Erdtree
Elden Ring: Liberation
Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Erdtree |
| Original Name | 黄金树 |
| Type | Great golden tree; symbol of the Golden Order 2 |
| Location | Leyndell, in the Lands Between 30 41 |
| Affiliation | Golden Order; Greater Will; Queen Marika and the Golden Lineage 2 3 11 |
| Role | Bestows blessings and receives the strength of the departed through “return to the Erdtree” 7 33 |
| Status | Weakened after the Elden Ring’s shattering; roots corrupted and its life-and-death cycle disrupted by Godwyn 2 9 33 |
| First Appearance | Erdtree incantations mentioned 1; the tree itself seen 2 |
Background / History
Marika, Godfrey, and their comrades initially fought for the Erdtree to establish a new age. Their campaigns subdued rival powers throughout the Lands Between and made the Golden Order supreme. During the war against the Giants, Trolls defected to the Erdtree’s forces and slaughtered nearly all their former brethren; afterward, they were reduced to slaves rather than rewarded with equal standing 15 29.
At the height of the golden age, golden radiance shone throughout the land. Departed spirits could be summoned anywhere, and the Erdtree was far more glorious than the diminished tree encountered by the returning Tarnished. Following the Storm Lord’s defeat, Godfrey and his fellow Tarnished lost their Grace; their actual banishment occurred at the boundary between Limgrave and Caelid 2 16 29.
Godwyn’s murder left his body intact but erased his spirit. According to Fia, the Erdtree’s unsuccessful effort to restore him disrupted its normal cycle and contributed to the emergence of Those Who Live in Death. Marika subsequently shattered the Elden Ring, enraging the Erdtree and the Greater Will, and disappeared from public view 33 43.
The resulting collapse of Grace drove many former recipients mad. As the Erdtree declined, powers once suppressed by the Golden Order began resurfacing, while new forces also gained ground 3 16 41.
Appearance
- A towering golden tree whose presence surpasses the surrounding golden-leaved trees; its light bathes the land 2.
- Still an imposing landmark after the Shattering, but visibly less glorious than it was in the earliest days of its era 2.
- Roots encountered underground are warped and decaying, carrying a sense of disorder absent from the formerly orderly Erdtree 9.
Offshoots and Burial Network
| Site or manifestation | Function |
|---|---|
| Minor Erdtrees | Offshoots linked to the main Erdtree. They extend its presence across the Lands Between, receive local worship and offerings, and allow those buried beneath them to return to the main tree 7 11. |
| Weeping Peninsula Minor Erdtree | Stands in the peninsula’s center and dwarfs nearby trees. Broken offering jars surround it, including red-lidded vessels containing flesh; the Tarnished interprets these as possible human sacrifices 11. |
| Golden Boughs | Pure-gold manifestations ranked beneath Minor Erdtrees. Golden Seeds grow alongside them 7. |
| Places of Return to the Erdtree | Chambers within burial grounds associated with returning the departed. One contains a broken root and an Ulcerated Tree Spirit 21. |
The linked offshoots compensate for the difficulty of extending the main tree’s roots throughout the entire Lands Between 11.
Powers and Functions
Return to the Erdtree
The burial cycle feeds the strength of the departed back into the Erdtree 33.
- Burial beneath a connected Minor Erdtree also provides access to this cycle 11.
- The corrupted roots examined by the Tarnished can no longer receive the Demi-Humans buried there 9.
- Godwyn, neither fully alive nor fully dead, consumes the Erdtree’s finite power at an accelerating rate without being restored 33.
Golden Blessings and Incantations
The Erdtree supplies golden power used for healing, enhancement, and holy attacks 1 11 20.
- An Erdtree healing incantation mends the Tarnished’s wounds and broken bones after his cliff jump; he recognizes it from priests in his former company 1.
- Golden nobles and members of the royal family enjoy its blessings at close range and carry immense quantities of golden runes 10.
- Erdtree incantations have different ranks, and their effectiveness depends on faith 9 19 28.
- A caster borrowing the Erdtree’s power cannot surpass the Erdtree itself, regardless of personal mastery 28.
- Albinauric blood can suppress Crystal Tears of Golden Grace 47.
Spirit Summoning
The Spirit Calling Bell summons souls that have not fully returned to the Erdtree 29.
- During the golden age, pervasive golden radiance allowed spirits to be summoned anywhere 29.
- In the present era, summoning requires locations where the Erdtree’s lingering power remains strong, including Minor Erdtrees and statues of Marika 29.
Remembrances
When the bodies of demigods and heroes fade away, the Erdtree hews them into remembrances that preserve their owners’ power. The Fingers can help a bearer obtain that power 41.
Holy Law
Death has been removed from the Erdtree and its existence forbidden. Holy Law consequently suppresses dead beings, making holy power effective against Those Who Live in Death 40.
Guardians
| Guardian | Duties and characteristics |
|---|---|
| Tree Sentinels | Elite mounted knights chosen from the royal Golden Lineage to serve and defend the Erdtree. Their hallmarks are pure-gold armor and tree-shaped helmet ornaments; they were once a mainstay of Leyndell’s defenses 3. |
| Erdtree Avatars | Natural guardians embodying Minor Erdtrees. They draw power directly from the Erdtree, use exceptionally pure golden incantations, and generally surpass Tree Sentinels in overall strength, though they are much rarer 11. |
| Erdtree Burial Watchdogs | Golems that automatically guard cemeteries. The one encountered by the Tarnished has three heads and fights alongside Imps 9. |
| Night riders | Undertakers who travel by night. One declares that their mission is to bury anyone approaching the Erdtree, including Tarnished 8. |
The Shattering has weakened these defenses: the Limgrave Tree Sentinel bears almost no remaining Grace, while the Weeping Peninsula Avatar has dry, brittle bark and diminished power 3 11.
Treatment of Other Peoples
| People or beings | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Demi-Humans | Deemed savage and lowly, but granted the limited right to return to the Erdtree’s roots 9. |
| Misbegotten | Ranked below Demi-Humans and denied acceptance. The Leonine Misbegotten’s body and will remain outside the Erdtree after his death 7 9. |
| Trolls | Most became slaves after supporting the Erdtree in the war against their own kin. They were assigned hauling, mining, and mountain-cutting work 15. |
| Bearers of Crucible traits | Their bloodline was regarded as blessed before the Erdtree’s age, but later came to be despised by it 29. |
| Nomadic people | Never protected by Golden Grace. Kale regards this exclusion as the reason his people escaped the madness caused by its collapse 3. |
| Teardrop Scarabs | Created to remove filth and protected by the Erdtree. Their standing is explicitly higher than that of Trolls and Misbegotten 35. |
Blessings and Associated Items
- Golden Seeds — Increase the amount of liquid a flask can hold; found alongside Golden Boughs 7.
- Crystal Tears — Contain some of the Erdtree’s purest power and are used to mix wondrous physick. Destroying the Weeping Peninsula Avatar’s core yields two 11.
- Sacred Tears — Fragments of the Erdtree’s blessing enshrined in churches. They improve physical recovery and can enable the Flask of Crimson Tears to heal injuries instantly 11.
- Erdtree’s Favor — Ornaments created by Marika from the Erdtree’s power and awarded to heroes or those responsible for great deeds. They provide comprehensive enhancements 20.
- Erdtree Greatbow — An ancient wooden bow fashioned after the Erdtree. Its power increases with the wielder’s faith, though its raw strength can wound a flying dragon’s wings even without that faith 21.
- Teardrop Scarab balls — Mud rolled by scarabs becomes imbued with a trace of Grace through the golden power within their bodies 35.
Story Role
- Trina’s proposed new Order — Trina asks the Tarnished to take her into the Erdtree and become her lord. He rejects making her a god, intending instead to remove the Greater Will and liberate the Lands Between 10.
- The Tarnished’s opposition — He considers cutting down the Weeping Peninsula Minor Erdtree but postpones it because he lacks sufficient strength and does not yet wish to provoke the Greater Will. He later vows to deal with both the Erdtree and the Greater Will 11.
- Melina’s destination — Melina offers to turn runes into strength in exchange for being taken to the Erdtree’s foot. She maintains the agreement after learning that the Tarnished intends to overthrow the age, provided he does not slaughter innocents or extinguish life 17 30.
- Great Rune requirement — After obtaining Godrick’s Great Rune, the Tarnished is told to acquire another before entering Leyndell and approaching the Erdtree 41.
- Kale’s hostility — Kale privately describes a blood feud between the Erdtree and his people and wishes to see it burned to ashes 3.
- Morgott’s loyalty — Despite being shunned for his Crucible bloodline, Morgott believes the Erdtree nurtured him and struggles to accept the Tarnished’s plan to destroy the existing age 29.