Elden Ring fans speculate about the purpose of the Scadutree Chalice in Shadow of the Erdtree

FromSoftware is well known for adding seemingly unnecessary items or locations into its games to get fans speculating about lore and Elden Ring DLC ​​Shadow of the Erdtree is no different.

But there is one particular place that leaves fans perplexed: the Scadutree Chalice.

This is a named location found after beating a specific boss, but it seems to serve no purpose. What could it be? Spoilers follow.

The Scadutree Chalice can be found in an area behind Shadow Keep. Players will first need to defeat Commander Gaius – he’s the armored boar-riding boss who reminds me a bit of that orc in Twilight Princess.

Next, players can wander through a new area that leads to an archway and precipice overlooking the Scadutree that dominates the skyline. Here, players will find a huge unlit stone chalice with five fragments scattered around it.

Now, at a basic level, these fragments are incredibly useful as they are used to improve the player’s Shadow Blessing. But finding five in one place? It’s really unusual.

So, what is it for ? My first thought was that this would be the perfect place to use Messmer’s kindling, but I quickly found a use for it elsewhere.

My own vague theory is that the chalice is linked to the Scadutree fragments. This is obvious given the name and the fact that it overlooks the tree. But is this where the fragments are formed or where their power is distilled? Or were fragments used here in some sort of ritual, hence so many fragments scattered nearby?

The item description for the fragments reads: “A shard of Scadutree that contains a golden sheen… It is said that when the Scadutree collapses from its core, it will scatter throughout the realm of shadow. The people of Erdtree collect the shards and use them in prayer. Is this prayer only on the Sites of Grace, or this chalice too?

Eurogamer’s Katharine Castle also investigated, testing several poses or wearing Gaius’ armor, given that the nearby Albinauric drops his greaves. But so far, it has all been for nothing.

Gamers on Reddit also speculated, following a post from XSidsgothemX. They suggest it might be related to Albinaurics, hence the nearby shack, perhaps hinting at how they are made, or that their blood is needed?

“There’s no point. I hope there’s a secret quest we haven’t discovered that allows you to interact with the Scadutree,” read one response.

Others tried to light the chalice with different pots, but without success.

Another user, Rockerode, suggests that the chalice could also be linked to the Tower of Suppression – this is found in the first area but serves no purpose beyond housing a chest. “I think between the Chalice of the Scadutree, the Suppression Tower, and the trailer showing a scene none of us have unlocked, there’s something going on here,” they offer, perhaps as a link with some sort of quest to perform a ritual and cleanse the Scadutree. Is there still a secret ending somewhere to discover?

Or maybe, just maybe, the chalice has no use beyond these five fragments. And that’s certainly reward enough.

Do you have any theories on what the Scadutree Chalice is for or what it represents?

Scadutree Shards are an integral part of the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC as the primary method of character progression. Earlier today, a new patch for the game was released, rebalancing the scaling of their blessings.