Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's NPCs are one of the few flaws in FromSoftware's RPG diamond

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Hornsent.

Shadow of the Erdtree guides

(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Erdtree map fragments: Uncover the Land of Shadow Scadutree fragments: How to level up in Erdtree
Erdtree bosses: A full hit list for the DLC
Leda quest: Track the Erdtree main quest
Ansbach quest: Help the former servant of Mohg
Hornsent quest: Complete the quest for vengeance

FromSoftware's unusual approach of NPCs and their accompanying quests is one of the most significant ways its games diverge from roleplaying tradition. These tragic characters talk in riddles and fragments, slowly spinning their poetic tales in a way that makes you work for every sentence. They are as enigmatic as the games in which they reside, eschewing the kind of verboseness and exposition normally so typical of their function.