The Forsaken Hollows conceal more than shadows-within their crumbling catacombs, the Nightfarers await discovery. These spectral warriors bring new powers and grim secrets to Elden Ring: Nightreign, but finding and awakening them demands both cunning and courage.
How to unlock the Scholar and the Undertaker in Elden Ring Nightreign
Purchase and install the Forsaken Hollows DLC for Elden Ring Nightreign. Complete the Tricephalos expedition by defeating Gladius, Beast of Night if not already done, then return to Roundtable Hold. Speak to Iron Menial for Small Jar Bazaar’s message, interact with Small Jar Bazaar to trigger a Dreglord fight-victory optional-after which the nearby door opens to reveal the Scholar and Undertaker; talk to each for access.
To unlock the new Nightfarers in Elden Ring Nightreign, you must first ensure you have access to the Forsaken Hollow DLC. This is a paid DLC so you must buy it to have access to the two new characters. If you previously bought Elden Ring Nightreign Deluxe Edition, it already includes the DLC.
With the DLC installed, your next step is to complete Tricephalos, the first expedition in the game, which requires you to defeat its final boss, Gladius, Beast of Night. This requirement only applies to new players. If you have defeated Gladius before, at least once, then you don’t need to do it again to unlock the DLC content.
Next, visit the roundtable where you start expeditions for a short scene to start where Iron Menial tells you that the Small Jar Bazaar has a message for you. Use the entrance between the Priestess and the Guardian and find the Small Jar Bazaar at the end of the corridor in front of a semi-closed door.
After talking to it, the Small Jar Bazaar will point to the door. Interact with it, and you will be thrown into a boss fight against the Dreglord. You don’t need to win this fight! Once you’re out of the battle, go back to where the Small Jar Bazaar is.
Where to find Tricephalos location and boss tips
Tricephalos (Gladius, Beast of Night) is the Nightlord boss at the end of the Tricephalos expedition, which is the first expedition you select from the Nightreign menu and play through to Day 3; you reach his arena by following the expedition’s main path in Limveld until the final Nightlord door that appears after the Spirit Shelter hub.
Where to find Tricephalos
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From Roundtable Hold, choose the Tricephalos expedition as your expedition (it’s the default first one and always available).
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You spawn in Limveld; push through the daytime camps and ruins while leveling and following the Night’s Tide circle so you stay inside the safe area.
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When the circle collapses into a central point, interact with the object there to travel to the Spirit Shelter, where you can level, upgrade weapons, and stock up.
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From the Spirit Shelter, follow the only forward route through the dungeon-style area until you reach a large fog door/Nightlord gate; going through it starts the Gladius, Beast of Night boss fight (this is Tricephalos).
Key weaknesses and setup
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Gladius is weak to Holy damage, so focus on weapons, ashes, or incantations with Holy affinity, especially from ruins or churches that show a Holy icon on the map.
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Aim to be around level 10+ with at least one upgraded main weapon and a few flasks before going in; prioritise Vigor and your main damage stat.
Phase 1 tips (single body)
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Gladius fights like a very fast wolf that mixes lunging bites, sweeping sword-whip slashes, and fire breath cones; learn to roll into his lunges and through sword sweeps rather than away.
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Punish after: the end of his 2-3 hit melee strings, after he finishes a long leap, and after he recovers from a fire breath where his heads pause. Keep combos short (1-2 hits) to avoid getting clipped by follow-ups.
Phase 2 tips (tripled / clones)
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At lower HP he can split into three copies, each using simpler versions of his attacks; lock on to one and burn it down while using the arena’s space to keep the other two at your flanks, not behind you.
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This phase rewards summons or co-op Nightfarers, since allies can distract each head; even in solo, use spirit summons or AI allies so they pull aggro while you hit from the side or back.
General strategy recommendations
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Before Day 3, prioritize Holy-icon ruins and churches for better gear and talismans, and grab at least one good spirit or ally option.
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Stay patient: keep mid-range, bait a combo, dodge into it, land 1-2 hits, then reset; greed is what usually gets you killed in his fast follow-ups and multi-hit strings.
If you share your build (melee, caster, or specific Nightfarer) and current level, a more targeted set of tips (what to equip and when to roll/cast) ca
Best builds for fighting Tricephalos in Nightreign
For Tricephalos, the most effective setups are tanky Holy-focused builds that can break posture quickly while surviving his nonstop pressure, especially in the three-dog phase.
Recommended roles/build types
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Raider “holy bruiser”: Stack HP and posture damage, use a big Holy-infused weapon (colossal or great weapon) plus a talisman/relic that boosts Holy and/or standard attack power.
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Frontline tank (Guardian/Ironeye-style): Prioritize Vigor, damage negation (especially fire), and a shield or mitigation skill so you can reliably hold aggro on the sword-head in the split phase.
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Backline Holy caster (Revenant/Duchess-style): Focus on Faith, Holy spells, and stagger tools; excellent for clearing adds and punishing when Gladius tunnels your tank.
Solo build idea: Raider anti-Gladius
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Stats: Push Vigor first, then Strength (or main weapon stat); aim mid-teens level with decent stamina for repeated rolls and jump attacks.
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Gear:
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Holy-infused colossal or great weapon for big stagger and Holy weakness exploitation.
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Defensive/fire-negation charm plus one generic damage or posture-boosting charm.
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Playstyle:
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Abuse Retaliate-style counter skills to absorb damage then hit back with high posture damage attacks.
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Use jump attacks after safe openings for faster stance breaks; Tricephalos is very vulnerable to repeated heavy jump chains.
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Co-op team setups
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Classic trio: Raider (main tank/DPS) + Guardian/Ironeye (off-tank peel) + Revenant/Duchess (Holy backline).
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Split phase plan: Each frontliner grabs a different head, while the caster drops Holy AoE/rings that hit all three; debuffs on one head generally benefit damage on all copies, making coordinated focus very effective.
General build priorities for Tricephalos
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Always prioritize:
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Holy damage sources (weapons, skills, spells).
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Stance/posture damage (heavy, jump, or counter attacks).
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Fire and physical mitigation so mistakes in his melee strings and fire moves are not fatal.
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If you tell which Nightfarer you’re using (Raider, Wylder, Executor, etc.) and your level, a concrete stat spread and suggested weapon/charms can be laid out for that exact build.
