OverviewSpoilers
Shadow of the Erdtree Main Progression follows the Tarnished from the Realm of Shadow's first landing to the climactic confrontation at the top of Enir-Ilim. The route is not fully linear: several regions and NPC stories can be explored in different orders, and the main path contains optional detours that provide useful Scadutree Fragments, Revered Spirit Ashes, equipment, and lore.
Shadow of the Erdtree begins only after the player has reached Mohg, Lord of Blood's arena in the base game. Defeating Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood unlocks the entrance interaction: the withered arm hanging from the cocoon in Mohg's arena transports the Tarnished to the Realm of Shadow. There is no ordinary map transition from the Lands Between, so a player who has not completed both prerequisite boss encounters cannot start this progression route.
The opening region is Gravesite Plain, where the Tarnished meets the expansion's new political and religious conflict and begins following the trail associated with Miquella. Castle Ensis provides the most direct early route into Scadu Altus, although the player can reach parts of the plateau by alternative paths. Belurat, Castle Settlement is an important early legacy dungeon and a major source of context, but its ruler and its full exploration are not the only way to advance toward the central route.
From Scadu Altus, the main route converges on Shadow Keep. The keep is both a large legacy dungeon and a crossroads: its flooded Church District, Storehouse, and western approaches connect the player to different parts of the Realm of Shadow. The route then leads through the Rauh Ancient Ruins and the encounter with Romina, Saint of the Bud. Defeating Romina opens the sealed passage into Enir-Ilim, the final legacy-dungeon region.
The closing stretch of the expansion is deliberately spoiler-heavy. The Tarnished advances through Enir-Ilim, confronts Needle Knight Leda and the allies who remain aligned with her, and then reaches the final battle involving Promised Consort Radahn. The order of exploration, Scadutree Blessing upgrades, NPC decisions, and optional boss victories can change the difficulty and available assistance, but the final area cannot be entered until the required late-game progression has been completed.
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