Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, introduced a wide variety of new items, enemies, and areas for fans to explore. All of these provide fascinating new clues about the game's mysterious lore and mythology, and establish connections between the Land of Shadow (or Shadow Realm) and the Lands Between. One such connection is between the new Bloodfiend enemies and Mohg, Lord of Blood. By no coincidence, the only way to enter the Land of Shadow and access the DLC content is by defeating Mohg in Mohgwyn Palace and interacting with Miquella's corpse inside the cocoon at the back the chamber.
The Bloodfiends are clearly connected to the same ancient civilization as Mohg, and are worshipers of the Formless Mother, one of the Outer Gods in Elden Ring lore. The details surrounding the Bloodfiends, the tribe or cult that grew around the Formless Mother's powers, and the Bloodboon ritual itself are provided through item descriptions around the Shadow Realm and Lands Between. To fully understand the overlap, and to appreciate how Shadow of the Erdtree's Bloodfiend enemies add to established lore, it's worth taking a deep dive into all that is known about the Bloodfiends and their significance in Elden Ring.
Bloodfiend Items Reveal More About Them
Weapons Like Bloodfiend's Arm And Sacred Spear Provide Lore Details
As with all Elden Ring lore, looking closely at item descriptions is the main source of information, and it's worth sampling from both the base game and SOTE to get a full sense of who and what the Bloodfiends are. Some obvious overlaps surround the Formless Mother. The sacred Incantation, Bloodboon, found in the Lands Between, mentions "the mother of truth," as well as "the body of the Formless Mother." Similarly, the Sacred Bloody Flesh consumable in the Shadow Realm, a "delicacy of the bloodfiends," is a flower grown from the blood of "the Formless Mother's wound."
The Shadow Keep in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree expansion holds many secrets, including illusory walls, secret paths, and powerful enemies.
The Bloodboon Ritual and Bloodfiends' Bloodboon skills both require Tarnished to "pierce the body of the Formless Mother." Another significant connection between the two realms can be found comparing Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear and the Bloodfiend's Sacred Spear. The spears are described as "instruments of communion with an outer god," and both include the note: "The mother of truth desires a wound." There are also mentions of a "bloodboon ritual" and "blood offerings" in Bloodfiend Hexer's Ashes, the Bloodfiend's Arm, Bloodfiend's Sacred Spear, the Bloodfiend's Fork, and Lord of Blood's Exultation.
Further descriptions of Bloodfiends in the Bloodfiend Hexer's Ashes point out "the mother of truth" and "bloodboon rituals," and provide deeper background on "a subjugated tribe [that] discovered a twisted deity amongst the ravages of war, and they were transformed into bloodfiends." The Outer God Heirloom may also expand on the Formless Mother, based on where it's found in Prospect Town. Its description reads, "the clan, who lost everything in the great fires, peered upon the corpse of their ancestor, normally an act of sanctity, and saw in its shadow a twisted deity." See the following chart for a breakdown of Bloodfiend-related items and lore details.
"Thrust arm into the body of the Formless Mother, then scatter the bloodflame to set the area ablaze. The mother of truth craves wounds. When Mohg stood before her, deep underground, his accursed blood erupted with fire, and besotted with the defilement that he was born into."
"Trident of Mohg, Lord of Blood. A sacred spear that will come to symbolize his dynasty. As well as serving as a weapon, it is an instrument of communion with an outer god who bestows power upon accursed blood. The mother of truth desires a wound."
"Remembrance of Mohg, Lord of Blood, hewn into the Erdtree. Wishing to raise Miquella to full godhood, Mohg wished to become his consort, taking the role of monarch. But no matter how much of his bloody bedchamber he tried to share, he received no response from the young Empyrean."
"This spirit conducts bloodboon rituals with a sacred spear, casts bloodflame hexes, and takes a singular pleasure in letting the blood of foes. Long ago, a subjugated tribe discovered a twisted deity amongst the ravages of war, and they were transformed into bloodfiends. The mother of truth was their savior."
Land of Shadow: Dropped by the Chief Bloodfiend in Rivermouth Cave
"A talisman engraved with the lore of an outer god. The clan, who lost everything in the great fires, peered upon the corpse of their ancestor, normally an act of sanctity, and saw in its shadow a twisted deity. The clan had suffered such torment that the horrible thing was taken as an object of worship."
Land of Shadow: Inside a chest at the top of Prospect Town
"Raw meat soaked with blood. A delicacy of the bloodfiends. The blood is said to have fallen from the Formless Mother's wound. Never will it dry, never will it rot."
"Weapon used by the bloodfiends. An arm pulled from the corpse of one of their kin, and wielded as a makeshift weapon. Having been sanctified by a blood ritual, this armament is capable of spraying blood stored within when executing a strong attack."
Land of Shadow: Dropped by a Bloodfiend in Prospect Town
"Greatspear of the bloodfiend hexers. One of the most significant implements used in their blood rituals. Sacred spears of blood are the instruments of communion with an outer god. The mother of truth desires a wound."
Land of Shadow: Dropped by a Bloodfiend west of Taylew's Ruined Forge
"Weapon used by the bloodfiends. Three tines of carved bone spear the victim to provoke blood loss. A ritual implement for blood offerings to the Formless Mother. At times, the bloodfiends will spill even their own blood using these forks."
Land of Shadow: 3% chance to drop from Bloodfiends near the Ruined Forge Lava Intake, Prospect Town, or Stone Coffin Fissure
"'Render up your offerings of blood to your Lord. Drench my consort's chamber. Slake his cocoon's thirst. His awakening shall herald the dawn of our dynasty.'"
"A Great Rune of the shardbearer Mohg. Mohg and Morgott are twin brothers, and their Great Runes are naturally similar. But Mohg's rune is soaked in accursed blood, from his devout love for the wretched mire that he was born into far below the earth."
"A crystal tear formed slowly over the age where the Erdtree's bounty falls to the ground. The resulting concoction purifies the curse from Mohg, Lord of Blood's terrifying rite of blood."
"Doll of a curseborn bairn from the Erdtree's royal line. Omen babies born of royalty do not have their horns excised, but instead are kept underground, unbeknownst to anyone, imprisoned for eternity. These memorial fetishes are fashioned in secret."
History Of Bloodfiend Bloodboon Rituals In Elden Ring
Mohg And The Bloodfiends Partake In The Same Ritual In SOTE And Elden Ring
Looking closer at the Bloodboon ritual, the first introduction to it is with Mohg, using Moghwyn's Sacred Spearto cast the Bloodboon Ritual in the Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum. The Purifying Crystal Tear will counter Mohg's "terrifying rite of blood," and defeating him grants passage to the Shadow Realm. However, this same ritual can be seen when players enter the Rivermouth Cave,performed by none other than a group of Bloodfiends, with the leader thrusting a ritual spear identically to Mohg during his ritual. All signs point to a deep connection between Mohg and the Bloodfiends, particularly through the blood ritual.
The coffins scattered across the Cerulean Coast in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree hold secrets about the origins of the Lands Between.
The ritual entails "communion with an outer god," specifically the Formless Mother, "who bestows power upon accursed blood." Mohg intended to use his accursed blood "become [Miquella's] consort" and "raise [him] to full godhood." When Mohg "stood before her, deep underground, his accursed blood erupted with fire," which accounts for the powerful bloodflame abilities he implements. Downtrodden creatures turn to the Formless Mother out of desperation. Mohg was "kept underground, unbeknownst to anyone, imprisoned for eternity," while the Bloodfiends "lost everything in the great fires" and "suffered such torment" that only "the mother of truth was their savior."
What's Still Not Known About Bloodfiends
SOTE Provides More Questions Than Answers About The Bloodfiends And Mohg
Many questions remain as to where the Bloodfiends actually come from and what role they play in the larger story. Similarities to Mohg aside, the creatures tend to patrol areas aimlessly, as if they've forgotten their purpose. They clearly worship the mother of truth and practice the bloodboon ritual, often at the cost of their own limbs or lives, implying they likely receive similar benefits through accursed blood as Mohg (though in a lesser capacity, as they are not demigods). The Bloodfiends also look like distant cousins of the curse-born Omen enemies from the Lands Between.
Shadow of the Erdtree items such as Nanaya's Torch and the Madding Hand, and enemies like Midra, expand the Frenzied Flame lore of Elden Ring.
But what exactly happened to their clan before these creatures became Bloodfiends, what "great fires" does the Outer God Heirloom refer to (if it is indeed related to the Formless Mother), and is it certain that the "subjugated tribe" and tormented clan are one and the same? Is it possible that the Bloodfiends and Omen-born are linked somehow through their accursed blood? "Perhaps even the fiends admire blood's beauty," suggests a complexity to the creatures, and some form of hierarchy exists in their ranks, indicated by the Bloodfiend Hexers. The Bloodfiends evidently gain strength through blood offerings to the Formless Mother, and "will spill even their own blood" as tribute.
How Bloodfiends Connect To Larger Elden Ring Lore
Clues From Mohg And Miquella's Cocoon Show There's More To Bloodfiends Than Meets The Eye
The Bloodfiends share so many commonalities with Mohg, theories suggest there may be a more significant link - possibly related to Miquella's cocoon, which houses Miquella's desiccated body in Elden Ring. The same accursed blood fueling the Bloodfiends was needed by Mohg to awaken his consort, Miquella, and "herald the dawn of" the Mohgwyn Dynasty, as seen in the Lord of Blood's Exultation talisman:
"Render up your offerings of blood to your Lord. Drench my consort's chamber. Slake his cocoon's thirst. His awakening shall herald the dawn of our dynasty."
The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring explains many details about Miquella the Kind, some of which even predate the events of the base game.
And while the Bloodboon ritual may be the Tarnished's key to opening the way to the Land of Shadow, it appears the Bloodfiends' bond with the mother of truth is even greater than Mohg's - at least based on how much control these enemies exhibit over their Bloodboon spells. Some fan theories (like that from YouTuber Square Table Gaming seen above) suggest the Bloodfiends are in fact fallen Hornsent, or that they were a sect of the demi-human tribes. Overall, there is no single interpretation of the above details that can fully account for the Bloodfiends' background, or exactly what happened to the tribe they once belonged to prior to the events of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.
Elden Ring is a popular game released by From Software, creators of games such as Armored Core, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne. Players assume the role of a Tarnished, a being once exiled to the Lands Between and has returned to repair the Elden Ring after the events of "The Shattering." "The Shattering" occurred when the offspring of Queen Marika battled to claim the shards of the Elden Ring, known as Great Runes. Their war has brought lawlessness, destruction, and chaos to the land, and the player will challenge them with the assistance of a Maiden known as Melina as they travel towards the great Erd Tree to face their destiny and to become the one true Elden Lord. Players can tackle the game how they choose and can adventure across realms as they build their character how they want - be it a powerful magic caster or a brutal swordsman - they will have complete control over their build.
Platform(s) PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released February 25, 2022
Developer(s) From Software
Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Entertainment , From Software
Multiplayer Online Co-Op , Online Multiplayer
Engine Proprietary
ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Custom image by Katarina Cimbaljevic
Bloodboon
Sacred Bloody Flesh
Bloodboon Ritual
Mohgwyn's Sacred Spear
Bloodfiend's Sacred Spear
Bloodfiend Hexer's Ashes
Bloodfiend's Arm
Bloodfiend's Fork
Lord of Blood's Exultation
Outer God Heirloom
Remembrance of the Blood Lord
Mohg, Lord of Blood
Chief Bloodfiend
Sanguine Amaryllis
Esgar, Priest of Blood
Mohg's Great Rune
Purifying Crystal Tear
Eleonora, Violet Bloody Finger
Regal Omen Bairn
Remembrance of the Omen King
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