Shadow of the Erdtree surpasses all our expectations when it comes to difficulty. This expansion is ridiculously hard – but it also surpasses all our expectations when it comes to straight-up weirdness. The new Realm of Shadow map is packed with some of the most bizarre stuff we’ve ever seen in a Dark Souls game – and some of it is extremely secret. We’re going to guide you through some of the best oddball objects, items, weapons and armor pieces we’ve found in the DLC. From strange, severed heads, to transforming key items, to swords that change shape to ridiculously elaborate secret paths, these are the best weird things we’ve found in Shadow of the Erdtree. And if you found them all on your own, you deserve a medal.
And the first weapon on our list is one of the weirdest. One sword is actually three swords – the Stone-Sheathed Sword is something truly out-there.
#10 Stone-Sheathed Sword
Where do we even begin with the Stone-Sheathed Sword. This one of two weapons in Shadow of the Erdtree that’s so unique, there’s very little to compare it to. It isn’t the best weapon in the DLC, but it is incredibly special. The Stone-Sheathed Sword isn’t just one weapon. It’s three weapons.
After finding the Stone-Sheathed Sword, you’ll probably wonder why you had to go to so much work just to collect a pretty basic weapon. The sword is literally locked inside a stone-sheathe, making more of a blunt baton than an actual sword. Even the skill is pretty lame. You’ll get a default stance. That’s it. But finding it was so difficult! There’s a good reason this weapon is so hard to find. Depending on where you find it, you’ll also unlock two more stone altars that will transform it into the Sword of Light or Sword of Darkness. There are actually three hidden locations with the Stone-Sheathed Sword, and finding it at one location will turn the other two locations into altars. Using the altars allows you to transform the sword into the Sword of Light or Darkness, and you can freely swap between both swords whenever you like.
The trouble is finding the swords at all. The altars are located in the Fog Rift Catacombs, the Ruins of Unte, or on a tall tower in the Ancient Ruins of Rauh. Finding each sword location is absolutely ridiculous. So ridiculous, we’ll explain very quickly. Starting with the ruins.
At the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, which is only available through an illusory wall and a coffin ride from the Shadow Keep, you’ll need to throw a Hefty Furnace Pot into the disabled Furnace Golem to bring it to lift and actually enter the ruined fortress. One of the Stone-Sheathed altars is inside. That’s actually one of the easiest locations.
The next we found was in the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.Using a spiritspring, you can reach a broken bridge leading to a tall tower. Or at last, the broken bridge once led to the tower platform. Trying to walk across, you’ll learn that the bridge is totally invisible. You can walk right across the broken section and collect the second altar spot.
Finally, you can get an absurdly well-hidden altar in the Fog Rift Catacombs. When you reach the second area, you’ll enter a long room with spike traps that drop down. At the end of the room there’s a wizard guarded by gargoyles. You’ll need to duck into the side-rooms and reach that wizard. Defeat him and stand on his platform to spot a tiny alcove in the nearest falling spike trap. Ride it up, then drop onto the top of the spike traps. Cross them and you’ll reach an altar that’s almost unbelievable anyone ever found this thing.
And these altars change depending on what order you use them in. The Sword of Light and the Sword of Darkness each have a different special skill – the Sword of Light generates a shotgun blast of magic that cuts through everything in front of you, while the Sword of Darkness generates death smoke in a circle around your character. We’re going to say the Sword of Light seems like the better deal, but both are fun little swords that are worth experimenting with. And while these swords are ridiculously hard to get, there’s at least a tiny fraction of a possibility that normal players might find one or two of these locations. If you found the next item on our list, you really ought to buy a lottery ticket.
#9 Aged One’s Exultation Talisman
Who would even try to get the Aged One’s Exultation Talisman? One of the most broken Talismans in Elden Ring is also its most hidden – and for a very good reason. You need to defeat enemies that seemingly can’t be defeated. You need to kill the weird things that look like Winter’s Lantern monsters from Bloodborne. The bulbous-headed stalkers in the Abyssal Woods can be destroyed, but only in one very specific way.
Let’s back up. The Aged Ones are hunched, killer monstrosities that’ll drive you mad by looking at you. They glow with golden fire and kill you in a single swing of their stick. These enemies are exclusive to the hidden Abyssal Woods region. This spooky forest is populated only by enemies infected by frenzied flame, and the Aged Ones are the most dangerous. Multiple messages from the developers warn you to hide, sneak, and don’t try to fight these creatures. And they’re mostly correct. You can’t attack them normally. You can’t even perform sneak attacks. There’s only one way to damage them.
Instead of fighting, you need to parry. By performing a perfectly-timed shield parry – right when the monsters try to use their instakill attack – your Tarnished can briefly make the unkillable enemies vulnerable. The timing is very weird, but if you manage to deflect their strike, you can then actually attack them the normal way. They’ll be damaged by regular attacks. And destroying them drops one of the rarest items in the game.
The Aged One’s Exultation increases attack power when worn around anything that’s affected by madness in the vicinity. That thing includes you. One of the best strategies for becoming incredibly powerful is by infecting yourself with madness while wearing this talisman – you’ll do more damage, and that damage increases exponentially. Some players are using this combo to beat the toughest bosses instantly. Get it for yourself and report back. Let us know how it works.
#8 Roar of Rugalea
One of the silliest spells in Shadow of the Erdtree – unlike the previous entries on our list, there’s not a lot to say about this one. It’s just a hilarious twist on an old classic. Unlike all the scaly heads you can summon with Dragon Communion, the ‘Bear Communion’ spell is much fuzzier. You’ll find it by defeating the field boss Rugalea the Great Red Bear.The boss is located up the watery path and through the ravine in Rauh Base, and defeating the bear gives you its big shout. Just look at this shout. You gain a bear head!
And you can become even more like a Rune Bear if you really want to. Near the Rugalea fight in the same section of the map, you can unlock an optional spiritspring and fight the Red Bear boss – an NPC with a full set of Red Bear armor and weapons. This special guy even drops a pair of bear mittens you can wear to imitate a bear fighting style. You’ll crawl around on all fours, swiping those claws and pouncing around the environment while wearing a full bear pelt. Reach into your inner bear and enjoy releasing the beast.
#7 Greatjar Helmet
The best hat is also the biggest. If you’re more of a jar guy than a bear guy, you’ll want to grab this oversized headgear. The bulbous hat that’ll make you feel like your old friend Alexander from the base game is hidden in Bonny Gaol, near Bonny Village.Follow the discarded cages to locate the entrance and try to ignore the horrifying half-formed blobs of meat emerging from the jars inside. If you want to get your own Greatjar Helmet, reach the bottom floor before the boss. After dropping through the crumbling stars, you’ll need to navigate a storehouse packed with jars. After that, you’ll need to jump a crevasse and encounter multiple meat men.
This is where you’ll find a secret path. Drop down onto a hanging jar to the right of the tiny gap you just jumped and you’ll ride up to a short series of platforms. Jump across and you’ll be able to access a gigantic jar altar. That’s where the Greatjar Helmet can be found – and we can proudly say that this is one of the items we did find. It’s one of our absolute favorites. Not a whole lot to say about it. Just look at this thing. It’s so adorable.
#6 Lamenter’s Mask
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a gross naked monster with horns? No? Well, you can do it anyway in Shadow of the Erdtree. One of the weirdest items we’ve found so far, the Lamenter’s Mask is a consumable key item you can use to transform into something called a Lamenter. Why? I can’t answer that. I’m just telling you the facts.
Found in the Lamenter’s Gaol, the mask drops from the Lamenter – the boss at the end of the dungeon. The item isn’t a mask. Instead, you’ll need to equip it like a consumable. The tool can be used from your quick item bar, but it doesn’t work unless you’re totally naked. Yes, really. And it isn’t the only tool that works like this. Once you’re naked, you can use the mask to turn into one of these guys and get your Arcane boosted by eight. That’s seemingly the only benefit.
No, there’s actually one other benefit. You can use your big horned head like a battering ram, making the head swell in size on command. After transforming, you’ll be stuck in Lamenter form until death – and using the mask again makes your head real big. I have so many questions about the Lamenter’s Mask. Someone point me to a four hour lore video so I can learn why any of this is a thing.
#5 Gazing Finger
I had to limit myself to just one boss weapon in Shadow of the Erdtree. Not an easy task when there are giant molted sunflowers you can use like hammers. Our favorite of the bunch has to be the Gazing Finger – which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a giant finger with a beady eye on the tip, matching the extremely strange face of Metyr, Mother of Fingers. To get this weapon, you’ll need to defeat Metyr by completing Ymir’s quest found in the giant cathedral to the southeast of the Shadow Tower. It’s a long quest that forces you to visit multiple secret areas, but it all culminates in an epic battle against an outer god.
Defeating the Mother of Fingers lets you use its actual head as a weapon. And this weapon has personality. The weapon skill forces the Mother of Fingers to violently bow – and the more you bow, the more resentment builds in the former god-like being. The more resentment you build, the bigger the magical boom that follows. This is a weapon that gets angry at you for using its skill. That’s so strange we had to put it on the list. Look at this weird thumb monster! It’s literally shaking with anger.
#4 Divine Beast Head
Some items are weird because of what they can do for you. The Divine Beast Head helmet drops from the Divine Beast Dancing Lion boss fight in Belarut, Tower Settlement. This is a totally optional boss – and one of the hardest bosses in the expansion, but you can get another little reward if you wear it.
In the same Tower Settlement area, you’ll find a key. Using the key, you can access a locked room near the Prayer Room Site of Grace. This seemingly pointless room has an old lady – the same old lady that brings the Divine Beast to life and calls for aid. If you wear the Divine Beast Head mask and talk to her, you’ll get unique dialogue. Even better, you’ll get her unique Watchful Spirit Spell. This spell summons a skull that works a little like a turret. It stays over your head for a good amount of time, shooting projectiles – she’ll even use the spell if you try to attack her.
The mask itself is fun, but how you use it is what makes it really special.
#3 Priestess Heart
Now this is more like it. There are two tools in Shadow of the Erdtree that transform your character into another creature, and the Priestess Heart is obviously the better item. Using the Priestess Heart transforms you into a humanoid Ancient Dragon – just like the Dragon Priestess you encounter at the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion.
To get the Priestess Heart tool, you’ll need to defeat Bayle the Dread in the Jagged Peak area nearby. The dragon is another one of the hardest bosses in the expansion, but you can make the fight much easier by using ranged weapons and aiming for the dragon’s face. Defeat the dragon, then return to the Grand Altar to find that the Dragon Priestess has disappeared. She’ll leave behind the Priestess Heart.
Like the Lamenter’s Mask, you’ll need to remove all clothing items and then use the heart like a consumable from your menu. You’ll transform into a scaly Dragon Person with a 20% buff to all Dragon Incantations. They’ll deal more damage, which stacks with your other abilities – if you really love those Dragon Incantations you can earn from the Lands Between, you’ll absolutely want to grab the Priestess Heart. Even if you have to be naked to get that buff.
#2 Miquella’s Great Rune
One of the strangest items in Shadow of the Erdtree is locked behind yet another optional boss – and even after getting it, it took us a very long time to realize what it actually does. The only new Great Rune you can acquire in the expansion is Miquella’s Great Rune – and you’ll get it from a completely different boss. Miquella has discarded his Great Rune, thrown it away, and you can go get it for a very special buff that’s only useful for a single fight.
The Great Rune is dropped by the Scadutree Avatar boss, which can only be accessed through the Shadow Tower – Church District area. After draining the flooded water, you’ll want to explore the sunken church and look for a path leading further down. Far below, you’ll reach a plot of land that’s close to the base of the massive Scadutree in the far distance. This is the Scadutree Avatar’s arena. One defeat isn’t enough. Defeat it three times in a row to defeat it and collect the Great Rune.
The description isn’t very helpful. What does the Great Rune actually do? During the fight against the last boss of the DLC, during the second phase, Miquella can charm you when his consort performs a grapple attack. This attack doesn’t seem to do anything except apply a glowing symbol to your character. Getting grabbed again will defeat you instantly, turning your mind to Miquella and showing a unique message – “Heart Stolen”. Using the Great Rune after the first grab removes the status effect, and the rune can be used as many times as you need during the boss fight. While the item isn’t useful anywhere else, it is incredibly useful for beating down the final boss.
And the last weapon on the list is both weird and incredibly secret. You’ll need to reach the final location in the DLC, so there’s a few more spoilers ahead if you haven’t reached the end. Let’s get the Euporia Twinblade.
#1 Euporia Twinblade
The most hidden weapon in Elden Ring is located in Enir-Ilim, the golden tower leading to the final boss of the expansion. Unlike any other secret area I can think of, you’ll need to drop down from the final Legacy Dungeon and eventually reach a different secret area in the Belarut Legacy Dungeon – all connected and all on a path most players would never even attempt.
Starting at the Spiral Rise Site of Grace backtrack down the grand stairs and onto the platform with the immobile wizard – go left and down more stairs, through the hallway and onto a ruined balcony. Far below the destroyed floor there’s another section of broken stairs you can drop down onto. Do it and move up to the gazebo-like structure for a view of a giant wall. You’ll need to jump to the tiny ledge of the massive wall, navigate down carefully, then jump to another tower. From this tower, you can fall to more stairs and make a running jump through an open window. Inside the small interior room, leave to encounter a giant Scorpion-Spider and you’ll have two directions to explore. The path to the right leads to a giant lift that takes you further down to Belarut, Tower Settlement. That’s the path we want to follow.
Down the lift, exit through the open doorway and sprint down the stairs. A difficult Divine Beast enemy is guarding the path down. Ignore him – run straight past if you don’t want to fight, enter the room and go down the stairs to another lift. Ride down and cross the bridge to a closed door. Open the door and you’ll find the Euporia. That’s a lot of work for any weapon, but this weapon is special.
By attacking enemies, the Euporia gains more golden glow. The brighter your Euporia glows, the more powerful your weapon skill will become. The Euporia has an exclusive skill that unleashes a barrage of holy magic. Charging the weapon also causes it to deal 5% more damage per hit, but the effect will eventually dissipate if you don’t keep up the momentum. All these factors make the Euporia one of the weirdest weapons in Shadow of the Erdtree – it’s hard-to-find and has functions you won’t find on any other weapon. Even if you don’t want to use the Euporia, you owe it to yourself to collect it before dropping Elden Ring.
And those are the ten weirdest items we found in Shadow of the Erdtree. These aren’t the best items – we’ll make a separate list covering all those – but they are the strangest. Helmets that look funny, roaring bears and frustrated fingers are all some of our favorite discoveries in the expansion, and these strange secrets are what make games like Elden Ring so special.
