Let me tell you, fellow Tarnished, navigating the Lands Between without a map is like trying to find a clean pair of socks in Caelid—impossible and likely to end with you screaming. When I first stumbled out into Limgrave, that blank parchment in my inventory mocked me more than any Tree Sentinel ever could. But I, a determined (and slightly masochistic) adventurer, made it my life's mission to find every single one of those elusive map fragments. And with the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC expanding the world in 2024, the hunt got even more gloriously insane! This isn't just a guide; this is the saga of my cartographic obsession.
I quickly learned the golden rule: find the stele, find the fragment. Those towering stone pillars, usually on a main road, are your beacons in the fog. The fragment itself is a glowing, golden scroll lying innocently at its base. Picking it up doesn't just fill in the map; it feels like a divine revelation, peeling back the literal fog of war to reveal the terrifying, beautiful landscape you're about to get murdered in. The base game alone offered a staggering array of regions to uncover, each fragment a key to a new kingdom of pain.
My journey began in the familiar, yet still deadly, lands of Limgrave. I snagged the West and East fragments, charting everything from the First Step to the gates of Stormveil. The Weeping Peninsula fragment south of the Bridge of Sacrifice was a somber but crucial early grab. Then came Liurnia of the Lakes—oh, the lakes! This region needed three fragments (North, East, and West) to fully comprehend its watery, sorcery-filled expanse. I remember swimming past giant crabs, dodging sorcerers, all for the sweet satisfaction of a fully revealed map.
The real challenges started piling up. Caelid' map fragment sits right by the Rot-viewing balcony, a fitting introduction to that scarlet hellscape. Altus Plateau felt like a reward for surviving the Grand Lift of Dectus. But Mt. Gelmir? Finding that fragment meant navigating a literal volcano field guarded by man-serpents and falling magma. My palms were sweater than the Consecrated Snowfield by the time I got it!
And let's not forget the underground! The Siofra River and Ainsel River maps revealed stunning, starlit caverns that took my breath away (before the Ancestor Spirits tried to take my life). Deeproot Depths and the Lake of Rot maps were trophies from journeys I still have nightmares about. The Leyndell and Mohgwyn Palace fragments felt like keys to the kingdom's darkest secrets.
Just when I thought my collection was complete, the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC dropped and introduced the mysterious Land of Shadow. A whole new set of fragments to hunt! The core of this new realm was unveiled by finding:
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Map: Gravesite Plain – The starting point, deceptively calm.
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Map: Southern Shore – Charting the coast of this new nightmare.
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Map: Scadu Altus – The vast upper plains, brimming with danger.
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Map: Rauh Ruins – An ancient, broken region.
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Map: Abyss – Because what's a FromSoftware game without an abyss?
But the DLC also added a new layer of treasure hunting with special maps. The Cross Map and New Cross Map weren't for geography—they were treasure huntin' guides, marked with locations of golden crosses hiding loot! Even wilder were the Ruins Map, Ruins Map (2nd), and Ruins Map (3rd), each pointing to a specific "hallowed ruin." Finding these maps and then deciphering their clues to locate the actual treasure was a puzzle-lover's dream (or headache).
So, what's the complete list of my hard-earned trophies? Behold, the fruits of my suffering:
| Region / Map Name | Where It Unlocks | My Personal Difficulty Rating 😅 |
|---|---|---|
| Limgrave (West & East) | The starting lands | ⭐☆☆☆☆ (But the Tree Sentinel nearby is ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐) |
| Weeping Peninsula | The sad southern tip | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ |
| Liurnia (North, East, West) | The massive lake region | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (So much water!) |
| Caelid | The scarlet rot kingdom | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (The ambiance is the real enemy) |
| Dragonbarrow | Northern Caelid's deadly plateau | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Hello, giant sleeping dragon!) |
| Altus Plateau | The golden royal plains | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ |
| Mt. Gelmir | The volcanic manor region | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (Lava. Everywhere.) |
| Leyndell, Royal Capital | The Erdtree capital | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (Getting there is the hard part) |
| Mountaintops of the Giants (East & West) | The frozen endgame peaks | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (Bears. Giant birds. Need I say more?) |
| Consecrated Snowfield | The hidden frozen waste | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Invisible assassins. I rest my case.) |
| Siofra River | The gorgeous underground river | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ |
| Ainsel River | The other gorgeous underground river | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ |
| Deeproot Depths | Roots of the Erdtree | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ |
| Lake of Rot | Exactly what it sounds like | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Scarlet Rot build-up trauma) |
| Mohgwyn Palace | The blood lord's home | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (A secret worth finding) |
| DLC: Gravesite Plain | Land of Shadow starting area | ⭐⭐☆☆☆ |
| DLC: Southern Shore | Coastal Land of Shadow | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ |
| DLC: Scadu Altus | Upper Land of Shadow | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ |
| DLC: Rauh Ruins | Ancient ruins region | ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ |
| DLC: Abyss | Eastern Land of Shadow chasm | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Special: Cross Maps & Ruins Maps | Treasure locations! | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (The puzzle is the fun part) |
Two years later, in 2026, looking at my fully revealed map is a testament to my journey. Each fragment is a memory: a boss defeated, a cliff I fell off, a terrifying new enemy spotted in the now-visible distance. They are more than navigation tools; they are badges of honor. So, go forth, Tarnished! Seek every stele, brave every biome, and fill that map. Because in the Lands Between, knowledge isn't just power—it's the difference between wandering lost in a poison swamp and knowing exactly which poison swamp you're about to die in. And trust me, that makes all the difference. The journey to uncover every corner of this world, from the lowest river to the highest mountaintop and into the shadow itself, is the true Elden Ring experience. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I see an uncharted corner in the Abyss... wish me luck! 🗺️⚔️