Quests and NPCs#
Elden Ring’s NPC questlines are famously cryptic - no quest log is provided; everything relies on player exploration and noting conversations
Major NPC Questlines#
Melina#
| Stage | Trigger | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| First meeting | Rest at the first Grace of the journey | Leveling unlocked + the spectral steed Torrent |
| Roundtable Hold | After reaching Liurnia of the Lakes | Teleport to the Roundtable Hold |
| Onward to the Mountaintops | Defeat Godfrey’s phantom | Rold Medallion |
| The Forge of the Giants | Reach the Forge of the Giants | Melina sacrifices herself, or you become Lord of Frenzied Flame |
| Ending split | Depending on whether the Frenzied Flame triggers | Different endings + the condition for Melina surviving |
Blaidd the Half-Wolf#
| Stage | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - First meeting | Mistwood Ruins, Limgrave | After hearing the wolf howl, perform the Finger Snap gesture |
| 2 - Ranni’s tower | Behind Caria Manor | Join Ranni’s camp |
| 3 - Nokron | Eternal City | Enter after defeating the Starscourge / assist exploration |
| 4 - Betrayal | Before Ranni’s tower | After Ranni departs, Blaidd goes mad - you must defeat him |
| Reward | Blaidd’s armor set + Royal Greatsword |
The Dung Eater#
| Stage | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - First meeting | Roundtable Hold | Meet him in the basement |
| 2 - Deliver Seedbed Curses | Requires 5 Seedbed Curses | Collected across the whole map |
| 3 - Let him eat the curse | Roundtable Hold basement | Give him 5 curses and he joins |
| Reward | Omen Set + Sword of Milos | |
| Seedbed Curse location | Stormveil Castle |
Millicent#
| Stage | Location | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 - First meeting | Caelid - church | She gives you the prosthetic |
| 2 - Sage ruins | Altus Plateau | Obtain the prosthesis / hand it to her |
| 3 - Windmill village | Northern Altus Plateau | Help clear the village |
| 4 - Haligtree | Haligtree prayer room | Final choice - help her or invade |
| Reward | Millicent’s Prosthesis (talisman) | |
| Branch | Help = Unalloyed Gold Needle |
NPC Merchants#
| NPC | Location | Selling Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Maiden Husks | Roundtable Hold | Hand them Bell Bearings to unlock new stock |
| Nomadic merchants | All over the map | Map fragments, Smithing Stones, weapons |
| Brother Corhyn | Roundtable Hold → Altus Plateau | Prayerbooks → new incantations |
| Snow Witch, sorcery tutor | Caria Manor | Sorceries + puppets |
| Miriel the turtle / Pastor of Vows | Church of Vows | Sorceries + incantations - can grant absolution |
| Bell Bearing Hunter | Specific spots at night | Drops a Bell Bearing when defeated |
Ending Routes#
| Ending | Condition | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Age of Fracture | Default - touch the Elden Ring after beating the final boss | Easiest |
| Age of Order | Complete Goldmask’s questline - repair the Ring with the Mending Rune of Perfect Order | Goldmask questline |
| Age of Duskborn | Complete Fia’s questline - repair the Ring with the Duskborn Rune | Deathbed Companion questline |
| Blessing of Despair | Complete the Dung Eater’s questline - repair the Ring with Despair | Dung Eater questline |
| Age of Stars | Complete Ranni’s questline - summon Ranni’s sigil | Ranni questline - most complex |
| Lord of Frenzied Flame | Accept the Frenzied Flame - use it at the Forge of the Giants | Three Fingers - requires stripping bare |
Multiplayer Items#
Co-op Items#
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Furlcalling Finger Remedy | Opens you up to being invaded |
| Festering Bloody Finger | Invade other worlds |
| Taunter’s Tongue | Draw invaders at Volcano Manor |
| Tarnished’s Furled Finger | Place a golden summon sign - be summoned |
| Bloody Finger | Place a red summon sign - duels |
| Small Golden Effigy | Auto-match into sessions that need help |
| Phantom Bloody Finger | One-time invasion item |
Quest FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Accidentally hit an NPC? | Seek absolution from the turtle at the Church of Vows - requires Celestial Dew |
| NPC disappeared? | Check their next location - most NPCs appear at multiple spots |
| How to remove the Frenzied Flame? | Use Millicent’s Unalloyed Gold Needle - obtained after beating the Valkyrie |
| How to co-op? | Place a sign with the furled finger - the other player uses a Furlcalling Finger Remedy |
| Invasion level range? | Usually ±20 levels - weapon upgrades also affect matching |
| How to get more invasion items? | Festering Bloody Fingers can be bought endlessly - but the Taunter’s Tongue is consumable |
| White Mask Varré questline? | Invade three times with Bloody Fingers at the White Mask - get the Pureblood Knight’s Medal to reach the Dynasty of Blood |
| Volcano Manor invasion quests? | Accept contracts after joining Volcano Manor - invade specific NPCs |
| How to set a multiplayer password? | System → Network → multiplayer password - friends must set the same password to play together |
| Can Varré’s quest be skipped? | It cannot be skipped - it is the fastest route to the Dynasty of Blood. Skipping it means teleporting there from the Consecrated Snowfield |
Quick NPC Location Reference#
Limgrave#
| NPC | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nomadic merchant | Near the very first Grace | Sells map fragments + Smithing Stones |
| Iron Fist Alexander | Northern Limgrave | Start of the jar brother’s questline |
| Blaidd the Half-Wolf | Mistwood Ruins | Requires the Finger Snap gesture |
| Sorceress Sellen | Waypoint Ruins | Sorcery teaching - requires unlocking her cellar |
Liurnia#
| NPC | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fia, Deathbed Companion | Roundtable Hold | Hug her to start the questline |
| Diallos | Roundtable Hold | Related to Volcano Manor |
| Miriel the turtle / Pastor of Vows | Church of Vows | Absolution + sorcery/incantation teaching |
| Thops | Church in Liurnia | Sorcery tutor - requires giving him a key |
| Patches | Limgrave cave | Trap merchant - kicks you down a hole but later sells good stuff |
Caelid#
| NPC | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Millicent | Caelid church | Prosthetic girl’s questline - important talisman reward |
| Gowry | Gowry’s shack, Caelid | Millicent’s foster father - sells incantations |
| Bell Bearing Hunter | Caelid merchant | Appears at night - drops a Bell Bearing when defeated |
FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How to get the Lord of Frenzied Flame ending? | After defeating the Omen King, go to the capital’s sewers - touch the Three Fingers to receive the Frenzied Flame. Melina will then leave you |
| Conditions for the Age of Stars ending? | Complete all of Ranni’s questline - after obtaining the Dark Moon Greatsword, summon Ranni’s sigil |
FAQ#
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do side quests have time limits? | Yes - some questlines become unavailable as you advance the main story. It is best to finish accepted quests before defeating Morgott, the Omen King |
| How long is Ranni’s full questline? | About 3-5 hours - the longest and most important questline in the game. Rewards the Dark Moon Greatsword + the Age of Stars ending |
| Are Volcano Manor invasion quests worth it? | Yes - rewards include legendary weapons like the “Serpent Hunter blade” and the “King’s Concord”, plus other powerful gear |
| Where is Patches? | In “Murkwater Cave” in Limgrave - the first cave you encounter. Tip: lie to him with “Something on top of your head” for extra dialogue |
| Is Varré’s quest necessary? | Not mandatory but highly recommended - rewards the Pureblood Knight’s Medal (the best teleport item for farming Runes in Mohgwyn Dynasty) |
All Endings at a Glance#
| Ending | Conditions | Difficulty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elden Lord (default) | Simply touch the Elden Ring after beating the final boss | ⭐ Easiest | No special conditions - the default ending |
| Age of Order | Complete Goldmask’s questline - obtain the Mending Rune of Perfect Order | ⭐⭐⭐ | Requires finishing the entire Goldmask questline |
| Age of Duskborn | Complete Fia’s questline - obtain the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince | ||
| Blessing of Despair | Complete the Dung Eater’s questline - obtain the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse | ||
| Age of Stars | Complete all of Ranni’s questline - summon Ranni’s sigil | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | The ending most beloved by players |
| Lord of Frenzied Flame | Touch the Three Fingers in the capital’s sewers to receive the Frenzied Flame | ⭐⭐⭐ | Melina will leave you - can be reversed with “Miquella’s Needle” |
Quest Tips#
- Track NPC locations - Elden Ring’s questlines have no quest log; take screenshots or manually note NPC positions and dialogue
- Ranni last, others first - Ranni’s questline locks out some NPC interactions once it hits mid-point; finish other questlines before pushing hers
- Merchant Bell Bearings - confirm before killing any merchant - some merchants’ Bell Bearings are the only source of certain sorceries/Smithing Stones
- Co-op quests - some quests require multiplayer (like White Mask Varré); if offline, you can trigger them at specific spots using offline mode
NPC Questline Triggers#
| NPC | First Meeting | Key Progress Condition | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranni | Ranni’s Rise, Liurnia | ||
| Fia | Roundtable Hold | Give the mark of the Death prince - advance to Deeproot Depths | Requires 8 Deathroot traded for all rewards |
| Goldmask | North of the bridge on Altus Plateau | Requires Intelligence ≥ 37 to talk to him | High Intelligence demands throughout |
| Dung Eater | Roundtable Hold | Give him Seedbed Curses - needs 5 | Questline affects ending options |
| Millicent | Caelid | Give her the four parts of the Unalloyed Gold Needle | Can choose to help or oppose |
| Sellen | Waypoint Ruins, Limgrave | Find her two originals | Questline has two ending choices |
| Diallos | Roundtable Hold | Advance to Volcano Manor | Questline ends in Jarburg |
| Thops | Classroom in Liurnia | Give him the key (Academy Glintstone Key) | Grants Thops’s Barrier at the end |