Miquella is missing in the base version of Elden Ring, but his shadow looms large throughout the Lands Between. You hear whispers of the fair-headed demi-god everywhere, from the wilting lilies lining Elden Ring’s golden path, to history attached to iconic pieces of gear. Malenia calls Miquella the most “fearsome” Empyrean of them all, a description that seems unthinkable after most players barely survive the rot goddess to begin with.
Shadow of the Erdtree lets us catch up to the Miquella of myth – and in doing so, we realize nearly everything we believed to be true is wrong. Though we never meet Miquella in Elden Ring, his influence is omnipresent. Outcasts and undesirables all seek the Haligtree, a location that houses Miquella’s attempt to create a fairer version of the Golden Order.
An entire faction in the game is dedicated to Miquella’s scheme to revive his older brother Godwyn through a ritual involving an eclipse. When we explore Mohg’s palace, we discover that the horned Omen has stolen Miquella’s body in the name of communing with a bloodthirsty outer god. Through bits and pieces, we also learn that Malenia is only alive because of Miquella, who fashioned a needle that stops his sister’s rot disease from spreading further.
Then there are rumors of a merciful holy one named Saint Trina, a deity that saves people from suffering by offering them an intoxicating deep sleep. While never confirmed by the initial game, Trina and her dedication to the dam.
