Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC NPC Quests Guide All Side Questlines Locations

Step into the mysterious Realm of Shadow with Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, where the fate of Miquella, son of Queen Marika, unfolds through a web of intricate NPC quests. From hidden secrets to new allies and foes, this guide unravels every NPC questline, ensuring you don’t miss a single twist in this dark and captivating expansion.

There are 12 NPCs in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, all with various quests and storylines to discover. Like the NPC questlines from the original Elden Ring, the characters in Shadow of the Erdtree will give you exclusive items and rewards. But be warned: Some NPC quests in the DLC can be easily missed, and there is an important point of no return that will lock you out of some NPC quest progression.

Our Elden Ring DLC guide lists all DLC NPC questlines introduced in Shadow of the Erdtree and the best order in which you should complete them.

Spoiler warning: This guide contains minor spoilers for Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

What are the best NPC quests in Elden Ring’s DLC?

The best NPC quests in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC offer a rich variety of storylines and valuable rewards, making them essential for players seeking to fully experience the content. Notable quests include Needle Knight Leda’s for the Ash of War: Swift Slash, Redmane Freyja’s for the Golden Lion Shield and its Ash of War, and Sir Ansbach’s for a powerful Longbow. Count Ymir and Jolán’s quest is a major highlight, granting powerful sorceries, weapons, and a challenging boss fight, while Igon and the Dragon Communion Priestess’s questline is crucial for unlocking dragon transformation abilities and features some of the DLC’s best voice acting. Fire Knight Queelign’s quest offers a choice between a greatsword or a spirit summon, and Hornsent’s questline intertwines with others for summoning assistance in boss battles. Completing these quests before the DLC’s point of no return ensures access to all NPC storylines and exclusive gear, making them some of the best and most rewarding in the DLC.

Naturally, you’ll want to complete all of Shadow of the Erdtree’s NPC questlines to get the most out of its story (and get every NPC’s weapons and armor). And some questlines, like those of Sir Ansbach and Thiollier, will ultimately be helpful in the long run, because you can summon them for one of the game’s toughest boss fights.

But some of the later NPC quests, particularly Count Ymir and Jolán’s and Igon and Dragon Communion Priestess’, are directly tied to important boss battles and unlocking the ability to transform into a dragon. Ymir and Igon’s quests should be on your must-do list, if only to hear the latter’s amazing diatribe against Bayle the Dread.

All Elden Ring DLC NPC quests in the best order

The best order to complete all Elden Ring DLC NPC quests in Shadow of the Erdtree involves starting with Needle Knight Leda, who appears early in Moghwyn Palace, followed by Redmane Freyja and Hornsent near Gravesite Plain. Next, pursue the intertwined quests of Sir Ansbach and Moore at Belurat Tower Settlement, then Hornsent Grandam and Fire Knight Queelign’s quests. Afterward, focus on Thiollier and St. Trina’s overlapping storylines, then complete Dryleaf Dane’s short quest. The major questlines of Count Ymir and Jolán, as well as Igon and the Dragon Communion Priestess, are best saved for later due to their ties to significant boss fights and dragon transformations. It is crucial to complete these quests before the point of no return, marked by burning the Sealing Tree, to avoid missing key progression and rewards. This order ensures you experience all storylines fully and obtain exclusive items and summons across the Shadow Realm.

There’s some amount of flexibility in completing the dozen NPC quests in Shadow of the Erdtree, and pursuing one doesn’t necessarily lock you out of any others. But here’s the general order in which you can expect to find and complete each Elden Ring DLC NPC quest.

1. Needle Knight Leda
2. Redmane Freyja and Hornsent
3. Sir Ansbach and Moore
4. Hornsent Grandam
5. Fire Knight Queelign
6. Thiollier and St. Trina
7. Dryleaf Dane
8. Count Ymir and Jolán
9. Igon and Dragon Communion Princess

Below, we’ll break down a bit more about what you’ll encounter from each questline, while the links on the bulleted list above will lead you to a full walkthrough for each quest.

Needle Knight Leda

Needle Knight Leda will be the first NPC you encounter. She’ll first appear in Moghwyn Palace, standing near Miquella’s cocoon after you’ve defeated Starscourge Radahn and Mogh, Lord of Blood in the base game. After traveling to the Shadow Realm, you can catch up with Lena at Highroad Cross Site of Grace, north of Castle Ensis in Scadu Altus.

You’ll want to pursue Needle Knight Lena’s quest if you want to earn the Ash of War: Swift Slash for your backhand blade weapons.

Redmane Freyja and Hornsent

You’ll meet Redmane Freyja and Hornsent, and start their respective questlines near the Three-Path Cross Site of Grace in Gravesite Plain. They’re almost assuredly the first followers of Miquella you’ll encounter in the Shadow Realm, and you’ll want to pursue Redmane Freyja’s quest to acquire the Golden Lion Shield (and its Ash of War, Roaring Bash) for your strength build. Hornsent’s quest will let you summon him for the Golden Hippopotamus boss battle and is interwoven, narratively, with Leda’s questline.

Sir Ansbach and Moore

You’ll meet Sir Ansbach and the merchant Moore at the Main Gate Cross Site of Grace outside Belurat Tower Settlement. Ansbach’s quest ties into Leda and Freyja’s, and you’ll get Ansbach’s Longbow for your dexterity build if you see it to completion. Follow Moore’s quest, which ties into Thiollier and St. Trina’s questlines, for an opportunity to feel sad. (No matter how you deal with Moore, you’ll get his heavy armor, shield, and Bell Bearing by the end of the game.)

Hornsent Grandam

Hornsent Grandam can be encountered early in Shadow of the Erdtree at Belurat Tower Settlement. Her brief questline is optional, but you’ll unlock an incantation (Watchful Spirit) and a tasty healing item (Gourmet Scorpion Stew) for completing all of Hornsent Grandam’s quest steps.

Fire Knight Queelign

Your introduction to Fire Knight Queelign will come in the form of an invasion in Belurat Tower Settlement. You’ll battle this NPC twice over the course of Shadow of the Erdtree, and depending on a certain choice in his questline, you’ll unlock either Fire Knight Queelign’s Greatsword or his Spirit Summon Ash.

Thiollier and St. Trina

The intertwined quests of Thiollier and St. Trina overlap with other NPC quests, particularly those of Moore and the Dragon Communion Priestess. Thiollier’s quest is also the only way to acquire the St. Trina’s Smiletalisman. St. Trina’s quest is an opportunity to experience one of the weirdest interactions of any Elden Ring NPC.

Dryleaf Dane

Find Dryleaf Dane at the Moorth Ruins Site of Grace in Scadu Altus for a short-and-to-the-point quest that will earn you the Dryleaf Arts weapon and Dane’s Hat helm. The rest of his gear can be earned in Leda’s quest and in a late-game boss battle.

Count Ymir and Jolán

The sorcerer Count Ymir and his swordhand Jolán are central to a major, must-complete quest in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. Getting to Count Ymir in Manus Metyr cathedral is easy, and his questline is easy to complete, but it will take you all over the Shadow Realm’s map. Complete this quest to earn multiple powerful sorceries and weapons, unlock a useful Summon Spirit Ash, and face a major Remembrance boss battle (that’s also optional).

Igon and Dragon Communion Priestess

You can meet Igon and Dragon Communion Priestess relatively early on in Shadow of the Erdtree, but considering their questline pits you against some fearsome dragons, you may want to wait until near the end of your journey through the Shadow Realm to complete their quests. Igon’s is straightforward, and worth doing if you want to experience Elden Ring’s best voiceover performance. The associated Dragon Communion Priestess interactions are worth doing if you’ve invested in Dragon Communion Incantations.

Igon and Dragon Communion Priestess’ quests are worth doing if you have any intention of killing Bayle the Dread.

What is the point of no return for Elden Ring DLC’s NPC quests?

The point of no return for NPC quests in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree occurs after defeating Romina, Saint of the Bud, when the player gains the ability to burn the Sealing Tree using Messmer’s flame. Burning the Sealing Tree triggers a major world state change, locking the player out of many ongoing NPC questlines and altering NPC interactions-some NPCs disappear or even become hostile. To avoid missing out on content, players should complete all desired side quests and exhaust NPC dialogues before this point, as there is no way to revert the change without loading an earlier save or starting a new playthrough. This point of no return funnels the player into the final stages of the DLC, including a challenging boss gauntlet.

There are two major quest progression points that affect a number of Elden Ring DLC NPCs that you need to be aware of.

• The first point of no return comes as you approach Shadow Keep in Scadu Altus. You’ll see pop-up messages that warn “Somewhere a great rune has broken” followed by “And so too has a powerful charm.” This signifies that certain characters are no longer affected by Miquella’s charming spell and that they’ve moved from their original locations.
• The second, and most crucial, point of no return comes when you burn the Sealing Tree with Messmer’s Kindling after defeating the Remembrance boss Romina, Saint of the Bud. Burning the Sealing Tree is the point of no return for many NPC quests. Do what you need to do before burning the Sealing Tree.

Which NPC quests reveal hidden secrets in Shadow of the Erdtree

Several NPC quests in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree reveal hidden secrets, particularly those tied to the Shadow Keep and its mysterious areas:

• Hornsent’s questline involves uncovering secrets within the Shadow Keep, including unique quest items and hidden locations critical to progressing his story.

• Count Ymir’s questline is one of the most mysterious in the DLC, leading players to discover some of the greatest secrets and hidden locations within the Shadow Realm, including access to the Hinterland area through a secret entrance revealed by the “O Mother” gesture.

• The Secret Rite Scroll, found in the Specimen Storehouse within the Shadow Keep, contains cryptic messages about a forbidden ritual and advances Ansbach’s questline, linking to deeper lore and secret content.

• The Shadow Keep itself harbors numerous secrets such as a hidden illusory wall that leads to new areas via a coffin teleporter, and mechanisms like draining the flooded Church District to access the Sunken Chapel, where powerful enemies and rare items reside.

• Awakening the Furnace Golem in the Ruins of Unte by using crafted flaming whirlwind pots is another secret tied to quest progression and unlocking new zones.

These quests and secrets intertwine exploration, cryptic clues, and item discovery, making them essential for players aiming to fully uncover the DLC’s hidden depths.

Which NPC questlines uncover the most hidden secrets in Shadow of the Erdtree

The NPC questlines that uncover the most hidden secrets in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree are primarily those of Count Ymir and Hornsent.

• Count Ymir’s questline is widely regarded as the most mysterious and lore-rich, revealing some of the DLC’s greatest secrets and hidden locations. His storyline involves exploring the Cathedral of Manus Metyr and leads to a secret boss, deepening the understanding of the world, the Fingers, and the Greater Will.

• Hornsent’s questline is closely tied to the Shadow Keep, a dungeon filled with numerous secrets, hidden areas, and unique quest items. Completing his questline requires thorough exploration of the Shadow Keep, including discovering hidden entrances, draining flooded areas to access new zones like the Sunken Chapel, and uncovering powerful items and lore.

Additionally, the Swordhand of Night Jolan’s questline, connected to Count Ymir’s, also reveals extra secrets and culminates in unique encounters that can be easily missed.

These questlines not only provide critical narrative insights but also require players to uncover secret paths, hidden items, and challenging bosses, making them the richest sources of hidden content in the DLC.