‘Somewhere a great rune has been broken’, meaning in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree

By James On Jun 20, 2024

“A great rune has been broken somewhere” in Elden Ring‘S Shadow of the Erdtreeand with that too a powerful charm it came out. You may read these words and quickly forget them as you explore the Shadow Keep or the Scadu Atlus region, but at some point you wonder: where is it? What does it reveal? Should you be concerned?

What does ‘Somewhere a great rune is broken’ and ‘also has a powerful charm’ mean?

Images: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Johnny Yu

When you first get near the Shadow Keep, you’ll get two mysterious clues on the screen that read: “Somewhere a great rune has been broken” and “And so has a powerful charm.”

This is nothing to worry about if you want to continue exploring the Scadu Atlus region, as that means a new area on the map has been unlocked somewhere in the realm of shadow, and that the charm refers to something that happens to certain characters.

If you don’t mind spoilers, you can find the newly unlocked location here…

‘Broken great rune’ location in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

Miquella's emblem on a yellow barrier blocks the player from progressing in Elden Ring's DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree.

If you’ve visited the Cerulean Coast before exploring the Shadow Keep or venturing to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr, you’ve probably noticed a large hole in the southwestern part of the map. Drop down the ledges to find a yellow barrier with the symbol of Miquella. If you try to interact with the seal before the above prompt, this line will appear on your screen: “Sealed and hidden by Miquella.”

After the seal is brokenyou can return to the Stone Fissure to learn more about Miquella’s story in the Realm of Shadows. Without going into too much detail about what’s behind the broken seal, you can progress through a particular NPC’s questline and take on a powerful boss.

“And so does a powerful charm,” the meaning explained

Tri-split image of Leda, Thiollier and Sir Ansbach from Elden Ring's DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree.

Don’t forget that Leda and her allies have released a powerful charm! Jump around from NPC to NPC and discover that Miquella has seemingly charmed all of her followers. Everyone seems to be confused, wondering if they were right to follow Miquella and what to do next. The story of Miquella’s followers will change from now on based on your decisions, so be careful!

Looking for more Shadow of the Erdtree Guides? Check out our guides on new Elden Ring DLC weapons, armor, map fragments, places of mercy and talismans. We also have location guides on where to find Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes, and an interactive Elden Ring DLC map.