DLC entrance requires Nokron?

[Greywander]

Apparently Miyazaki has said in an interview that it will be necessary to defeat Radahn in order to enter the DLC. I thought this was strange, since the DLC entrance is pretty clearly Miquella's cocoon in Mohgwyn Palace, which does not require beating Radahn to reach. Even if you don't do Varre's questline, you can still reach the Consecrated Snowfields without beating Radahn and take the warp gate to Mohgwyn. So I suspect that it's not as simple as reaching Miquella's cocoon, that a "key" of sorts will be required to "unlock" the DLC.

I was trying to think of why beating Radahn might be necessary, and the most obvious answer is that it's required to access Nokron. So I suspect that we need something from Nokron to reach the DLC. This could be an item, but it could also be an NPC. There's a line in the trailer saying to "touch the withered arm" which seems framed to imply Miquella is the one speaking, and yet the same voice also says they "won't be far behind". Which is odd because Miquella should already be in the Land of Shadows and in fact we are the ones following him. So I suspect this is actually a new NPC speaking, one that allows us to enter the DLC.

Any thoughts on how Nokron might be tied into accessing the DLC? If it's an NPC, is there a known reason why someone tied to Miquella might be hanging out in Nokron, and what sort of person they might be?

[Mikoto]

Did you seriously try to write multiple paragraphs over a DLC entrance requirement? Seriously? When the answer is so damn obvious it doesn't even need to be asked?

The horse.

[echo_ML]

I personally believe its not tied to nokron, but rather we need radahn to let go of the stars for something.
If i remember correctly the reason Ranni wanted us to kill radahn was to release her fate, so maybe doing so also releases miquella from his fate or something

[mpcgannon]

Originally posted by echo_ML:

I personally believe its not tied to nokron, but rather we need radahn to let go of the stars for something.
If i remember correctly the reason Ranni wanted us to kill radahn was to release her fate, so maybe doing so also releases miquella from his fate or something

Same brain!

[Greywander]

It's certainly possible, I just don't see at this point what the movement of the stars might have to do with the Land of Shadows or Miquella. Either way, they're going to have to add something new to the game, I would just expect it to be as low-impact as possible so as not to disrupt the base game experience. Adding a new NPC in Nokron wouldn't affect the base game much, while, say, having another star crash into the Lands Between and create another passage underground would be a rather significant change.

Actually... Mohgwyn Palace isn't too far from Nokron, so that alone is probably enough of a connection for someone or something to be added to Nokron that relates to the DLC. But also, another option is that Radahn might not be strictly required, but a third way of accessing Mohgwyn Palace might be getting added to the game, this time from Nokron. Or, Mohgwyn Palace is actually under Caelid, so if another star did fall...

Well, we'll find out when the DLC drops I suppose.

[Bonkers]

Originally posted by echo_ML:

I personally believe its not tied to nokron, but rather we need radahn to let go of the stars for something.
If i remember correctly the reason Ranni wanted us to kill radahn was to release her fate, so maybe doing so also releases miquella from his fate or something

That may be the reason Malenia fought him in the first place, too.

[Cipher Stormwolf]

You beat Mogh and touch the hand of Miquella, this is already confirmed.

[UnholyDentist]

It's a good thing they give some more depth to Mogh. He was just sitting in a remote realm, and doing or not doing anything with him had no impact.

[Urist Microcline]

Astrology is real in Elden Ring and many things can't happen while the stars are locked in place by Radahn. It isn't related to Nokron.

[Cipher Stormwolf]

Originally posted by Urist Microcline:

Astrology is real in Elden Ring and many things can't happen while the stars are locked in place by Radahn. It isn't related to Nokron.

True, you need to have him beaten as well.

[CazadorDeLobo]

On the underground: Defeating Radahn opens up the rest of the underground and allows you to complete the vast majority of content there. Nokron, Nokstella, Lake of Rot, Grand Cloister, upper Ainsel, and Deeproot Depths. Also, Astel, Naturalborn of the Void's boss room. You can finish Ranni's questline right out of the gate I believe, so everything along that quest chain should be considered.

I'd eliminate everything that has an alternative route to it outside of this questline.

It is very likely the DLC questline involves at least one character already existing in the main game. Think: What questlines move forward or change once Radahn is defeated, and only him specifically?

There's everyone who attends the festival and at that point can be met if you haven't met them yet(I am pretty sure), including the Finger Maiden lady, Blaidd, and Alexander. There's also Jerren, the Witch-Hunter who you meet here, thus enabling Sellen's questline to move forward after the festival.

Iji would gain new dialogue after this as well, pertaining to Blaidd. Ranni's questline wouldn't change until the Fingerslayer Blade. Seluvis has his own thing going on, and after the meteor falls, he no longer gives the player advice on how to get to Nokron iirc, ending the variables of his/Sellen's questline up to that point.

The Divine Tower at Caelid opens up now and a new boss duo appears at Radahn's castle, unless you do it before the festival.

So these are all the logical places I'd look, knowing Radahn is a requirement.

[Fineous🔥]

Originally posted by Greywander:

Apparently Miyazaki has said in an interview

No, he didnt mentioned Nokron or Radhan a single time in any of the interviews.

This is the only in-game interaction between Nokron and Mohgwyn dynasty grounds.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3120701800

Only the war surgeons (like Varre) and bloody fingers know about Mohg swamp of fun existence. Not even Gideon knew about it and he was EXTREMLY interested in Miquella whereabouts. Just complete the game again and keep GIdeon well informed if you want to be able to see the big picture.

[cybercybercybercyber4]

Originally posted by 𝕱𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖔𝖚𝖘🔥:

No, he didnt mentioned Nokron or Radhan a single time in any of the interviews.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Eldenring/comments/1awzsrq/full_translation_of_the_famitsu_interview_with/?rdt=39840

somewhere in the middle:




Famitsu: How is the area accessed?

Miyazaki: It is not connected to the main field, you will be teleported there.

The entrance is the cocoon, or the arm that dangles from it, found in the battle area with Mohg, Lord of Blood.

Also, in order to access this DLC, you will need to have defeated Mohg and Radahn.

[Fineous🔥]

Oh...a Reddit translation, thats just peachy. There is no mention at all in the IGN official interview but hey......im going to kill Radhan, i want his rune.

About the entrance being the coccon of the empyrean thats for sure but now if you think about it i can see Radhan as a requirement to avoid low RL characters straight to the DLC using Varre teleport...all speculations.

[cybercybercybercyber4]

Originally posted by 𝕱𝖎𝖓𝖊𝖔𝖚𝖘🔥:

Oh...a Reddit translation, thats just peachy. .

https://www.famitsu.com/news/202402/22335199.html

somewhere in the middle :

――そのエリアにはどのようにアクセスするのでしょうか？

宮崎本編のフィールドから地続きではなく、転送により向かうことになります。

　その入り口は“血の君主、モーグ”との戦いの舞台にあった、大きな割れた繭、あるいはそこから垂れる枯れた腕です。

　また、今回のDLCのフィールドに向かうためには“血の君主、モーグ”と“星砕きのラダーン”を倒している必要があります。

---

i dont have any interesting idea on why radahn needs to be defeated.

[Scuzz]

It can't require an object gained from beating Radahn because existing characters that are passed that point would be useless.