Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree "Somewhere a Great Rune has broken" explained
You may want an explanation of the "Somewhere a Great Rune has broken" message in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, as it's not obvious what changes.
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When approaching the Shadow Keep legacy dungeon in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, a high cracking sound can be heard followed by the message, "Somewhere a Great Rune has broken".
Souls games are famously opaque when it comes to the narrative and optional questlines, so it isn't immediately obvious what this means and what it affects.
What does "Somewhere a Great Rune has broken" mean?
When this message appears, the story essentially reaches a new checkpoint. If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that Miquella is sacrificing parts of himself around the map (marked by Miquella's Crosses) and at this point he sacrifices his Great Rune.
The message is also followed by another one: "And so too has a powerful charm". Both have big consequences and do two main things.
Firstly, the questlines of the various NPCs you've met around the map will change as they no longer fall under the powerful charm that manipulated their behaviour and brought them to the Land of Shadow.
It's worth going to speak to them if you're looking to see those through. If you go too far past this point, you can fail to progress some quests, so talk to them before you finish the Shadow Keep area.
Secondly, you'll be able to access the Stone Coffin Fissure dungeon at the bottom of the Cerulean Coast peninsula. If you visit this area before the message appears, you'll be met with an impassable yellow door.
This is an optional area, but you can face the Putrescent Knight boss here, along with an important NPC in the Thiollier questline - St. Trina.
You do have the option of ignoring this message completely and just continuing along the main story path, but you will miss out on some optional fights and equipment that are worth experiencing.
About The Author
Tarran Stockton
Tarran is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. He previously wrote reviews for his college newspaper before studying Media and Communication at university. His favourite genres include role-playing games, strategy games, and boomer shooters - along with anything indie. You can also find him in the pit at local hardcore shows.
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