Elden Ring: Complete NPC Questlines Guide

Elden Ring's NPC questlines are notoriously easy to miss — killing a boss out of order, exploring the wrong direction, or even skipping a single line of dialogue can permanently lock you out. This guide covers the 7 most important questlines with all fail conditions clearly marked.

Questline Overview

Questline	Rec. Level	Regions	Key Reward	Affects Ending
Ranni	50–80	Liurnia → Eternal Cities → Moonlight Altar	Dark Moon Greatsword	✅ Age of Stars
Fia	60–90	Roundtable → Deeproot Depths	Mending Rune of Death	✅ Duskborn
Alexander	30–90	Limgrave → Caelid → Mountaintops → Farum Azula	Shard of Alexander	❌
Millicent	40–100	Caelid → Altus → Haligtree	Rotten Winged Sword Insignia	❌
Blaidd	30–70	Limgrave → Liurnia → Eternal City → Ranni's Rise	Royal Greatsword, Blaidd's Set	❌
Varre	1–40	First Step → Rose Church → Mohgwyn	Pureblood Knight's Medal	❌
Sellen	30–60	Limgrave → Liurnia → Caelid → Academy	Glintstone sorceries	❌

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1. Ranni's Questline

The game's most important side quest. Affects the ending and rewards the best INT weapon.

Full Walkthrough

Step 1: First Meeting

• Location: Church of Elleh, Limgrave
• Timing: Nighttime, after obtaining Torrent
• She gives you the Spirit Calling Bell + Lone Wolf Ashes

⚠️ Fail point: If you reach Roundtable Hold before meeting her at the church, she disappears from Elleh. Doesn't block the quest but you miss the bell (buyable at Roundtable).

Step 2: Ranni's Rise

• Location: Northwest Liurnia, behind Caria Manor
• Defeat Royal Knight Loretta, enter Three Sisters area
• Ranni's Rise is the northernmost tower. Speak at the top, choose "serve Ranni"

Step 3: Talk to her three servants

• Iji (downstairs hall)
• Blaidd (standing wolf-man)
• Seluvis (kneeling sorcerer)

Step 4: Blaidd's lead

• Go to Siofra River (eastern Limgrave, descend via Mistwood lift)
• Find Blaidd investigating Nokron. He sends you to Seluvis

Step 5: Seluvis's Introduction

• Get introduction letter from Seluvis
• Take it to Sellen (Waypoint Ruins cellar, Limgrave)
• She tells you to defeat Radahn

Step 6: Starscourge Radahn

• Redmane Castle, Caelid. Join the festival
• After defeating Radahn, a meteor crashes east of Limgrave
• It opens the entrance to Nokron, Eternal City

Step 7: Fingerslayer Blade

• Descend into Nokron, reach Night's Sacred Ground
• Get the Fingerslayer Blade from the chest
• Return to Ranni's Rise, give her the blade. She leaves, gives you the Carian Inverted Statue

⚠️ Fail point: Killing Seluvis before giving the blade won't break Ranni's quest. But Seluvis has his own questline with unique rewards.

Step 8: Renna's Rise

• Use the Inverted Statue in Carian Study Hall, obtain the Cursemark of Death
• Go to Renna's Rise (middle tower in Three Sisters)
• Portal at the top takes you to Ainsel River

Step 9: Miniature Ranni

• Pick up the Miniature Ranni Doll in Ainsel River
• Talk to it repeatedly at a grace until it speaks
• Proceed deeper, defeat the Baleful Shadow

⚠️ Fail point: If you pick up the doll but never talk to it, you can't progress.

Step 10: Astel

• Cross the Lake of Rot (bring Preserving Boluses!)
• Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
• Ride the lift to Moonlight Altar

Step 11: Ending

• In the Cathedral of Manus Celes underground cave, find Ranni
• Put the Dark Moon Ring on her (from Rennala's chest)
• Receive the Dark Moon Greatsword
• At the endgame, choose the blue summon sign for the Age of Stars ending

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2. Fia's Questline

The Deathbed Companion's questline. Affects the ending.

Step 1: Embrace at Roundtable

• Find Fia in the bedroom at Roundtable Hold
• Accept her embrace, receive Baldachin's Blessing
• Use the blessing, then embrace again

Step 2: The Weathered Dagger

• After obtaining two Great Runes, Fia gives you the Weathered Dagger
• Give it to D, Hunter of the Dead at Roundtable
• Teleport away and back — Fia and D are both gone

Step 3: Deeproot Depths

• Reach Deeproot Depths (via the coffin at the end of Siofra Aqueduct)
• Pass through the Nameless Eternal City to the Prince of Death's Throne
• Defeat Fia's Champions, then talk to her

Step 4: Cursemark of Death

• Fia asks for the other half of the Cursemark
• Give her the Cursemark from Ranni's questline

⚠️ Fail point: If you've given D's armor to his brother before this, Fia will be killed.

Step 5: Lichdragon

• Enter Fia's deathbed dream
• Defeat Lichdragon Fortissax
• Receive the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince

Step 6: Ending

• After the battle, Fia passes. Loot Fia's Set from her
• Use the Mending Rune at endgame for the Duskborn ending

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3. Alexander the Iron Fist

Everyone's favorite jar warrior. Rewards the best talisman.

#	Location	Action
①	Limgrave, cliff north of Saintsbridge	Talk, heavy attack to free him
②	Caelid, Gael Tunnel	Stuck in a door — go around
③	Redmane Castle	Summon for Radahn festival
④	Near Carian Study Hall, Liurnia	Stuck again — need Oil Pot
⑤	Near Magma Wyrm, Mountaintops	Bathing in lava, just talk
⑥	Farum Azula	Final duel. Defeat for Shard of Alexander

⚠️ Fail point: Only fail risk is missing him in Farum Azula before Maliketh.

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4. Millicent's Questline

Longest questline. Your final choice determines the reward.

Step 1: Caelid

• Talk to Gowry at Gowry's Shack, Sellia
• He asks for the Unalloyed Gold Needle
• Defeat Commander O'Neil in Aeonia Swamp for the needle

Step 2: Healing Millicent

• Give the needle to Gowry for repair
• Bring it to Millicent at the Church of the Plague, Sellia

Step 3: Millicent's Journey

#	Location	Action
①	Gowry's Shack	Millicent returns, talk to start journey
②	Erdtree-Gazing Hill, Altus	Talk at grace
③	Shaded Castle	Find Valkyrie's Prosthesis inside, give it to her
④	Windmill Village	After Godskin Apostle, talk north of village
⑤	Ancient Snow Valley, Mountaintops	Talk
⑥	Prayer Room, Haligtree	Talk

Step 4: The Choice

⚠️ Critical choice: At the end of the drainage channel in Haligtree:

Choice	Outcome	Reward
🟡 Gold sign (help Millicent)	Fight alongside her vs. sisters	Rotten Winged Sword Insignia
🔴 Red sign (invade Millicent)	Kill her	Millicent's Prosthesis (+5 DEX)

Most players recommend the gold sign. Rotten Winged Sword Insignia is incredible with multi-hit weapons like Rivers of Blood.

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5. Blaidd's Questline

Deeply tied to Ranni's questline. Most steps completed during it.

Independent steps:

#	Location	Action
①	Mistwood Ruins, Limgrave	Hear howling at night → learn Snap gesture from Merchant Kale at Elleh
②	Mistwood Ruins	Use Snap, Blaidd jumps down, talk
③	Forlorn Hound Evergaol	Blaidd asks you to fight the Bloodhound Knight

After Ranni's questline completes:

• Return to Ranni's Rise, find Blaidd gone mad outside
• Defeat him for Royal Greatsword and Blaidd's Set

⚠️ Fail point: Attacking Blaidd before giving Ranni the Fingerslayer Blade locks the quest.

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6. Varre's Questline

Only way to reach Mohgwyn Palace early — best rune farm in the game.

Step 1: The First Step

• First NPC outside the tutorial. He calls you maidenless.

Step 2: Rose Church

• After defeating Godrick, Varre moves to Rose Church, Liurnia
• He gives you Festering Bloody Fingers

Step 3: Three Invasions

• Invade other players 3 times (winning not required — leave immediately if you want)

Step 4: Blood Oath

• Return to Varre, accept his oath
• Receive Lord of Blood's Favor

Step 5: Stain with Blood

• Go to the Church of Inhibition, Liurnia, find the dead Finger Maiden
• Use the Favor on her blood
• Alternatively: use the maiden corpse at the Four Belfries

Step 6: Pureblood Knight's Medal

• Return to Varre, receive the medal
• Use it to teleport directly to Mohgwyn Palace

Step 7: Final Invasion

• Deep in Mohgwyn Palace, Varre invades you
• Defeat him for Varre's Bouquet (unique weapon)

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7. Sellen's Questline

The sorceress's questline involving glintstone sorcery and the Academy.

Step 1: Waypoint Ruins

• Limgrave, defeat the Mad Pumpkin Head, find Sellen in the cellar
• She teaches sorceries

Step 2: Sellen's Primal Glintstone

• Witchbane Ruins, Weeping Peninsula
• Defeat the Mad Pumpkin Head, obtain Sellen's Primal Glintstone

Step 3: New Body

• Find a puppet body in Seluvis's Secret Chamber (near Three Sisters)
• Place the glintstone in the puppet — Sellen gets a new body

Step 4: Master Lusat

• Deep in Sellia Hideaway, Caelid, defeat three Crystalians
• Find Master Lusat and talk to him

Step 5: The Choice

Choice	Action	Reward
🟡 Help Sellen	Gold sign in Raya Lucaria Grand Library, help Sellen defeat Witch-Hunter Jerren	Glintstone Kris, Witch's Set
🔴 Challenge Sellen	Red sign, help Jerren defeat Sellen	Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone

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Critical Fail Points Summary

Trigger	Affected Quest	How to Miss
Burning the Erdtree	All Leyndell quests	Capital turns to ash, NPCs gone
Defeating Maliketh	Alexander, Corhyn	Farum Azula locks post-Maliketh
Reaching Redmane before Gael Tunnel	Alexander #2	Skips to Radahn festival
Giving D's armor to his brother	Fia	Brother kills Fia
Killing Seluvis before Fingerslayer Blade	Seluvis's own quest	Misses unique rewards
Choosing red sign at Haligtree	Millicent	Permanent loss of Millicent and RWSI

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Recommended Quest Order

Start → Varre (3 invasions) → unlock Mohgwyn
  │
Lv10 → Alexander ①②
  │
Lv30 → Sellen ①②③
  │      Ranni ①②③④
  │      Blaidd ①②③
  │
Lv50 → Ranni ⑤⑥ (Radahn)
  │      Alexander ③
  │      Millicent ①②
  │
Lv70 → Ranni ⑦⑧⑨⑩
  │      Fia ①②③
  │
Lv90 → Ranni ⑪
  │      Fia ④⑤
  │      Millicent ③④⑤
  │
Lv100 → Millicent ⑥ + choice
  │       Alexander ④⑤⑥
  │
Pre-final boss → Verify all questlines

Golden rule: After every major boss, revisit all NPCs and exhaust their dialogue.