How to read NPC messages, maps, notes and missives in Elden Ring
Shadow of the Erdtree gives you plenty of notes and maps as clues, but it can be unclear where to read them!
With a game like Elden Ring, even the simple stuff can have an esoteric edge. Messages are at the heart of Elden Ring’s asynchronous multiplayer, but NPC characters can leave you messages, missives and maps of their own.
However, they can be confusing to track down within the jumble that is an RPG inventory where you’re allowed to pick up every single item without a weight limit. Everybody hates being over-encumbered, but they also hate rifling through an entire notes screen to find one message!
How to read notes in Elden Ring
To read the notes you find throughout the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, such as the Message from Leda, the Monk’s Missive and Tower of Shadow Message, go into your inventory and navigate to the final tab, called “Info”. The icon looks like a crumpled piece of paper next to a scroll, and it’s next to Talismans at the end of your Inventory menu.
From there, go down, and the DLC messages should be in the second part of the menu, between the notes and pictures from the base game and tutorial messages. Once you find the one you want to read, press either Square on a PlayStation controller or X on an Xbox controller to examine the contents of the message.
It’s really easy to lose track of these messages, and even pick them out in the menu when you do know where to look. Many of them, like the Monk’s Missive from Dryleaf Dane, contain vital information for finding important items, characters, quests and lore throughout your adventure, so reading them will only enhance your experience.
What’s more these messages appear very rarely throughout the base game of Elden Ring too, so you will likely have only ever used it for painting locations, although they’re completely optional and very easy to miss too!