Last updated: 12 July 2026

How to Access Shadow of the Erdtree Step by Step

Shadow of the Erdtree adds a sprawling new region called the Realm of Shadow — but getting there requires finishing specific business in the base game first. Two bosses must die, one eerie cocoon must be touched, and the DLC must be owned. Here is exactly what to do, in what order, and how to reach the hidden palace where the journey begins.

01What You Need Before Starting

Two hard requirements gate entry to the Realm of Shadow. Miss either one and the entrance stays closed, no matter how far into the base game you have progressed.

• Own the DLC. Shadow of the Erdtree is paid downloadable content — purchase it before attempting any of the steps below.
• Defeat Starscourge Radahn — the demigod boss of Redmane Castle in southeast Caelid. He is not optional for DLC access, even though he can be skipped in a normal playthrough.
• Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood — the boss at the end of Mohgwyn Palace, a late-game underground area. His death is the direct trigger for the DLC entrance.

Both kills are tracked per character. On New Game+, the bosses must be defeated again in that cycle before the entrance reopens.

02How to Beat Starscourge Radahn

Radahn waits on a vast sandy battlefield south of Redmane Castle in Caelid. Before he spawns, his festival must be activated — this happens once any of the following is met:

• Activate any Site of Grace in the Altus Plateau (beyond the Grand Lift of Dectus).
• Advance Ranni's questline far enough to learn about Radahn from Blaidd.
• Speak with Witch-Hunter Jerren at Redmane Castle before the festival triggers naturally.

Once the festival is active, enter Redmane Castle, ride the elevator down to the battlefield, and summon as many NPC allies along the beach as you can find — they are there to be used. Radahn is a dramatic multi-phase fight but beatable around level 60–80 with a well-upgraded weapon. Finishing him marks one of the two DLC prerequisites complete.

03How to Reach Mohgwyn Palace

Mohgwyn Palace is a hidden underground zone not connected to the main map. There are two ways in:

1. Pureblood Knight's Medal (recommended). Complete White Mask Varré's questline — meet him at The First Step after Godrick, find him again at the Rose Church in Liurnia, and complete the tasks he sets. Exhausting his dialogue earns the Medal, which teleports you directly inside Mohgwyn Palace. Available earlier in the game than the alternative.
2. Consecrated Snowfield portal (no questline). Collect both Haligtree Secret Medallion halves and use them at the Grand Lift of Rold to reach the Consecrated Snowfield. Travel northwest; a Sanguine Noble invader appears near a waygate. Defeat it, then use the waygate to arrive in caves on the eastern edge of Mohgwyn Palace.

Either route leads to the same palace. The Varré questline is faster if you do not mind PvP invasions; the Snowfield portal is purely solo but unlocks late.

04How to Defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood

Mohg sits at the far end of Mohgwyn Palace, past a blood-soaked canyon and a boss fog gate. He is a late-game boss — aim for character level 100–120 and a weapon upgraded to at least +8 Somber or +20 Standard.

Key things to know about the fight:

• Mohg's Bloodboon Ritual stacks a curse during phase one. A Purifying Crystal Tear in your Flask of Wondrous Physick instantly nullifies all stacks at once, trivialising the phase transition.
• He is weak to Fire damage and can be Frostbitten, which then procs Bleed for big bonus damage.
• Spirit ashes and NPC summons are available — Black Knife Tiche or Mimic Tear both perform well.
• After his death a Site of Grace spawns in the arena. Rest at it before doing anything else.

05Entering the Realm of Shadow

After Mohg falls and you have rested at his Site of Grace, look across the arena for the large withered cocoon suspended above a pool of blood. Walk up to it and interact — the prompt reads roughly 'Touch the withered arm.' Doing so transports your character directly into the Land of Shadow, the opening area of the DLC, arriving at the Gravesite Plain Site of Grace.

If you have already beaten both bosses but never interacted with the cocoon in a previous session, simply fast-travel back to the Mohg, Lord of Blood grace and the cocoon will still be there waiting.

06Scadutree Fragments: Why Exploration Beats Over-Levelling

Shadow of the Erdtree is balanced around a separate power system that operates independently of your character level. Scadutree Fragments, found throughout the Realm of Shadow, are spent at any Site of Grace to raise your Scadutree Blessing — a permanent buff that increases both damage dealt and damage negation inside the DLC.

What this means practically: a high-level character with a low blessing will find the DLC extremely punishing, while a more modest character at a higher blessing level will feel appropriately challenged. Do not grind character levels to compensate — explore and find Fragments instead.

• Blessing 5 — a comfortable target before the first major boss.
• Blessing 10–12 — aim for this range through mid-DLC.
• Blessing 15+ — target for the final boss encounter.
• Fragments appear at church altars, near small Erdtree saplings, and as drops from specific enemies. Check every church you pass.