How to Quickly Unlock Shadow of the Erdtree and Access the Land of Shadow ASAP

This step-by-step guide will explain how to reach the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion area as fast as possible using several purpose-built teleportation shortcuts across the Lands Between, starting from a fresh playthrough.

You enter the Land of Shadow, the new area in Shadow of the Erdtree, by touching Miquella’s hand at the Cocoon of the Empyrean at Mohgwyn Palace after defeating both Mohg, Lord of Blood, and Scarscourge Radahn.

While I may have managed to summarize it in a sentence, there’s a lot to do if you’re starting with a fresh playthrough, either with a new save file or NG+, and if you want to get there as fast as possible, you’ll need to use several shortcuts.

Besides fast traveling to Sites of Grace that you have previously visited, there are numerous warp points throughout the Lands Between. You’ll be leveraging a few of them so that you can fulfill the requirements to reach the Land of Shadow, and gain access to the Erdtree expansion as fast as possible.

To be clear, these shortcuts aren’t hacking or exploits or anything like that. Everything is completely above board. They are a deliberate part of the game and characters talk about the existence of these shortcuts directly.

Please note that the Shadow of the Erdtree is a fairly late-game activity. These shortcuts will get you there significantly faster than if you were to follow the Guidance of Grace, so game difficulty will also increase substantially as you get closer to Miquella’s dangling hand at Mohgwyn Palace.

How to access the Land of Shadow in Elden Ring ASAP

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This is the most simplified version of the path and order of shortcuts you have to take to get to the Land of Shadow, available in Shadow of the Erdtree, the first and only expansion in Elden Ring.

Instructions

1. Reach Liurnia of the Lakes
   use the shortcut to skip Stormveil Castle, but be sure to obtain the Flask of Wondrous Physick and defeat Margit, the Fell Omen.
2. Reach the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace at the Academy of Raya Lycaria
   It's not required, but I highly recommend you to defeat Renalla.
3. Beginning White Mask Varré's Quest
   At the Roundtable Hold, talk to Finger Reader Enia. Head to the Rose Church at Liurnia and speak with White Mask Varré.
4. Return to the Academy and let the Abductor eat you
   Fast travel back to the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace at the Academy of Raya Lucaria and head towards the mills "outside". To warp to the Altus Plateau, you must let the Abductor Virgin kill you by eating you.
5. Trigger General Radahn's Festival at Redmane Castle
   Underneat the Volcano Manor, follow the path and reach the Seethwater River on the Altus Plateau near a Site of Grac. You must rest at any Site of Grace on the Altus Plateau proper, where Melina speaks to you about making it this far.
6. Obtain the Purifying Crystal Tear
   You can find it at the Second Church of Marika, across the canyon from Seethwater River, where you'll be invaded by Eleonora, the Violet Bloody Finger.
7. Bloody Finger Invasion for Varré (Offline)
   Your offline target is located at the Writheblood Ruins, north of the Rose Church, past the bridge to Mt. Gelmir.
8. Participate in Radahn's Festival
   Thgrough a series of portals, reach Redahn's castle and speak to Jerren to begin the festival and fight Radahn.
9. Wrap up with White Mask Varré
   Return to the Rose Church at Liurnia of the Lakes and inform White Mask Varré of your success. Head to the Church of Inhibition to do his next task and return again to him to get Pureblood Knight's Medal.
10. Seek audience with Mohg and defeat him
    Get to the Mohgwin Palace. Make your way to the top. Equip the Purifying Crystal Tear at the Dynasty. Defeat Mohg and touch the tender hand drooping flaccidly out of the Cocoon of the Empyrean to enter the Land of Shadow.Mausoleum Midpoint Site of Grace.

Notes

Below I will go more in-depth with images, maps and additional details. This guide's purpose is to take you to the expansion's area ASAP, but I still want to provide some additional details to each step for those who have taken a longer break from the game and don't remember every quest and location.

Step 1: Limgrave Prep and Reaching Liurnia

If you’re starting on an entirely new save file, you have a couple of initial steps to complete in Limgrave, though you won’t be entering Stormveil Castle or the Weeping Peninsula. You must obtain the Flask of Wondrous Physick and defeat Margit, the Fell Omen.

The Flask is necessary to use the Purified Crystal Tear that will protect you from Mohg’s signature Bloodboon Ritual attack, and defeating Margit will give you a second talisman slot.

Technically, you can get through the game with only 3 talisman slots, but you’d have to defeat Morgott, the Grace-Given, to get the other one, which is much further out of the way. If you can beat this game on your own with 2 slots, you already know enough that you could have probably written this guide yourself.

Once you’ve gotten your preparations in Limgrave out of the way, it’s time to head to Liurnia of the Lakes. You can get there through Stormveil Castle, but it’s nonessential and time-consuming, so I recommend going around and skipping it.

The shortcut is alongside the eastern wall of Stormveil Castle, past the Stormhill Shack, and underneath the Limgrave Tower Bridge. You’ll want to head to the end of the demolished bridge with the Finger Reader Crone and turn left.

Step 2: Reach Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace

In Liurnia, your first objective is to defeat Rennala, Queen of Caria, at the Academy of Raya Lucaria, which will do the following:

• Unlock the ability to respec
• Grant you an audience with the Two Fingers at the Roundtable Hold
• Count as 1 of 2 Runes needed to unlock another talisman slot (if applicable)
• Open the way to Lyndell, Royal Capital, on the Altus Plateau (not essential)

Technically, you don’t have to defeat Rennala; you only have to reach the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace, which is right next to the Abductor Virgin.

I consider it essential because the benefits are immense and speed up the rest of the process.

Step 3: Begin White Mask Varré’s Quest

Return to the Roundtable Hold and exhaust the dialogue for Finger Reader Enia, interpreter of the Two Fingers, in the newly opened central chamber. White Mask Varré won’t have anything more to say to you until you’ve sought an audience with them.

Then, head to the Rose Church at Liurnia of the Lakes and speak with White Mask Varré. Completing his quest will ultimately give you access to the Pureblood Knight’s Medal, allowing you to warp to Mohgwyn Palace.

White Mask Varré will tell you to invade and defeat someone using a Festering Bloody Finger. If you are playing online (and are confident in your skills), you can do this immediately. Otherwise, you’ll need to head to Writheblood Ruins on the Altus Plateau.

Step 4: Abductor Virgin Warp

Fast travel back to the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace at the Academy of Raya Lucaria and head towards the mills “outside”. To warp to the Altus Plateau, you must let the Abductor Virgin kill you by eating you.

Once you’re ready, you’ll need to go back and ride the mill down to the bottom, where you’ll find said Abductor Virgin roaming around. This is the only Abductor Virgin that can warp you, and it will only do it by killing you with its eat attack.

Step 5: Underneath the Volcano Manor

You will respawn at an otherwise inaccessible area below the massive mechanical bridge at the Volcano Manor at Mt. Gelmir on the Altus Plateau. This entire section is pretty linear, but if you get lost, just follow the river of lava downstream. Be prepared to fend off some bats and lava slugs along the way.

You’ll eventually pop out at Seethwater River on the Altus Plateau near a Site of Grace by the same name. You must rest at any Site of Grace on the Altus Plateau proper, where Melina speaks to you about making it this far.

Doing so triggers General Radahn’s Festival at Redmane Castle, allowing you to fight him, though you can also trigger it by agreeing to serve Ranni the Witch at Caria Manor. Either way, you must defeat Starscourge Radahn to access the new area for Shadow of the Erdtree.

Technically, you can go to Radahn now if you like, but since you’re already in the neighborhood, I think you should go to the Second Church of Marika and Writheblood Ruins first. You’ll need to do all 3 in order to defeat Mohg this early in the game.

Step 6: Obtain the Purifying Crystal Tear

If you don’t have it from a previous playthrough, you’ll need the Purifying Crystal Tear to protect yourself from Mohg’s Bloodboon Ritual attack. You can find it at the Second Church of Marika, across the canyon from Seethwater River.

You’ll be invaded by Eleonora, the Violet Bloody Finger, who will drop the Purifying Crystal Tear. If Yura is already there, you’ll need to speak to him first, and if Eleonara doesn’t spawn, you’ll need to do Yura’s quest.

Step 7: Bloody Finger Invasion for Varré (Offline)

If you opted not to invade someone online, your next objective is to invade a specific NPC at Writheblood Ruins. Unlike all other offline invasions and summons, you’ll need to use a Festering Bloody with each attempt.

Otherwise, you’ll need to head to Writheblood Ruins to complete this part of White Mask Varré’s quest offline. Your offline target is located at the Writheblood Ruins, north of the Rose Church, past the bridge to Mt. Gelmir.

Unlike all other offline invasions, you will need to consume a Festering Bloody Finger with every invasion attempt on the offline NPC, so maybe have a couple on hand, just in case you don’t beat him the first time.

Step 8: Assassinate General Radahn

Now that you’ve visited the Altus Plateau, you can participate in Radahn’s Festival. You can quickly reach him at Redmane Castle by using a (series of) portal(s).

The main portal that takes you across Caelid you need is located atop the tower at Fort Gael, which is right on the border between Caelid and Limgrave.

The portal should take you straight to Redmane Castle, right outside of the plaza, but it may only take you to another portal that’s across the bridge on Castle Redmane’s island. Take the other portal, and you’ll be in the right place.

This is where you want to be. Head over to the plaza and speak to Jerren, the colorful castellan, to begin the festival and fight Radahn!

If this isn’t NG+, head to the top of the Divine Tower of Caelid after defeating him to unlock his Great Rune. Scale the outside of the building, and once you’ve made it to the Divine Tower of Caelid: Center Site of Grace, go through the doorway with stairs going up.

Afterward, have a quick chat with Finger Reader Enia at the Roundtable Hold to unlock your third talisman slot.

Step 9: Wrapping Up with White Mask Varré

Return to the Rose Church at Liurnia of the Lakes and inform White Mask Varré of your success.

He’ll tell you your next target would be your maiden, but since he thinks you don’t have one, you get to go stick your hand in some other gal’s corpse to get some blood on a handkerchief.

The lady in question is Vyke’s maiden, who can be found at the Church of Inhibition in northeastern Liurnia.

Once you’ve defiled the handkerchief and violated the corpse, return to White Mask Varré at the Rose Church one last time.

White Mask Varré will reward you with a free on-site medical procedure, no appointment needed!

Your brand-new Bloody Finger will allow you to invade people without consuming other people’s Festering Bloody Fingers. Exhaust Varré’s dialogue, and he’ll give you the Pureblood Knight’s Medal.

Step 10: Mohgwyn Palace

Ignore what White Mask Varré says. It is time to seek an audience with Mohg now. Use the medal in your inventory to warp to Mohgwyn Palace.

Make your way to the top, but only invade White Mask Varré if you already have the White Mask and War Surgeon armor set. Equip the Purifying Crystal Tear at the Dynasty Mausoleum Midpoint Site of Grace.

When you’re ready for the impending bloodbath, take the elevator up to the Cocoon of the Empyrean (and Mohg) and gulp down that Wondrous Physick.

Defeat Mohg and touch the tender hand drooping flaccidly out of the Cocoon of the Empyrean to enter the Land of Shadow.

We have a detailed walkthrough that will once again take you from the very first spawn point in Limgrave all the way to the Land of Shadow. This guide, however, will show you a proper path that allows you to unlock and access the Shadow of the Erdtree’s Land of Shadow fully prepared with all of the gear and other items you will need to survive and explore the new region! Check the full Bleed Build guide for more details:

If you find the level of difficulty in the DLC’s Shadow Realm too high, I have just the guide for you! I have gathered all my experience and knowledge to prepare for you a thorough guide of legitimate tips and recommendations to help you make Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree easier! No cheats, no cheap tricks, no hacks.