The latest FromSoftware title; Elden Ring features a massive open-world area filled to the brim with areas to discover, quests to complete, gear to find, and secrets to uncover.
The game features many secret areas that are too well hidden to be found naturally despite how much you explore and poke around.
To reach such areas, you require some sort of hint and guidance which you get through progressing through the questlines of various NPCs.
However, a lot of this can be permanently blocked off for you if you rush through the game and burn the Erdtree, which is necessary to complete the game.
This locks you out of most side quests that Elden Ring has to offer, so you must know what to do before burning Erdtree in Elden Ring?
What To Do Before Burning Erdtree in Elden Ring?
There are many dungeons, catacombs, hidden areas, challenges, etc for players in the world of Elden Ring.
However, there are also many areas hidden beneath the world. Some of these areas such as the Siofra River Bank can be accessed quite early on in the game as the Siofra River Well is located in the starting area; Limgrave.
But most of them are hidden so well that you can only stumble upon them by accident. Let’s take a look at them:
1. Nokron, Eternal City
When completing the quests for Ranni, you come across Nokron. Initially, to get to Nokron, you need to find The Deep Ansel Well located in the Mistwood forest in southern Limgrave.
This long elevator will take you to Nokron below. You will receive some equipment and face a boss, but Nokron’s other areas are still locked.
via PC Invasion
To access the other entrance to Nokron, you must defeat Radhan. As a result, a huge meteor will crash into Limgrave and decimate Mistwood, creating a gaping hole that will provide entry to the opposite part of Nokron.
You can find other bosses, items, and the powerful mimic-tear summoning spirit ash.
2. Subterranean Shunning-Grounds
The Subterranean Shunning-Grounds refers to the extensive sewer network area beneath Leyndell, The Royal Capital. This section is home to the powerful Omen foes and the boss Mohg the Omen, so take caution!
via LevelSkip
In addition, there are numerous catacombs to explore and a variety of unique gear and items to discover. Navigating this area’s maze of pipes and high platforms filled with monsters can be challenging and frustrating.
3. Deeproot Depths
Deeproot Depths is another underground location you should explore before burning the Erdtree. You must travel to the furthest reaches of Nokron until you find the Siofra Aquaducts in order to get to this place.
via Ginx Esports TV
Once you completely explore that area, you will get to fight the Twin Valiant Gargoyle bosses. After beating these bosses, you will find a coffin at the back of the giant boss arena. You will be carried up the waterfall and into the Deeproot Depths if you interact with the coffin and enter it.
This area will contain many powerful enemies and an optional boss called Lichdragon Fortissax.
4. The Consecrated Snowfield
This is the most expansive and well-hidden area in Elden Ring. To access this area, you need to complete the long quest of Latenna and the Albinauric Village in Liurnia Of The Lakes. Both halves of the Haligtree Secret Madallion are also required.
The Consecrated Snowfield contains many powerful enemies, on top of that, it is constantly snowing, which messes with the player’s vision.
via Gamerpillar
The northern portion of the region known as Ordina Liturgical Town is home to a city.
It is full of stealthy enemies that are undetectable. If you light up all the bonfires here, you can access Miquella’s Haligtree.
This is a sub-area of The Consecrated Snowfield; a large city built around the enormous Haligtree. At its base is a huge fortress where the hardest boss in all of Elden Ring; Malenia can be found.
5. Mohgwyn Palace
Another relatively well-hidden area you can visit is the Mohgwyn Palace. The Consecrated Snowfield also provides access to this region. A magic teleporter can be found on the western side of the area, and interacting with it will teleport you to the Mohgwyn Palace.
This area is set with a horror theme, with streams and large puddles of blood everywhere and cursed enemies that reside in the area. The famous “bird rune farm” is also located in this area.
via IGN
As you venture further into this area, you will come across an oversized temple-looking structure, which is also known as the Palace of Mohg, The Lord Of Blood.
Mohg is one of the hardest bosses in the game, he continuously drains your Hit Points during the fight, so face him only if you are ready and expect a challenging fight.
Other than hidden areas, many quests and items cannot be picked up due to some parts of the map (other than just the hidden areas) being blocked off after burning the Erdtree.
6. The Bolt Of Gransax
This weapon is located in Leyndell, The Royal Capital, right after the First Elden Lord Godfrey’s boss fight. You can see a large bolt lodged into the ball from the walkway overseeing Leyndell. You can jump down onto the bolt to see the glimmering item on its surface.
Upon picking it up, you will receive the Bolt of Gransax. This has a very unique and hands down the coolest ash of war in all of Elden Ring. The ash of war is called Ancient Lightning Spear.
via GameSpot
This allows the player to summon a large lightning bolt that can be thrown at enemies and deal massive damage.
Aside from its powerful ash of war, it is required if you are trying to pick up the platinum trophy for Elden Ring. If you beat Maliketh the Black Blade in Crumbling Farum Azula, the Royal Capital becomes the Ashen Capital. This change blocks off the area where Bolt of Gransax is located.
Quests To Finish
As expected, burning the Erdtree will also close the doors to many questlines. Here are some of the ones that can have a major impact on the game if missed.
1. Dung Eater
The Dung Eater can be found in the Round Table Hold at first. He will be in the form of a phantom in the room in front of the twin maiden husks.
To move on to the next phase of his quest, you must acquire a seedbed curse and show it to the Dung Eater. He will give you the sewer-gaol key in return. This key will be required to open the cell he is imprisoned in.
The cell is located deep underneath the Royal Capital in the subterranean Shunning-Ground.
You can open his cell and set him free. However, it should be stated that setting him free can prove problematic for other NPCs in the game.
via Games from Mars
If you visit the Round Table Hold after setting him free, you will find a message that he has left for the player, telling them to fight Dung Eater in the Outer Moat of Leyndell.
Once you go there, Dung Eater will invade you as a red phantom. Upon defeating him, the player will be rewarded with his weapon; The Sword Of Milos.
He will then return to the Round Table Hold where you can feed him five Seedbed Curses. By doing so, the player will finish his quest line and receive the Omen set of armor and the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse.
Once this Rune is acquired, defeating the final boss will trigger a unique ending.
2. Corhyn And Goldmask
The Erdtree’s burning is directly related to Corhyn’s quest. You can meet Corhyn early in the game, in the Round Table Hold. He stays there for most of the game and offers incantation for the player to buy.
Once you reach Altus Plateau, he will let you know he is going to look for the fabled Goldmask. He will allow you to access his incantation shop one more time, and then once you leave the Round Table Hold, he will leave.
Corhyn will then proceed to find Goldmask in Alus Plateau. After that, both Corhyn and Goldmask can be found in front of the Colosseum in Leyndell The Royal Capital.
via Game Skinny
Here, you will be given a puzzle to solve requiring the player to have at least 37 intelligence. Once this is completed, both NPCs will be moved to the Stargazing ruins.
This is also the only way to get both NPCs to be moved to the Ashen Capital later on. If the Erdtree is burnt earlier, they will not be present there.
Corhyn will give you his rewards from here. Goldmask will grant the player the Mending Rune Of Perfect Order.
This rune, just like the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse given by Dung Eater, triggers a unique ending sequence after the final boss.
Conclusion
This article is filled with secrets and hidden areas from which the player will be locked if the player chooses to burn the Erdtree early.
Rushing the game, especially during your first playthrough would lead to missing a lot of the amazing content.
Elden Ring players are looking for a challenge, whether it be bosses like Mohg and Malenia or areas like the Labrythn in the sewers.
Missing out on these would be quite disappointing unless, of course, you are speedrunning.
The secrets and hidden areas are an integral part of what makes this game truly worth winning the GoY award.
It would be quite a shame if you missed it all because you just did not know how much the world of Elden Ring will change once you commit the Cardinal sin.
Hopefully, now you know what to do before burning Erdtree in Elden Ring. Stay tuned for more informative and interesting guides.
