Elden Ring’s massive DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree is here, and with it comes not just a new area but a whole new realm to explore. Just like The Lands Between from the base game, the Realm of Shadow comes with a map that can be used to help you traverse the open world or find your way back to the beaten path if you end up lost. This map isn’t available to you right from the start, however, as you will need to find Map Fragments that correspond to the different regions of the new world to reveal that section of the map.
This is much easier said than done. Yeah, sure, there is an icon in the empty spaces of the map to help steer you in the right direction towards these Fragments, but the increased verticality of the Realm of Shadow can make what seems like a simple journey into an arduous trek. Sometimes it might look like a Map Fragment is only a few feet away when in reality it’s miles below the surface from where you are standing. Throw in the hidden areas found behind several secret walls and optional quests and actually filling this map out can seem impossible. Luckily, it’s far from impossible and can be done rather easily with our help! So, allow us to show you how to find all 5 Map Fragment locations in Shadow of the Erdtree.
Map Fragment #1: Gravesite Plain
This is the first and easiest Map Fragment to acquire since it is for the very first area you enter when you arrive in the Realm of Shadow. After exiting the small cave that you spawn in after interacting with Miquella’s hand and starting the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, head to the northeast of the first Site of Grace and you should only encounter a single enemy called a Cursebblade on your way to the Fragment. This enemy isn’t a walk in the park and gives you your first taste of what the rest of the DLC has in store. When you either defeat this Curseblade or decide to run right past it, you will reach a dirt path and the Map Fragment for this starting area on the side of the road.
Map Fragment #2: Scadu Altus
This next map is another one that is easy to find once you reach the Scadu Altus region. The most direct path to this area is by going through Castle Ensis, the fortress in the northeast part of the Gravesite Plain. Once through this Legacy Dungeon, you will find yourself in the Scadu Altus with the Map Fragment only a short trip up the road. The only challenge with taking this direct path is you will be required to beat Rellana, Twin Moon Knight.
This boss fight has been a brick wall for many players and is the first massive hurdle that you will need to overcome on your path through the DLC. Luckily, there is a hidden path that will allow you to fully skip the Castle that Rellana resides over. So, if you decide to go through Castle Ensis and defeat Rellana, all you need to do from there is follow the dirt path from the exit of Castle Ensis to the Map Fragment icon on your unmarked map and you will find the item with no problem. If you want to avoid the Castle, we will show you where to find this secret entrance to the Altus and get the Map Fragment via said entrance.
Start at the Castle Front Site of Grace in front of Castle Ensis. From here, go to the southeast past a soldier camp, follow the path down until you reach a split in the path, and take the one on the left that leads down. Go through a small poison swamp until you reach a cliffside and find a pile of rocks that are emitting the air of a trapped Spirtspring. Go around the corner from this trapped Spiritspring to find another pile of rocks that you can destroy. Once you destroy this, the Spirtspring will be opened back at the first location and can now be used. Head up the cliff and use a second nearby Spiritspring to enter the back of the Fort of Reprimand. Head to the west out the front of the fort and take the dirt road to the north. You will pass some Ghostflame Dragons and multiple soldier camps. Just stay on the dirt road until you reach a 3-way intersection and this is where you will find the Map Fragment for the Scadu Altus.
Map Fragment #3: Rauh Ruins
While the first two Map Fragments are pretty straightforward to find, these other maps can be pretty difficult to track down. The Rauh Ruins region includes multiple different layers of the northwest part of the map. These areas include the Ancient Ruins of Rauh that are high up near the Shadow Keep and Rauh Base which is found far below the rest of the zone in the hidden area near and under the Temple Town Ruins. The map we are looking for is found just outside Temple Town and requires you to make your way through a cave found near a shallow lake in Scadu Atlus.
Go directly to the north of Moorth Ruins. Once in the cave follow the path to the left until you reach a Golden Tree. Then take a right to exit the small cave. You will reach a large, secluded swamp that you will need to cross. Stick along the left wall of this swamp until you exit the swamp and get the text for entering Rauh Base. You will find the Ancient Ruins Base Site of Grace nearby as well. From the Grace, it’s really a straight shot to the map, though you will face a few giant Golems along the way. Head southwest from the Site of Grace, fight or avoid the Golems, and stay on the path until you reach the Temple Town Ruins. At the entrance of the Ruins is where you will find this Map Fragment to fill out the entire left part of the map.
Map Fragment #4: Southern Shore
Ok, that last one was a bit of a hassle but now it’s time to head into the completely optional parts of the DLC. Sure, finding the map for the Rauh Ruins takes you to an optional zone that you could easily miss, but you will need to traverse the Ancient Ruins of Rauh eventually to complete the Shadow of the Erdtree’s story, map or no map. These last two areas are completely skippable and because of that, just reaching these regions is a massive undertaking. So, let’s make our way to the beautiful Cerulean Coast.
With how the map is interconnected, it is possible to take a few different paths to reach this area like starting in the Temple Town Ruins where we found our previous Map Fragment, and following the nearby river all the way down to the southeast, but there is another way there that can be done earlier and without having to complete Castle Ensis. Start outside the fortress at the Castle Front Site of Grace and go to the east. When you get past the small soldier camp, there is a cliffside to your left that you will want to follow until you reach a series of rock platforms that you will want to make your way down.
Once at the bottom and are in the poison swamp, look to the south, go past a Miranda Sprout flower enemy, and enter a small cave. Follow the cave until you reach the exit next to the Ellac River Cave Site of Grace. Once you pass the Grace and leave the cave, you will find a waterfall to your left with a series of rock pillars that you will need to jump across to find another waterfall. Follow the path on the left and keep following this stone path until you reach a third waterfall, at which point you will see the Ellac River Downstream Site of Grace. Go past the Grace and you will descend down the waterfall by jumping between some rocks and crossing a rock bridge. Once you are back on solid ground, head directly to the south until you reach a final waterfall where you can see a dead dragon in the distance. From here, go to the right and through a small cave to reach the Cerulean Coast.
Continue to travel directly south and into the water where you will face off against a Ghostflame Dragon. Feel free to fight this hulking enemy or just run right by it and continue to the south. Follow the dirt road right behind the dragon and you will find the Map Fragment for the Southern Shore of the Realm of Shadow.
Map Fragment #5: Abyss
The final Map Fragment is in the Abyssal Woods, buried deep beneath the rest of the realm and where the Frenzied Flame dwells. This area is far and away the most intricate and hard-to-find location in the entire game so prepare for an absolute journey. The first thing you must do is head to the Shadow Keep Legacy Dungeon in Scadu Altus. Make your way through the shadowy fort until you reach the area with several burning boats which can be found at the bottom of the elevator that takes you up to the Specimen Storehouse section of the castle if you have already been to this area, head to the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace and take the elevator down to the area below. Cross the bridge from the elevator and go to the left and along the left wall, you will find a ladder. At the bottom of this ladder, you will find a hidden area behind a waterfall that leads to another ladder. When at the bottom of this ladder, go to the right and attack an illusionary wall to reveal another secret passage. Follow this new path until you find a coffin that you can climb into. After a cutscene, you will find yourself in the lower level of the Scadu Altus.
Once outside the small cave that you arrive at via the coffin, keep heading to the southeast until you find the Recluses’ River Upstream Site of Grace. From here, go along the cliffside, jump to another cliff on the right when you are able to, and then stick to the right wall until you find the Recluses’ River Downstream Site of Grace. Go to the east of this Site of Grace to find several gravestones coming out of the wall that you are able to use to get down to the areas below the Grace. At the bottom of the first set of gravestones, you will be in a small cave with a waterfall at the southern-facing end. Near this waterfall is another series of gravestones. Use these to head down one more layer and then head to the south.
From here, go to the southern end of this cliff to find one final series of gravestones. Go to the bottom of these graves and stick along the wall that these gravestones are attached to. This will lead you to the entrance to the Darklight Catacombs, a dungeon that you must descend through to reach the Abyssal Woods. This dungeon is pitch black and requires you to descend multiple levels while looking for switches to turn the lights back on. Make sure you have a Torch or Lantern to help you navigate this labyrinth. Once you are all the way through this Catacomb, you will need to defeat Jori, Elder Inquisitor, who stands as the last obstacle between you and the Abyssal Woods.
Once you best Jori, head out of the combat arena and just keep heading south until you reach the Woodland Trail Site of Grace. The path to this Grace from the Jori arena is a straight line so this shouldn’t be hard to find. Once at the Grace, take the left path towards the southeast and just keep following this path until you reach the Abandoned Church. You will come across a few enemies and won’t be able to summon Torrent in this area, so it won’t be exactly a walk in the park. Just keep following this dirt road and you will find the Abyss Map Fragment right outside the Church and will complete the full map of the Realm of Shadow.
And with that, you now know where to find all 5 Map Fragments in the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. This new world has a lot of twists and turns so we were happy to provide you with any assistance you may have needed to fill out the new region’s map.
