Where Elden Ring’s Traveling Merchants Came From

Elden Ring‘s traveling merchants have a mysterious background that hints at them having a deeper story than just being mere NPC salespeople. Not only do they seem to be foreign nomads in the Lands Between, but their native land could potentially be a leeway into future Elden Ring DLC coliseums areas. To understand the background of these merchants better, players have to speak with Kale and the others scattered through the different regions of the map.

The Nomadic Merchants, as they’re referred to on Elden Ring‘s map, are much like any typical merchant or shopkeeper that can be found in an RPG. They sell goods such as ingredients for crafting, quest clues, weapons, ammunition, armor sets, and other various items that help players along the adventure to become Elden Lord. Usually (but not always), nomad merchants are posted next to sites of grace that serve as checkpoints along the path to Elden Ring‘s tough demigods. Merchant Kale, who is the first nomad that the Tarnished protagonist encounters at the Church of Elleh in Limgrave, provides some in-depth information about his people’s purpose in the Lands Between. It’s from his words that further speculation can begin to be drawn about the nomads’ origins.

Although the exact whereabouts are unknown, nomad merchant Kale seems to infer through dialogue that his people originated from a realm outside the Lands Between. This piece of information is especially intriguing because not much indication about other potential lands is mentioned during Elden Ring‘s story quests. If FromSoftware has furthered development plans for the game, it just might take place in the native home of these merchants, outside of Queen Marika’s rule in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring’s Nomadic Merchants Are Similar To Tarnished Exiles

Elden Ring‘s nomad merchants are a group of people who travel all around the Lands Between with no distinct home, and each has a unique shop that sells specific armor sets, weapons, and items. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t originate from somewhere. At one point Kale mentions, “My people, wanderers all, have long been spurred by the grace of gold,” which seems to indicate they’re travelers from a realm outside the Lands Between, like Skyrim‘s Khajiit race. Kale also mentions that they’re similar to the Tarnished, in that the Erdtree gives them no blessings, further indicating they are not native to the realm. Since Elden Ring‘s Tarnished are exiles, that might mean the nomad merchants are too, and that fact alone would most certainly make them come from somewhere outside of Queen Marika’s dominion, even if they were once natives of the Lands Between.

With the recent community discussion about the potential for future Elden Ring DLC or a sequel, it would be nice to see further developments on land outside of the current realm. Perhaps a take on where the nomadic merchants came from before they migrated to the Lands Between would be interesting, as it would further flesh out the mythos developed by George R.R. Martin and FromSoftware. In any case, encountering one of Elden Ring‘s nomadic merchants always provides a bit of respite while exploring the map, making their decision to set up in perilous areas beneficial for those Tarnished looking to escape nearby enemies.

About The Author

Preston Pearl
(55 Articles Published)

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Preston Pearl is a contributing writer based out of the US. He publishes work for the Game Features sector of Screen Rant.

While being a Secondary English education major at Kentucky State University and educator in Frankfort, KY; he also spends time writing fictional short stories, gaming, weight lifting, and — most importantly — enjoying time with friends and family.

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