To burn the Sealing Tree in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, defeat Messmer the Impaler, obtain Messmer’s Kindling, travel through the Ancient Ruins of Rauh to the Church of the Bud, and defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud. The black Sealing Tree stands south of the church. Interact with it, confirm the burn prompt, and a cutscene will transport you to Enir-Ilim. This is a major story transition with significant side-quest consequences, so finish any NPC content you want to complete first. Spoilers for Messmer, Romina, the tree-burning sequence, and Enir-Ilim follow.
How do I burn the Sealing Tree?
The Sealing Tree cannot be burned until two progression conditions are satisfied: Messmer must be defeated so you have Messmer’s Kindling, and Romina, Saint of the Bud, must be defeated so the approach beyond the Church of the Bud is open. Once both conditions are met, go south from the church, interact with the black tree, and choose the option to burn it. The game then plays a story cutscene and moves your character into Enir-Ilim. The route and sequence are documented in the Shadow of the Erdtree walkthrough, with the tree’s requirement also recorded in the Sealing Tree reference.
- Defeat Messmer the Impaler.
- Confirm that Messmer’s Kindling was awarded.
- Reach the Church of the Bud in the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.
- Defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud.
- Leave the church toward the south and locate the black Sealing Tree.
- Interact with the tree and confirm the prompt to burn it.
- Watch the cutscene and continue in Enir-Ilim.
What must be completed before the tree can burn?
The game treats the tree as a locked story gate rather than an optional environmental interaction. Reaching the church alone is not enough, and defeating only one of the required bosses does not satisfy the sequence.
Messmer’s Kindling is the required story item
Messmer the Impaler awards Messmer’s Kindling when he is defeated. The item is the story key that permits the burning. If the interaction tells you the tree cannot be burned without kindling, the immediate check is whether Messmer has actually been defeated and the reward was received. The walkthrough and tree reference both identify the kindling as a requirement; there is no alternate item that substitutes for it.
Romina must be defeated
Romina, Saint of the Bud, blocks the route to the tree. The tree remains inaccessible until her boss encounter is completed. Defeating Messmer first does not remove this second gate, so players who have the kindling but still cannot reach the tree need to continue to the Church of the Bud and finish Romina’s fight.
You need the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion
Enir-Ilim and the Sealing Tree belong to Shadow of the Erdtree. The publisher’s product information confirms that the expansion requires the Elden Ring base game; an edition containing both is also listed on the official Bandai Namco product page.
How do I get to the Church of the Bud?
From the Storehouse route, travel west through the Ancient Ruins of Rauh toward the Church of the Bud. That western crossing is the relevant progression path; the church is not reached by trying to approach the Sealing Tree from an unrelated region. The route walkthrough provides the complete ruin traversal and confirms that the tree lies beyond the church.
Use the Storehouse side as your starting reference
If you are in or around the Storehouse, orient your route west. Continue through the Ancient Ruins of Rauh rather than searching the open map for a separate entrance to the church. The ruins contain a long traversal, so check the direction of your movement whenever the terrain offers multiple branches: the objective is the Church of the Bud on the western side of this route.
What to verify when you arrive
- The location is the Church of the Bud in the Ancient Ruins of Rauh, not another church or ruin in the expansion.
- Romina’s boss encounter is available inside the church area.
- The route beyond the church opens only after Romina is defeated.
Because the decisive navigation landmarks are spread across the ruins, consult the full PowerPyx route walkthrough alongside your map if you need turn-by-turn traversal. The essential progression direction remains Storehouse, west through Rauh, then Church of the Bud.
How do I defeat Romina and reach the tree?
Defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud, at the Church of the Bud. Her defeat is the event that clears the approach, so do not expect to find the tree before completing this boss encounter.
Prepare with Shadow Realm Blessings
If Messmer or Romina is overwhelming your character, explore the expansion for Scadutree Fragments and Revered Spirit Ashes before forcing the fights. The official Bandai Namco Europe guide explains that these items improve Shadow Realm Blessings, which are designed for the expansion’s encounters.
| Item collected | What its blessing improves | Best use case |
|---|---|---|
| Scadutree Fragments | Your character’s ability to deal damage and negate damage | Directly strengthening your own survivability and damage output |
| Revered Spirit Ashes | The blessing for summoned spirits and the spectral steed | Improving spirit summons or the spectral steed during expansion exploration |
These blessing bonuses apply in expansion areas. They are separate preparation choices: Scadutree Fragments reinforce the player character, while Revered Spirit Ashes reinforce summons and the spectral steed. Details and the publisher’s explanation of the system are available in Bandai Namco Europe’s character-strengthening guide.
Return to the church after the victory
Once Romina is defeated, leave the church toward the south. The newly accessible route leads to the black Sealing Tree. If the route is still blocked, the likely progression check is Romina’s defeat itself; if the route is open but the interaction is refused, check Messmer’s Kindling as described below.
Where exactly is the Sealing Tree?
The Sealing Tree is just beyond the Church of the Bud, to its south. The walkthrough describes it as a black tree. It is not a distant objective in another part of Rauh, and you do not need to discover a separate key or hidden lever after defeating Romina.
Recognize the correct interaction
- Start from the Church of the Bud after Romina’s defeat.
- Move south beyond the church.
- Look for the black tree that presents the burn interaction.
- Choose the prompt to burn the tree and confirm your choice.
If you have reached a tree elsewhere in the Realm of Shadow without that prompt, it is not the progression object described here. Return to the church and follow the southern exit.
What happens when I burn the Sealing Tree?
Burning the tree triggers a cutscene and transports your character to Enir-Ilim. This is the game’s main-story transition into that destination, not a convenience shortcut that can be ignored while continuing the previous sequence unchanged.
The world state changes
The route walkthrough warns that burning the tree changes access through Belurat. It also reports that most NPCs disappear and that many side quests can no longer be advanced afterward. This does not mean every quest is automatically lost: the walkthrough identifies exceptions and quest outcomes depend on the individual NPC’s state. Treat the burn as a point of no return for a substantial amount of optional content, even though the warning is not an absolute statement about every quest.
What to do before confirming
- Speak to NPCs whose dialogue or objectives you still want to resolve.
- Complete side-quest steps that are currently available in Belurat and other expansion areas.
- Collect any nearby items or explore routes you do not want to revisit under a changed world state.
- Use the blessing system to improve your character or summons if the next story area or its encounters are proving difficult.
There is no separate “delay” menu after the confirmation. The practical way to postpone the transition is simply not to interact with the tree until your optional tasks are in order.
Why can’t I burn the Sealing Tree?
Check the progression gates in order. The game’s blocking conditions are specific, so troubleshooting is usually a matter of identifying which prerequisite has not been completed rather than finding a missing switch.
The game says you need kindling
You do not yet have Messmer’s Kindling. Defeat Messmer the Impaler and verify that the key story item was awarded. Reaching the church or defeating Romina cannot replace this requirement.
The path beyond the church is blocked
Romina, Saint of the Bud, has not been defeated. Return to the Church of the Bud and complete her encounter; the approach to the tree is blocked until that victory.
You cannot find the tree
You may be searching on the wrong side of the church. The Sealing Tree is south of the Church of the Bud, beyond the building, and is described as a black tree. It is not reached by heading back toward the Storehouse.
You are looking for the sequence in the wrong game content
The tree and Enir-Ilim are part of Shadow of the Erdtree, which requires the base game. Confirm that you are playing the expansion area and not attempting to reproduce the interaction in the original game’s map.
All listed conditions appear complete
Recheck the two boss rewards and the exact location before assuming the sequence is unavailable. Messmer’s Kindling must be present, Romina must be defeated, and the interaction must be made with the black tree south of the Church of the Bud. The published route and tree reference do not identify an alternate activation method.
Is there another route to Enir-Ilim?
No alternate progression route is established for unlocking Enir-Ilim. The cited sequence requires Messmer’s Kindling, access through Romina at the Church of the Bud, and the burning interaction at the tree. Exploration can help you prepare, but it does not bypass either boss or create a second entrance.
| Goal | Required progression | What preparation can change |
|---|---|---|
| Obtain permission to burn | Defeat Messmer and receive Messmer’s Kindling | Scadutree Blessing upgrades can improve your character before the fight |
| Reach the Sealing Tree | Travel from the Storehouse route west through Rauh and defeat Romina | Revered Spirit Ash upgrades can strengthen summons and the spectral steed while exploring |
| Enter Enir-Ilim | Interact with the black tree south of the Church of the Bud and confirm the prompt | Side-quest completion must be handled before the transition if you want to preserve those opportunities |
What should I finish before entering Enir-Ilim?
Prioritize optional NPC and side-quest content that matters to your playthrough. The transition can remove most NPCs and stop many side quests from advancing, while exceptions exist for some quest states. Because the outcome is not identical for every character, use the state of each quest—not a blanket assumption that every quest is lost—as your decision point.
Make a personal completion list
- Write down NPCs whose current dialogue or location you still need to revisit.
- Mark quests that have an explicit next step in Belurat or another Realm of Shadow area.
- Finish conversations and hand-ins before returning to the tree.
- Only then confirm the burn if you are ready for the Enir-Ilim transition.
Do not confuse preparation with an alternate ending
Collecting Scadutree Fragments, Revered Spirit Ashes, or other exploration rewards changes your readiness, not the order of the story gates. The sequence remains Messmer, Romina, the tree, and then Enir-Ilim.
What is the fastest reliable checklist?
Use this short checklist immediately before attempting the interaction:
- Messmer defeated: confirm the boss victory and receipt of Messmer’s Kindling.
- Rauh route completed: travel west from the Storehouse route through the Ancient Ruins of Rauh.
- Church located: arrive at the Church of the Bud.
- Romina defeated: clear the boss blocking the approach.
- Quest review done: finish optional NPC steps you do not want interrupted.
- Southern exit taken: leave the church and find the black Sealing Tree.
- Prompt confirmed: interact with the tree, choose to burn it, and accept the cutscene transition.
Following these checks leads directly to Enir-Ilim. The published expansion walkthrough covers the complete route, while the Sealing Tree reference independently records the kindling requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I access Enir-Ilim without owning the original Elden Ring?
No. The expansion requires the Elden Ring base game. Bandai Namco lists the ownership requirement and editions containing the base game and expansion on its official product page: Bandai Namco.
Is Messmer’s Kindling a weapon I need to equip?
No. It is the key story item awarded for defeating Messmer the Impaler. The burning interaction checks that progression item rather than an equipped weapon or a consumable selected from your quick menu.
Should I collect Scadutree Fragments or Revered Spirit Ashes first?
Choose based on what needs help: Scadutree Fragments improve your character’s damage and damage negation, while Revered Spirit Ashes improve summoned spirits and the spectral steed. Both blessing systems are intended for strengthening you in expansion areas, as explained by Bandai Namco Europe’s guide: official guide.
Does burning the tree permanently erase every side quest?
Not every quest is guaranteed to fail. The transition causes most NPCs to disappear and prevents many side quests from advancing, but documented exceptions and individual quest states mean the safest approach is to complete the optional content you care about before confirming the burn.