Elden Ring and DLC expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree have plenty of stats and terms it throws you way, and knowing what these all mean can get a bit confusing at times, even if the game does help by giving an explanation in the menu. This page will give you a handy glance at some of the key important terms in Elden Ring.

Story Terms¶

There are plenty of names and places mentioned in Elden Ring, and you can be forgiven if you may forget one here and there. The following terms are all related to the story and lore of the game.

The Elden Ring¶

The Greater Will made manifest, and a Great Rune that gave blessings provided by the Erdtree that dominates much of the Lands Between. Queen Marika possesses this and is slave to the Greater Will, and it’s her act of rebellion by shattering it that leads to the events of the game.

The Lands Between¶

This is the name of the world that Elden Ring takes place in, and is made up of several regions, such as Limgrave, Liurnia of the Lakes, and Caelid. Each of these regions are overseen by a Demigod that possess a Great Rune, a fragment of the Elden Ring that shattered.

The Realm of Shadow¶

This is the name of the world where the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC takes place, a place that has been forgotten to time, and where Miquella has retreated to. It’s here that Messmer the Impaler has taken to causing mayhem and where the Tarnished must visit to put an end to it.

Demigods¶

These are the powerful beings that are the children of Queen Marika, and the beings that claimed the Great Runes, warping themselves in different ways as they became corrupted and influenced by the power they possessed.

The Tarnished¶

This is the name of the player character in Elden Ring, and someone who has lost the blessing of the Elden Ring and the Erdtree, driven to exile. Driven by an unspeakable urge to return to the Lands of Between and seek out the scattered pieces of the Elden Ring, you are the chosen one that can bring hope, or ruin, to the Lands Between.

The Golden Order¶

A faction established by Queen Marika, is the most prominent religion and faction in the Lands Between and the one that suffered the most by the shattering of the Elden Ring. Those that remain that belong to this order find themselves trying to reckon with what it has become, and why their Queen took the actions she did.

The Frenzied Flame¶

A faction that is not loyal to the Greater Will and thus, rejects the teachings of The Golden Order and the blessings of the Erdtree. Taking the appearance of madmen, they seek destruction at all costs.

Game Terms and Mechanics¶

Beyond the main story terms, there are several mechanics or gameplay terms that will be beneficial to remember.

Remembrances¶

You may know these as Boss Souls if you’ve played the other FromSoftware Soulslike games, but these function in exactly the same manner. When defeated, major bosses will drop their Remembrance, which you can then take to Enia at the Roundtable Hold to convert them into powerful weapons, equipment, or spells.

Golden Seed¶

You will come across illusionary trees as you explore the Lands Between and usually, at the base of them, is a Golden Seed. You can take these to a Site of Grace to strengthen your Sacred Flask and increase the number of uses it has.

Sacred Tears¶

Like the Golden Seed above, these items will strengthen your Sacred Flask, but instead of granting more uses, this will increase the effect of each use, restoring more HP or FP depending on the split you choose.

Sacred Flask¶

This is the name of the instrument the Tarnished can use to restore their health. Visiting a Site of Grace will replenish the number of uses it has or alter how you split it between restoring HP and FP.

Site of Grace¶

Containing the grace of the Erdtree, these Sites of Grace acts as a checkpoint and fast travel point in the Lands Between, much like Bonfires in the Dark Souls series. It’s here you can call Melina to strengthen the Tarnished with the Runes you’ve acquired.

Sorceries and Incantations¶

This is the name of the two main spell schools in Elden Ring, and are governed by either the Intelligence (Sorcery) or Faith (Incantations) stat. Sorceries are more illusionary in nature, allowing you to materialize projectiles and other such spells. Incantations, then, are more buff orientated, using the blessing of the Erdtree.

Ashes of War¶

If Sorceries and Incantations are your magical spells, then Ashes of War are your weapon skills. Most weapons can have an Ashes of War attached to them, and will grant a wide range of effects, this is what gives most of the weapons their unique properties.

Spirit Ash¶

Tarnished that seek more help on their quest can make use of Spirit Ashes, these will conjure phantom aberrations that will aid you, be it a magical snail or a mimic of your own Tarnished that will have access to the same skills and equipment you do.

There you have it, a breakdown of some of the key terms in the story and gameplay of Elden Ring and Shadow of the Erdtree. Check back often as we update this page with more key terms for both new and veteran players!