Elden Ring SotEs Quest-Related Summons Make an NPC Betrayal Sweeter

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Elden Ring SotEs Quest-Related Summons Make an NPC Betrayal Sweeter

Highlights

  • Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree’s narrative focuses on Miquella’s followers and is largely character-driven.
  • The DLC’s second-last mandatory boss fight varies based on interactions with NPCs.
  • Summonable allies play a crucial role in the fight against Leda and her followers, making each player’s experience unique.

As a dedicated fan of FromSoftware and Elden Ring, I have been absolutely captivated by the latest expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree. The narrative focus on Miquella’s followers has added a rich layer to the already intricate world, making my experience largely character-driven and engaging.

Major story spoilers for
Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree
ahead.

In simpler terms, the expansion for Elden Ring titled “Shadow of the Erdtree” is another impressive storyline and world creation by FromSoftware. Like their previous DLC, it adds depth to the original game’s narrative while possibly presenting challenges in understanding. However, this expansion focuses mainly on interactions between players and Miquella’s followers, making the story more character-driven.

Leda, the Needle Knight, has made her appearance at Mohgwyn Palace’s Empyrean Cocoon. In the Land of Shadow, she plays a significant role as a guide for players, helping them explore and uncover more of Miquella’s hidden crosses. These quests involving Leda and Miquella’s devotees are optional and can easily be overlooked since there aren’t many compulsory boss encounters on the player’s path to the final boss. Furthermore, the penultimate mandatory boss fight in the DLC is influenced significantly by players’ interactions with associated NPCs. Some of these characters could develop into allies or adversaries depending on your choices.

Leda’s Betrayal in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree Manifests as a Boss Fight Players Can Contour in Their Favor

Miquella’s supporters are made up of an intriguing assortment of vibrant personalities. Here are some potential follower NPCs that players might encounter before reaching the stairway to face Radahn, the Promised Consort of Shadow in Enir-Ilim:

  • Needle Knight Leda (mandatory).
  • Dryleaf Dane (mandatory).
  • Moore (dialogue-dependent).
  • Hornsent (quest-dependent).
  • Redmane Freyja (quest-dependent).

Luckily, despite Leda and her entire entourage appearing, players can still shift the battle’s outcome with their summons. Here are some NPCs players might be able to bring into the fray at Enir-Ilim, depending on their quest progress and the presence of their summon signs:

  • Sir Ansbach.
  • Thiollier.

Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree Gives Weight to Optional NPC Interactions

Based on the choices players made during the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion in Elden Ring regarding Miquella’s group of followers, the gank fight experience for players could vary from being significantly outnumbered, having an equal number of enemies, or even having more allies than Leda’s troupe. Additionally, players have the option to summon their own Spirit Ashes to assist them in the battle.

In other words, each player’s experience during the encounter is unique because very few groups have gone through it in the same order or sequence of events. Some players may have unwittingly condemned Moore to death based on their dialogue choices with him, while others might have summoned Hornsent during Messmer’s boss fight without realizing that this action, combined with speaking with him afterwards, is one of the few requirements for him not to participate in Leda’s ambush.

Each NPC in this game has many elements at play, and some interactions aren’t essential to achieve the same result. For instance, players can decide whether to join early invasions or assassinations based on Leda’s suspicious intentions. These optional choices add depth to the NPCs’ stories, and their consequences are reflected in a pivotal boss battle before the final one.

In Elden Ring’s expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, summons are enhanced with Spirit Ashes having separate scaling. However, quest-related NPC summons hold significant importance as well. They become integral to the player’s journey since they join forces during key events. For instance, Igon, a vengeful NPC, has an engrossing questline that allows players to summon him during Bayle the Dread’s battle. Summoning Igon doesn’t just make Bayle’s defeat memorable but also gives Igon a pivotal role instead of being an insignificant NPC.

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2024-07-16 01:43