsters should not cause you too many problems, at least at first. In general, this location in terms of complexity is comparable to the Collapsing Farum Azula and Holy Tree of Michella.