FromSoftware is known for adding seemingly useless items or locations to its games to get fans speculating about the lore, and Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC is no different.
But there is one particular place that leaves fans baffled: the Scadutree Chalice.
This is a named location found after defeating a certain boss, but it doesn’t seem to serve any purpose. What could it be? Spoilers follow.
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The Scadutree Chalice is located in an area behind the Shadow Fortress. Players must first defeat Commander Gaius – he’s the armored boss on a boar who reminds me a bit of the Orc in Twilight Princess.
Players can then wander into a new area that leads to an archway and a chasm overlooking the Scadutree that dominates the skyline. Here, players will find a giant unlit stone chalice with five fragments scattered around.
On a basic level, these fragments are incredibly useful, as they serve to improve the player’s Shadow Blessing. But finding five of them in one place? That’s definitely unusual.
So what is it for? My first thought was that this would be the place to use Messmer’s Kindling, but I soon found another use for it.
My own vague theory is that the chalice is connected to the Scadutree fragments. That’s obvious given the name and the fact that it overlooks the tree. But is this where fragments are formed or their power distilled? Or were fragments used here in some kind of ritual, which is why so many are scattered nearby?
The item description of the fragments reads: “A splinter of the Scadu Tree, containing a golden glow… It is said that if the Scadu Tree crumbles from its core, it will spread throughout the Shadow Realm. The people of the Earth Tree collect the splinters and use them in prayer.” Does this prayer only apply to Places of Grace or also to this chalice?
Eurogamer’s Katharine Castle has also been doing some research, trying out different poses or wearing Gaius’ armor since the nearby Albinauric drops his greaves, but so far to no avail.
Players on Reddit have also speculated following a post by XSidsgothemX. They suspect it might have something to do with the Albinaurics, hence the hut nearby, perhaps a clue to how they are made or that their blood is needed?
“It’s just not useless. I hope there is a secret quest we haven’t discovered yet that allows interaction with the Scadutree,” reads one response.
Others have tried to light the chalice with different pots, but to no avail.
Another user, Rockerode, suggests that the Chalice could also be connected to the Suppression Tower – this one is in the first area but has no other purpose than to house a chest inside. “I think between the Scadutree Chalice, the Suppression Tower, and the trailer showing a scene none of us have unlocked, there’s something going on here,” they suggest, perhaps connected to some sort of quest that requires you to perform a ritual and cleanse the Scadutree. Is there a secret ending somewhere that has yet to be found?
Or maybe, just maybe, the chalice has no other purpose than these five fragments. And that is surely reward enough.
Do you have any theories about what the Scadutree Chalice stands for or represents?
Scadutree Fragments are an essential part of the Shadow of the Earthtree DLC and are the primary method of character progression. A new patch for the game was released today that rebalances the scaling of their blessings.