In the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree story expansion, you’ll meet several new NPCs that are tied to the game’s storyline. Each of them has their own backstory, their own motivations for following Mikella (no, I’m not talking about the demigod’s charms), and their own unique story arc.
All NPCs with quest lines in the game
To start, I’d like to list all the characters you can meet in the game, from their locations to the potential rewards you can get for completing their quest chains:
Needler Leda – you will meet her before you get to the realm of shadows. As soon as you kill Radan Starbane and Mog Bloodlord in the original game, Leda will appear in the arena where you fought the last named enemy. She will briefly tell you what she is going to do and why she decided to go to the realm of shadows. Leda is a true follower of Mikella the Good, the Magnanimous, and so on. This can be judged after the destruction of the Great Rune, when Mikella’s spell wears off and the Needler decides to eliminate those who can now pose a threat to him. By completing Leda’s quest, you can get (there are also mutually exclusive rewards) the talisman “Crossed Trunks of Vengeance” (enhances attacks performed after a roll or step back), weapons and armor of another NPC Rogovest (curved sword falx, mask of caterpillars, robe with a braided belt, braided armguards, dirty loincloth), ashes of war “Swift Strike” , Leda’s rune (40,000 runes), Leda’s sword , Leda’s armor , weapons and armor set of another NPC Ansbach (longbow of Ansbach, mask of the sage, robe of Ansbach, armguards of Ansbach, shoes of Ansbach).
Knight of the Rye Mane Freya – this warrior, literally alive with battles, can be found at the beginning of the kingdom of shadows, at the “Cross of the Three Roads” “bonfire”. It is there that you will find the first cross of Mikella. Freya is devoted to her former master Radan, so she does not resist Mikella’s desire to resurrect the Scourge of the Stars in the body of Mog. For completing her storyline, you can get a shield in the form of a golden lion , Freya’s two-handed sword , a set of Freya’s armor (Freya’s helmet, Freya’s armor, Freya’s gloves, Freya’s greaves).
Rogovest – stands at the same “bonfire” as Freya, at the very beginning of the game. From him you will receive two cards with Mikella’s crosses. Rogovest is a representative of the indigenous inhabitants of the kingdom of shadows, Belurat, who were exterminated by Messmer’s army on the orders of Marika. This is his motive for following Mikella – a thirst for revenge. In particular, he wants to kill Messmer. As a reward for completing his story quest, you can get two cards with Mikella’s crosses , a curved falx sword , a set of Rogovest armor (a mask of caterpillars, a robe with a braided belt, braided armguards, a dirty loincloth), a rune of Leda (40,000 runes), a talisman “Crossed trunks of revenge” (enhances attacks performed after a roll or a step back), ashes of war “Quick strike” .
Old Lady Rogovest – apparently, this is the mother of Rogovest, which I told you about above. You can meet her in Belurat’s pantry, for which you will have to find the key to the pantry (in the room near the wastewater falling from a great height (forming a waterfall, at its top). I will tell you more about its location below. At first, the woman refuses to talk to Pogushiy, considering him an enemy of his people (after all, it was Marika who sent the knights of Messmer to exterminate the local people). Upon fulfilling certain conditions of her quest chain, you will be able to receive the prayer “Vigilant Spirit” (a guardian spirit appears above the summoner’s head), spider scorpion stew , exquisite spider scorpion stew .
Mur, the Green Copper Warrior is a Shadow Realm merchant who sells several interesting items. You will meet him at the Main Gate Cross “bonfire”, just before entering Belurath, the Tower Settlement. Mur and his group of gatherers are looking for loot that should help Leda and the other followers of Mikella. After the destruction of the Great Rune, Mur will be sad, and depending on your choice, he will either die or survive and confront you in the penultimate battle. As a reward for completing his quest chain, you can receive Mur’s Bell Sphere , Green Copper Greatshield , and a set of Mur’s armor (Green Copper Helmet, Green Copper Armor, Green Copper Gloves, Green Copper Greaves).
Ansbach is a former soldier who fought under Mog the Bloodlord. He is still loyal to his lord, but will not be angry at the Extinguished when he learns that it was at his hands that the lord died (emphasizing that it was an honorable fight). You can meet him in the same place as Mura, at the “Cross at the Main Gate” “bonfire”, before Belurat. Ansbach is trying his best to understand why Mikella stole Mog’s body. Unlike Freya, he will not be pleased that someone decided to use the shell of his former lord. For completing his quest chain, you can get the Leda Rune (40,000 runes), the Crossed Trunks of Vengeance talisman (increases attacks performed after a roll or step back), Ansbach’s weapon and armor set (Ansbach’s longbow, sage’s mask, Ansbach’s robe, Ansbach’s bracers, Ansbach’s shoes), a shield in the form of a golden lion , another melee weapon “Obsidian Blade” (scythe), the prayer “Ansbach’s Furious Blade” (creates a blade of bloody fire on the edge of the palm, cutting through a crowd of enemies), Freya’s two-handed sword , a set of Freya’s armor (Freya’s helmet, Freya’s armor, Freya’s gloves, Freya’s greaves). We continue to complete the side quests of all the secondary characters of the game Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree on the StopGame.Ru gaming portal.
Tiolier is a weakened warrior who specializes in poison. You can first meet Tiolier at the “Cross by the Pillared Road” “bonfire”, east of Messmer’s camp in front of Ensis Castle. That is, you need to go across the great bridge over the Ellac River and head east. You can buy various items from Tiolier, he is the second merchant of the expansion. Once the Great Rune is destroyed and Mikella’s spell wears off, Tiolier will stop following the demigod and instead focus on his other half, Saint Trina. His secondary quest will be connected with it, for completing which you can get Tiolie’s potion , the “Smile of Saint Trina” talisman (increases attack power near sleeping enemies), the “Hidden Needle of Tiolie” weapon , a set of Tiolie armor (Tiolie mask, Tiolie robe, Tiolie gloves, Tiolie pants), and the “Flower of Saint Trina” headdress (Trina’s life is fleeting, like the seasons, and fades too quickly. The last time the saint left behind only one water lily. Slightly increases maximum AP. Because of the velvety purple petals, the water lily seems poisonous, but this is not so at all. This is the color of the drowsy peace in which it grows).
Saint Trina – She is not connected to Mikella’s quest chain in the Shadow Realm, but she does affect another character, Tiolie, which I mentioned above. Regardless of whether you go through her chain and Tiolie’s quests or not, after defeating the final boss you will find “Saint Trina’s Flower” under the Trina statue (Trina’s life is fleeting, like the seasons, and fades too quickly. The last time the saint left behind only one water lily. Slightly increases maximum CP. The velvety purple petals make the water lily seem poisonous, but this is not so. This is the color of the drowsy peace in which it grows). In parallel, having completed the Tiolier branch, you will also receive the talisman “Smile of Saint Trina” (increases attack power near sleeping enemies), the weapon “Hidden Needle of Tiolier” , a set of Tiolier armor (Tiolier mask, Tiolier robe, Tiolier gloves, Tiolier pants). We continue the passage of side quests of all secondary characters of the game Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree on the gaming portal StopGame.Ru.
Count Ymir – Like Saint Trina, he is another character who is uninterested in the aspirations of other NPCs and the motives of Mikella. Instead, Count Ymir explores the ruins of the Fingers in an attempt to find the Mother of Fingers. You can meet him at the Cathedral of Manus Metir, in the east of Shadow Altus. To get there, head to the eastern part of the region, drop down into the depths of the Murtagh ruins through a hole, and emerge in the village of Bonny. From here, head east across two bridges, north to the grace site “Church Ward Tract”, west and south to the lake on which the Cathedral of Manus Metir stands. Completing his quest chain can reward you with the Blood Seed Talisman +1 (Flask of Crimson Tears restores more HP), Priceless Stardust Talisman (increases casting speed of spells and prayers to the limit, but increases damage taken), Night Talons weapon , Finger Weaver’s Handbook [2] , Azure Seed Talisman +1 (Flask of Azure Tears restores more Focus), Ymir’s Bell Sphere , High Priest Armor Set , Dust Mother’s Staff “Night Swordswoman Yolan” , unique katana “Night Sword” , Dust of Night Swordswoman Yolan and Anna , Memory of the Finger Mother , Caring Fingers enchantment .
Nightswordswoman Yolan – You can meet this girl in the same place as Count Ymir, in the Cathedral of Manus Metir, in the east of Shadow Altus. To get there, go to the eastern part of the region, jump into the depths of the Murt ruins through a hole and come out in the village of Bonny. From here, go east across two bridges, north to the place of grace “Church Ward Tract”, west and south, to the lake on which the Cathedral of Manus Metir stands. Her quest line runs parallel to Count Ymir’s, so you can get the corresponding rewards – Blood Seed Talisman +1 (Flask of Crimson Tears restores more health points), Priceless Stardust Talisman (speeds up the casting of spells and prayers to the limit, but increases damage taken), Night Talons weapon , Finger Weaver’s Handbook [2] , Azure Seed Talisman +1 (Flask of Azure Tears restores more focus points), Ymir’s Bell Sphere , High Priest Armor Set , Dust Mother’s Staff “Night Swordswoman Yolan” , unique katana “Night Sword” , Dust of Night Swordswoman Yolan and Anna , Memory of the Mother of Fingers , Caring Fingers enchantment .
Fire Knight Qilinae – This will initially be one of the first characters to invade your world, but he actually has a separate questline that you can complete by finding Qilinae alive in the Shadow Haven. Depending on your choice, you will be able to receive the Fire Knight Qilinae Summoning Ashes or Qilinae’s Greatsword .
Monk Dane Dryleaf is a silent warrior you will meet in Shadow Altus if you go to the Mort Ruins to the east of the first “bonfire” (near the place itself you need to find a message from the monk and the gesture “May the best win”). Impeccably follows Mikella, even after the destruction of the Great Rune. As a reward for completing his storyline, you can get the Dryleaf technique (hand-to-hand combat), Dane’s hat , Dane’s Kick . To find the Dryleaf Seal and three missing pieces of armor, you will have to proceed to the Castle Watering Hole under the Shadow Haven and go along the waterfalls to the right (the items are at the top and bottom of the second waterfall). We continue the passage of side quests of all minor characters of the game Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree on the gaming portal StopGame.Ru.
Dragon Knight Igon – A wounded and writhing Igon can be found in the eastern Tombstone Plains, near the “Rest by the Pillared Road” grace spot. First, you must find Tiolie. To do this, you must cross the great bridge over the Ellak River and head east. After that, continue south to the grace mentioned above. Tiolie is on the path to the right. He has no interest in Mikella. Instead, he has a story associated with him that will lead you to the second most difficult boss in the game (the first is the final one), the mighty dragon Bale the Terrible. For completing Egon’s quest chain, you can get a Dragon Heart , Dragonscale Flesh , Ancient Forgestone , Ancient Dark Forgestone , Bale’s Heart , Egon’s Greatbow , Egon’s Armor Set (Egon’s Helmet, Egon’s Armor, Egon’s Gloves, Egon’s Loincloth), Egon’s Bell Orb (you can buy Egon’s Harpoon from the twins – an arrow with 90 physical damage and 100 crit).
The Priestess of the Dragon Communion is another NPC who has no interest in Mikella. Instead, the priestess wants to destroy Bale the Terrible. Just like Egon. To meet her, you must go to Jagged Mountain. To the east of the Tombstone Plains is the Dragon Pit. Go through it to get to the specified location. Then go down to the lake with the first Dragon of Jagged Mountain and turn right, to the large stone Dragon lying on Jagged Mountain and the Azure Coast. Near the bowl of dragon communion stands the Priestess. For completing her storyline, you can get a dragon heart , dragon scale flesh , ancient forge stone , ancient dark forge stone , Bale’s heart , Egon’s greatbow , Egon’s armor set (Egon’s helmet, Egon’s armor, Egon’s gloves, Egon’s loincloth), Egon’s bell sphere (you can buy “Egon’s Harpoon” from the twins – an arrow with 90 physical damage and 100 units of crits), priestess’s heart , “Stone hammer-flower” weapon , ashes for summoning “Ancient dragoness Florissax” . We continue to walk through the side quests of all minor characters in the game Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree on the StopGame.Ru gaming portal.
The Final Battle (SPOILER)
This part of the guide contains a plot spoiler. Read it at your own risk. If you are interested in quests for specific characters, scroll down the page.
In the Enir-Ilim location, where you get to at the end of the game, before facing the final boss, you will have to defeat the needlewoman Leda. Depending on the decisions you made in the quest chains of different characters, you may have both allies and additional enemies here:
- Needleworker Leda – guaranteed to fight against you.
- Dane Dryleaf – Guaranteed to fight against you.
- Rogovest – may fight against you if you don’t complete his quest chain (which ends with a one-on-one fight with him).
- Moore – may fight you if you ignore his quest chain or tell him to “not think about it”. If you tell him to be sad forever, you will soon find Moore’s dead body near the Temple of the Holy Crusade, in the west of Shadow Altus.
- Freya – fights against you if you complete her storyline by handing over the letter from Ansbach (when you bring him the scroll with the secret ritual).
- Bloody Noble Nataan is a “left” character who can only be summoned to your side in the battle against Leda. And only if you don’t have the support of both other potential allies. If you have both Ansbach and Tiolier, then Nataan won’t be summoned.
- Ansbach – will side with you if you help him during Leda’s quest. In addition, the former warrior Mog can be summoned in the final battle. But for this, apparently, you need to show him a scroll with a secret ritual.
- Tiolier – you need to complete his quest chain, related to the search for Saint Trina in the Rift under the Côte d’Azur. We continue the passage of side quests of all secondary characters of the game Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree on the gaming portal StopGame.Ru.
Leda’s Quest
After entering the Shadow Realm, you need to go through Belurath and defeat the Sacred Dancing Lion. Then go to the eastern door and take the elevator up. Go to the end of the bridge, open the door and pick up the Tree of Decay fragment lying near the statue. Then go up the stairs to the north. At the top, you will find a blocked passage and a letter from Leda called “Message from the Tower of Shadow”. From it, it becomes clear that Leda went to the east.
If you follow Rogovest’s questline, you will have a map showing the locations of three of Mikella’s crosses. One of these crosses is located in Ensis Castle, east of Belurath and northeast of the “Cross of Three Roads” bonfire, past the great bridge over the Ellac.
Enter the castle and head to the Ensis Castle Grace Place. Here you will find one of Mikella’s crosses indicated on Rogovest’s map. Leda will not be here, but you will find another letter from her. Take it and you will learn that Leda has not yet managed to reach the Shadow Haven. Later, you will be able to summon her near the end of the Ensis Castle location. When you reach the Castle Master’s Quarters bonfire, Leda will become one of the companions you can summon to help you in the battle against Rellana, the Knight of the Double Moon. There will also be an opportunity to summon Dry Leaf Dain.
For the next encounter with Leda, head to Shadow Altus, to the “Road Cross” grace spot, located just past Ensis Castle, north of the exit (after defeating Rellana). To the northeast of this location is Rogovest. Once at the grace spot, collect the Tree of Decay shard and an additional item – a message from a monk and the “May the best man win” gesture. But first, talk to Leda. She will ask if you have met all the NPCs, and will tell you that the group following Mikella’s path did not fight only because of Mikella’s charm.
If you discuss all the topics with Leda and the other NPCs, you will have the opportunity to ask her about Rogovest. Leda will tell you about his group. After that, talk to Rogovest, who will give you a map with four Mikella crosses, one of which is the one where you are.
To unlock new dialogue options with Leda, head to Mykella’s Cross in the east, in the Murtagh Ruins, where you’ll meet Dryleaf Dane. He’ll be silent. Try talking to him, then return to Leda and ask about the monk. Leda will explain that the monk is a fierce warrior who has followed Mykella longer than the needlewoman. At this point, the dialogue with Leda will end, and you’ll be able to continue her personal quest after destroying the Great Rune.
As you approach the Shadow Haven, you will hear a loud noise and receive a notification that the Great Rune has been destroyed and Mikella’s spell has dissipated. The behavior of the NPCs who followed Mikella will change, as the spell is no longer in effect. Talk to Leda at the “Road Cross” and she will admit that the spell is no longer in effect. Unlike other characters, Leda remains loyal to Mikella. She is ready to destroy anyone who, in her opinion, is unworthy of following Mikella. Talk to her again and she will say that she is going to find those who do not deserve Mikella’s attention. We continue the walkthrough of the side quests of all minor characters in the game Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree on the gaming portal StopGame.Ru.
Choice #1
At this point, you will have to make your first important choice – Leda will ask for your advice on who to start with. Possible options:
Offer to Tiolier. Leda will consider his loyalty to the Holy Trina rather than Michelle, but will conclude that he is not a threat due to the dual nature of the Holy Trina and Michelle.
Suggest Rogovest. Leda will agree that he is dangerous. She will say that Rogovest is thirsty for revenge, but he must remember the promise given to Mikella. Leda will ask for time to think. Rest at the place of grace and return to Leda. She will say that she has made a decision and will go after Rogovest. The same will happen if you do not specify anyone.
Don’t suggest anyone. Leda will go after Rogovest anyway.
If you are following Rogovest’s questline and Leda has decided to go after him, you will have a chance to fight one of them in the Shadow Haven. Once you reach the “Main Gate Square”, you will come to the front of the Specimen Vault and approach a bridge dotted with burning boats. To the south, just past the stairs down, there will be two summon signs: a red one for Leda and a gold one for Rogovest.
Choice #2
Help Leda. You will have to fight Rogovest. As a reward, you will receive his weapon (sickle) and armor. Return to Leda after victory, and she will give you a talisman. Leda will begin to assess other characters for threats to Mikella. After resting at the place of grace and talking to her again, she will say that she wants to eliminate Ansbach. After defeating Massmer, you will find a message from Leda at the “Cross by the Road” “bonfire”. This will continue her quest, but will interrupt Rogovest’s storyline.
Help Rogovest. You will have to defeat Leda. For this you will receive a new Ash of War “Swift Strike” and 40,000 runes. Leda will disappear from the “Cross by the Road”.
Skip the fight. The quest chain will continue. If you summon Rogovest to fight Messmer, Leda will stop pursuing him and you will advance his quest line. Leda will target Ansbach next.
Leda’s quest line ends in Enir Ilim. Once you reach the top of the tower, you will meet Leda, who will challenge you to a fight against her, Dry Leaf Dain, and her allies. After the final fight, the reward will be Leda’s sword. Returning to your world, you will find her lifeless body on the way to the top of the tower and receive her armor set