Defeating Mohg, Lord of Blood, does not start anything on its own. He is the gateway boss to the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and the expansion’s entrance is Miquella’s cocoon in the Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum. To enter the Realm of Shadow, you need Mohg defeated, Starscourge Radahn defeated, and the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion installed on top of the Elden Ring base game. Only then does the arm hanging from the cocoon let you through.
What you need before the cocoon will open
Publisher and platform guides agree on the same access conditions. Mohg’s defeat is necessary but not sufficient. Check all four items before heading back to the Mausoleum:
- Mohg, Lord of Blood, defeated at the Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum.
- Starscourge Radahn defeated. Bandai Namco Europe’s guide, “Elden Ring – How to enter the Realm of Shadow” (published 21 June 2024), lists both bosses as mandatory. The same guide notes that the base game’s paths let you reach them in more than one order, so you do not need a particular route through the world.
- The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion downloaded and installed. PlayStation Blog’s guide, “Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: 5 spoiler-free tips” (20 June 2024), specifies that the expansion must be downloaded. It is not a separate standalone game.
- The Elden Ring base game. The expansion requires it, according to Bandai Namco’s official Elden Ring product page.
Entering the Realm of Shadow through Miquella’s cocoon
Once the prerequisites are met, the entry sequence is short:
- Travel to the Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum and go to Miquella’s cocoon.
- Interact with the arm hanging from the cocoon.
- Accept the transition into the Realm of Shadow. Your first arrival is the region’s entry point, not a Site of Grace.
If the interaction does nothing, the cause is almost always one of the prerequisites above rather than a bug. Work through the troubleshooting section below before assuming the game is broken.
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The realm has its own Sites of Grace, and these control how you move between regions. According to the Bandai Namco Europe guide, resting at a Site of Grace inside the Realm of Shadow unlocks map fast travel between that region and the Lands Between. Until you rest at one, you will be walking back to the cocoon for every trip.
Death works the same way. If you die before reaching a Site of Grace in the realm, return to the cocoon and interact with the arm again to re-enter. Plan your first trip with that in mind: an early death before the first Site of Grace costs you the walk back to the entry point.
Blessings in the Realm of Shadow
The expansion adds two blessing systems, and the publisher’s guide describes both as active in the region:
- Scadutree Blessings. These affect your attack power and damage negation. Scadutree Fragments are the material that powers them, and you apply them at a Site of Grace.
- Revered Spirit Ash Blessings. These are tied to Revered Spirit Ashes, which you also apply at a Site of Grace.
Collect Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes as you explore. Both systems are only usable once you are in the Realm of Shadow, so there is no benefit to hoarding them in the base game. The guide does not establish how many fragments or ashes you will find or what each one’s exact numerical bonus is.
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Troubleshooting: the cocoon won’t respond
- Radahn is still alive. Defeat Starscourge Radahn first, then return to the Mausoleum.
- The expansion is not installed. Confirm it is downloaded and installed on your platform. Owning the base game alone is not enough.
- You are at the wrong Mohg. Xbox Wire’s guide, “Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts for Unlocking Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC” (20 June 2024), warns that Mohg, the Omen, who appears in Leyndell’s sewers, is a different encounter from Mohg, Lord of Blood. Only the latter opens the cocoon. The table below separates them.
Mohg, Lord of Blood and Mohg, the Omen
Players often mix these two up because of the shared name. The table compares them on the points that matter for this progression question.
| Point | Mohg, Lord of Blood | Mohg, the Omen |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum | Leyndell’s sewers |
| Opens Miquella’s cocoon | Yes, when combined with Radahn’s defeat and the installed expansion | No; the guides do not connect this encounter to the cocoon |
| Source for the distinction | Bandai Namco Europe, 21 June 2024; Xbox Wire, 20 June 2024 | Xbox Wire, 20 June 2024 |
Base game: what changes if you skip the expansion
If you are not buying or installing Shadow of the Erdtree, defeating Mohg does not trigger a special main-story transition in the base game, according to the publisher and platform guides cited here. Keep following your current exploration and quest progress. Do not treat Mohg as the final boss of the base game on the strength of his importance to the expansion.
The guides also do not state what Mohg drops, what runes or Remembrance he awards, or whether his defeat changes any base-game quest flags. Treat any claim about those specifics as unverified unless you find it in an official source.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Editions and what you need to buy
Shadow of the Erdtree is sold on its own and in editions that include it. Bandai Namco’s official site states that the expansion requires the Elden Ring base game and lists the editions that contain it. Before you buy, check whether the listing on your platform includes the base game or only the expansion. Confirming this is the one step that can prevent a second purchase.
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Mohg’s defeat does not grant ownership of the expansion. Access to the Realm of Shadow requires the expansion to be installed.
Once you have the expansion and have defeated both bosses, the cocoon, the Sites of Grace and the blessing systems described above are the full path into the realm.
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