Ranni questline in Elden Ring: the long road to the Age of Stars
The ranni questline is the most layered NPC arc in Elden Ring, threading three regions, four major bosses, and several optional encounters before it unlocks one of the game’s alternate endings. Ranni the Witch, also called the Lunar Princess, is a demigod who broke free from the Greater Will and is rebuilding her discarded flesh into a doll. The quest asks the player to gather her loyalists, retrieve a hidden Numen rune, and ultimately help her abandon the Lands Between alongside the tarnished protagonist.
Because the ranni questline sprawls across roughly a third of the game, players regularly miss steps, trigger spoilers early, or fail to reach the final grace at the end of the road. The guide below lays out the full arc in the order the developers intended, calls out the choices that lock you out of content, and shows where the quest opens into other NPC stories such as Blaidd, Iji, and Seluvis. Read it once before you commit to the path, and keep a save before each major decision so you can return if a side story takes a turn you did not expect.
Prerequisites and preparation before you start
The ranni questline is not gated behind a single early item, but several requirements must be met before its first real step. Without them, the relevant NPCs will simply ignore you or refuse to hand over the next quest item.
- Reach Roundtable Hold at least once. This unlocks the hub progression tied to the main endings and gives you access to vendors who sell useful materials for the journey.
- Defeat Starscourge Radahn at Redmane Castle in Caelid. This event is a prerequisite for accessing the Three Sisters area, where Ranni’s rise begins in earnest.
- Defeat Royal Knight Loretta at the top of Caria Manor. The path into the Three Sisters subregion is locked behind this boss.
- Have a reliable source of cold resistance. The Mountaintops of the Giants region and the final dungeon both inflict Frostbite, which can end a run quickly if your build is unprepared.
- Carry a torch or lantern when entering underground sections such as the Lakeside Crystal Cave and the Cathedral of Manus Celes, since several scripted events only trigger in darkness or low light.
Beyond these gates, the ranni questline is friendly to almost any build. Stealth and ranged options make the Iji and Blaidd encounters easier, but melee players who learn enemy patterns can complete the arc without respeccing. Treat the line as a long, branching chain rather than a single quest marker, and plan your route to pick up the related NPC stories without backtracking across the entire map.
Starting the ranni questline: meeting the witch at Caria Manor
Once Radahn has been defeated, travel to Caria Manor in northern Liurnia. The path to Ranni starts here, but the manor’s design forces you to deal with Royal Knight Loretta before you can cross into the upper grounds. After Loretta falls, enter the Manor Main Hall, drop through a hole in the floor, and follow the dungeon to a glittering grace in the Three Sisters area. Resting here triggers an invasion by a Festering Fingerprint Vyke, an optional fight that foreshadows the rest of the ranni questline and awards a useful talisman if you win.
From the Three Sisters grace, three towers sit in close range. The central tower holds Ranni’s Rise, the southern holds Seluvis’s Rise, and the northern holds Iji’s Rise. Enter Ranni’s Rise at night, in game time, and speak to the blue-robed doll sitting on the floor. The doll is Ranni, and she will hire the tarnished to recover a stolen Numen rune fragment. The same conversation opens three sibling stories: Blaidd the half-wolf, the giant smith Iji, and the sorcerer Seluvis. Tracking each side conversation is part of the ranni questline’s structure, because several of Ranni’s items only become available if you respect her loyalists’ wishes.
The Four Belfries, the spirit NPC, and the path to Nokron
Ranni’s first real errand is to reach a hidden area called Nokron, the Eternal City, where her stolen rune fragment rests. Speak to the spectral figure near the Lake of Rot, in the eastern cliffs of Liurnia, and he will explain that the way underground is sealed until a falling star strikes the right place. That star is the result of the Radahn festival, and the new chasm at the southern edge of Mistwood now leads directly down.
Open the chest behind the Four Belfries to warp underground. Drop into the Siofra River, rest at the grace, and follow the path past the Mausoleum of the Nameless King until the landscape gives way to dark stone and silver city ruins. Nokron is split into two halves: the area accessible through the Mistwood chasm, and a deeper area that opens later in the quest. The first half houses Mimic Tear, one of the most powerful spirit ashes in the game, and several Siofra River zone encounters. Loot everything on the way down, because the rest of the ranni questline takes you far from vendors and you will not return here for a long time.
| Step | Location | Objective | Key reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three Sisters, Liurnia | Meet Ranni and accept the rune errand | Access to three tower NPCs |
| 2 | Four Belfries, Mistwood | Use the hidden chest to drop to Siofra River | Short route into the underground |
| 3 | Siofra River | Cross the underground region and enter the city ruins | Smithing Stones, a unique ash of war |
| 4 | Nokron, Eternal City | Defeat the Mimic Tear boss and find the Fingerslayer Blade | Mimic Tear spirit ash |
After you defeat the Mimic Tear, explore the rest of the accessible Nokron. The Fingerslayer Blade is hidden at the end of the Silver Chalice area, and the Dark Moon Ring rests inside a chest on a Nokron rooftop guarded by a silver rat. The ring is the next quest item, and you will need it to enter Ranni’s second major destination. Take a moment at this stage to read the Siofra River map carefully, because returning for forgotten items later means a long ride through the underground.
Precipice of Animation and the path to the dark moon
Return to Ranni’s Rise with the Fingerslayer Blade, the Dark Moon Ring, and any other items the ranni questline has asked you to collect. The doll is silent until you place the ring on her finger. Once she accepts it, the tower changes: the room darkens, Ranni briefly inhabits a spectral form, and the spirit NPC Blaidd at the Siofra River is needed again to point you toward the next location. This conversation also locks Ranni into the path she will follow for the rest of the game, so save here if you want to keep your options open.
The new destination is the Moonlight Altar, on the western coast of Liurnia. The path to the altar is closed until you use the Carian Inverted Statue, sold by Iji, on the message pedestal north of the Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel. The statue inverts the tower, and the new path opens on the far side of the lake. Walk the moonlit road until you reach the Cathedral of Manus Celes, the in-game seat of the ranni questline’s climax. Beware the Prelate’s Embrace miniboss in the cave before the cathedral: the fight is straightforward, but failing it means backtracking a long way through the inverted tower.
Blaidd, Iji, and Seluvis: how the loyalist stories branch
Each of Ranni’s three supporting characters has a story that feeds into the ranni questline. You can complete the main arc while ignoring the branches, but you will lose a significant amount of lore, several unique items, and two alt endings. Tracking all three is therefore the recommended approach for anyone planning a second playthrough or a completionist run.
| NPC | Where you meet them | What they want | How the ranni questline resolves them |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blaidd the Half-Wolf | Forlorn Hound Evergaol, Mistwood | To find his place in Ranni’s plan | Driven mad by the Two Fingers; fighting or sparing him affects the ending |
| Iji the Blacksmith | Iji’s Rise, Three Sisters | To protect Ranni and provide weapons | Killed by Black Knife Assassins during the quest; rewards his gear |
| Seluvis the Sorcerer | Seluvis’s Rise, Three Sisters | To use tarnished as test subjects | His potion questline is optional and can lock you out of one ending |
Blaidd is the most important of the three for completionists. After the ranni questline advances, he goes mad and is found wandering the Mistwood evergaol as a hostile NPC. If you do not want to kill him, the safe path is to complete his portion of the story before the Cathedral of Manus Celes. Iji is harder to save: he is killed by assassins once you enter the Mountaintops of the Giants, but his shop stays accessible through his corpse, which is a way the developers chose to keep his gear in the ranni questline. Seluvis’s potion quest is the only one that can block the Age of Stars ending, so consult the decision section below before accepting any of his items.
Seluvis’s potion: the most expensive choice in the ranni questline
Seluvis offers to transform a chosen NPC into a spirit ash that follows you through the rest of the ranni questline and the game. The potion works, but Ranni will discover what you have done, and her response at the Cathedral of Manus Celes is to refuse your help with the final steps of the ending. This is the single most reported point where players accidentally lock themselves out of the Age of Stars. If you have already consumed the potion, the only way to return to the correct path is to reload a save from before the conversation with Seluvis.
The safe play is to refuse the potion on your first run, return to Seluvis only if you want the novelty of the spirit ash, and plan ahead so the ranni questline is not blocked by a side decision. The same caution applies to Nepheli Loux’s quest in Stormveil Castle and to any NPC that Seluvis asks you to involve. A good rule of thumb is to treat Seluvis as a useful vendor for the ranni questline, not a trustworthy ally, and to leave the potion in his shop unless you know exactly what you are trading away.
Finding the Lake of Rot and the hidden path to the moon
The Cathedral of Manus Celes is the threshold to the second half of the ranni questline. Rest at the grace, examine the statue to enter the boss fight against the spirit-caller snail, and follow the new path that opens into the Lake of Rot. The lake is one of the most atmospheric areas in the game, a poison lake that deals Scarlet Rot on contact, and the only safe ground is a series of walkways. The Moonlight Greatsword, one of the most iconic weapons in the Souls series, lies at the end of this path, along with the Ansbach armor set, if you have completed the O, Brother side story.
Once the walkway ends, climb the ladder at the top of the rot. You arrive at the Astel, Naturalborn of the Void boss arena. This fight is the technical test of the ranni questline so far: the boss is fast, teleports aggressively, and is highly resistant to magic. The reward for defeating Astel is the path forward into the snowfield hidden inside the rocks. Take a short rest at the grace, refill flasks, and step into the moonlight that the ranni questline has been building toward since the start of the game.
The Moonlight Altar, the chariot, and the ring back to Ranni
Past Astel, the ranni questline takes you through a short dark area guarded by several silver rats and ending at the Cathedral of Manus Celes again. The path that just opened leads to the Mausoleum of the First Dark Moon, a tiny hidden dungeon accessible only by following the light of a strange carriage through the snow. The fight here is a small, scripted encounter that gives the Moonlight Greatsword to players who did not pick it up in the Lake of Rot. Continue past the mausoleum and into the grace at the base of a tall staircase.
The ranni questline now asks the tarnished to perform a final act: enter the coffin in front of the moonlight altar and let the carriage carry you. The coffin is a unique one-way transport that drops you into a small arena where the ranni questline resolves itself. Once you interact with the dark moon, the Age of Stars ending plays, and the ranni questline is complete. From a save point earlier, you can also abandon Ranni at the cathedral and follow the other endings, but you lose access to the post-game epilogue scene that ties the ranni questline to the wider lore of the Lands Between.
Decisions that lock or unlock content
The ranni questline contains several decision points where your actions decide whether you can still reach the Age of Stars ending, the hidden Moonlight Greatsword, and several NPCs’ final scenes. The table below summarizes the choices and what each one changes.
| Decision | Where you make it | Effect on the ranni questline |
|---|---|---|
| Consume Seluvis’s potion | Seluvis’s Rise, Three Sisters | Locks the Age of Stars ending; Ranni refuses the final step |
| Kill or spare Blaidd after he goes mad | Forlorn Hound Evergaol, Mistwood | Affects the dialogue at the end of the ranni questline and the final scene |
| Pre-empt the Black Knife Assassins at Iji’s Rise | Iji’s Rise, Three Sisters | Saves Iji’s life; you keep access to a merchant with smithing materials |
| Talk to the spectral NPC after the Radahn festival | East cliffs, Lake of Rot | Required to open the underground route to Nokron and the rest of the quest |
| Enter the final coffin at the Moonlight Altar | Cathedral of Manus Celes, top floor | Required to reach the Age of Stars ending and the ranni questline epilogue |
The most common mistake new players make is treating the ranni questline as a one-way rail. It is, in fact, a network of small choices, and several branches are hidden behind conversations you can have only at certain times of day or only after specific events. Read carefully, save before each major dialogue, and do not assume that fast travel back to a tower will keep the ranni questline progressing. Some NPCs only respond to the tarnished at a specific time, and the game’s dialogue system does not always tell you when you have missed a window.
Combat tips for the ranni questline bosses
Five major boss fights gate progress through the ranni questline. None of them are mandatory in the strict sense, but skipping any of them stops the arc at the next locked door. The list below highlights the encounters and the rough approach that holds up against the most common builds.
- Starscourge Radahn: bring Torrent, stay mobile, and aim for the empty windows between the gravitational slams. Radahn is the only ranni questline boss with a two-phase structure, and his gravity well can stagger the player if you are caught on foot.
- Royal Knight Loretta: stand behind the horse and punish the halberd swings. Loretta’s ranged magic is dodgeable, but the safest path is to close the gap and stay on her right side.
- Mimic Tear: do not use ranged attacks; the mimic will copy them. Equip a heavy weapon, dodge the opening charge, and punish the second wind-up before the spirit switches to magic.
- Starscourge Radahn (post-festival, optional): only relevant if the ranni questline moves into the Wailing Dunes area. The fight is the same as the first Radahn but with a different opening cinematic.
- Astel, Naturalborn of the Void: bring cold resistance and a weapon with a long reach. Astel teleports frequently, so chase the ground slam to bait a punishable animation.
Spirit ashes are especially strong in the ranni questline, because the ranni questline asks the player to fight alone in several wide arenas. The Mimic Tear, Lhutel the Headless, and Black Knife Tiche are the three spirit ashes most players rely on for these encounters, and they are all reachable before the cathedral. The remainder of the ranni questline does not introduce new mandatory bosses, so the late game is more about exploration than combat, which is a useful change of pace after the Astel fight.
Where the ranni questline opens into the rest of the game
Even players who only follow the ranni questline will see a wide slice of the game world. The list below names the regions and side stories the ranni questline naturally pulls the player toward. None of them is required, but all of them reward completionists and lore hunters.
- Siofra River zone and the Mohgwyn Palace invasion: both areas open from underground, and the ranni questline’s underground route places the player near several optional bosses.
- Mountaintops of the Giants: the ranni questline does not require entry, but the path to the final steps runs through the zone. Mountaintops is also where several endings, including the default, are triggered.
- Consecrated Snowfield: the hidden region holds the Haligtree, Miquella’s resting place. The ranni questline’s late path passes through this area, so visiting the Haligtree is a natural side trip.
- Stormveil Castle and Leyndell, Royal Capital: not part of the ranni questline, but Ranni’s dialogue references the Erdtree order, and several NPCs the ranni questline mentions live in these legacy dungeons.
- Ainsel River, Lake of Rot, and Uhl Palace Ruins: connected to the ranni questline through the underground routes, and each region has at least one optional encounter that rewards lore items.
The geographical spread of the ranni questline is one of the reasons the quest is often recommended as a second-playthrough focus. By the time the ranni questline resolves, the player has effectively seen three quarters of the map, and the remaining side content is easier to clean up because the ranni questline’s later steps open shortcuts between distant regions. Plan accordingly: do not finish the ranni questline until you have cleared the parts of the map you want to revisit, because some regions become harder to reach once the ending cinematic has played.
How the ranni questline fits into Elden Ring’s story
The ranni questline is the main vehicle for telling the story of a single demigod’s rejection of the Greater Will. Each step of the quest reinforces the same idea: the moon is greater than the Erdtree, the old order is a cage, and the tarnished is only useful as long as they choose to leave with Ranni. The Age of Stars ending is the only one that closes on a quiet, ambiguous note, and the ranni questline’s epilogue is one of the few moments in the game that comments on the journey from outside the Lands Between.
For readers interested in the wider lore, the ranni questline is the cleanest entry point because it does not require a high level, no specific build, and only two mandatory bosses. Players who follow the quest in full usually understand the broad shape of Elden Ring’s world by the time the ending plays, which is why the ranni questline is recommended to first-time players who want one good story path through the game before branching into the other endings.
Common pitfalls and how to recover from them
Even with a complete walkthrough, the ranni questline has several pitfalls that can stop a run cold. The list below names the most common ones and the cleanest way to recover from each.
- You cannot find Blaidd in Mistwood. Check that you have defeated Starscourge Radahn and visited the southern Mistwood grace; Blaidd only spawns once those two conditions are met.
- The Siofra River spirit is not appearing. He is positioned at a specific grace in the eastern cliffs; if you cannot see him, the ranni questline has not opened that area yet, and you should return later.
- You cannot find the Dark Moon Ring. The ring is in a chest in the highest building in Nokron, accessible only by jumping from a tower. Look for a side path that wraps around the top of the city.
- You are stuck at the Cathedral of Manus Celes. The cathedral is the ranni questline’s last major grace; if you cannot proceed, you have probably missed a step in Nokron. Re-examine the underground region before pushing forward.
- The Age of Stars ending is not playing. Confirm that you have not consumed Seluvis’s potion and that you spoke to Ranni at the cathedral’s top floor after the Astel fight. Both conditions are required to trigger the correct ending.
If a step seems impossible, the ranni questline is forgiving enough that a save from an earlier point will usually reset the conditions you need. The most common recovery move is to reload a save from the moment you reached Roundtable Hold, then re-walk the ranni questline with a checklist. The full arc takes roughly three to five hours of focused play, so this is not a major time cost and it tends to surface missed dialogues that the player overlooked on the first run.
Recommended level and build for the ranni questline
Because the ranni questline scales gradually across three regions, there is no single recommended level, but a general guideline keeps the experience smooth. Aim for at least level 80 before fighting Radahn, level 90 before facing the Mimic Tear, and level 110 before entering the Lake of Rot. These numbers are not hard caps, and skilled players can push through the ranni questline well below them, but they are a useful baseline for a casual run.
For builds, the ranni questline rewards players who can switch between melee and ranged damage. A bleed or frost build works very well on every boss in the arc, and the ranni questline’s later steps include long range encounters where a strong bow or a sorcery build is the safer option. Pure faith builds can complete the ranni questline but will struggle against the Mimic Tear, since the mimic will copy the player’s strongest incantation and out-trade them in a mirror fight. If your build cannot adapt, summon a cooperator or use a spirit ash with high magic resistance.
What you get from the ranni questline
The ranni questline rewards are mostly tied to the Age of Stars ending and the late-game content it opens, but the arc also unlocks several powerful items along the way. The list below names the most useful ones, in roughly the order you earn them.
- Moonveil katana, found in the Gael Tunnel and accessible only after Ranni’s first conversation.
- Carian Inverted Statue from Iji, needed to enter the Moonlight Altar and continue the ranni questline.
- Mimic Tear spirit ash, dropped by the Mimic Tear boss in Nokron.
- Fingerslayer Blade, used as a quest item to advance the ranni questline at the cathedral.
- Moonlight Greatsword, found in the Lake of Rot or awarded by the Mausoleum boss.
- Age of Stars ending and post-game epilogue scene, the narrative payoff of the ranni questline.
For players who care about trophies and achievements, the ranni questline contributes to several tracking events. The arc’s completion is one of the ranni questline’s most commonly missed trophies because the final dialogue with the doll is required to trigger the counter. If you have completed every other step and the trophy has not appeared, return to the Cathedral of Manus Celes and rest at the grace; the ranni questline often requires a brief rest before the trophy registers.
Where to go after the ranni questline
Once the Age of Stars ending has played, the ranni questline is complete, but the wider game has several other endings waiting to be discovered. The ranni questline’s ending is one of the most discussed because it is the only one that explicitly removes the player from the Lands Between, and several players like to start a new game to see how the other endings feel by contrast.
If you are planning a second run, a useful sequence is: complete the ranni questline as a first experience, then start a new character and follow the Volcano Manor or the Frenzied Flame endings to see how the game world responds. The ranni questline is also a useful template for any questline that crosses several regions, because the developers hid similar structures in the Fia, Goldmask, and Brother Corhyn storylines. Studying how the ranni questline is paced is a productive use of time for designers who want to learn how to design long-form, multi-zone narrative arcs.
How the ranni questline compares with other NPC arcs
Elden Ring includes several long NPC arcs, but the ranni questline is the one that covers the largest map area and rewards the most unique items. The table below compares it with three of the other major arcs.
| Questline | Region coverage | Mandatory bosses | Unique rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranni | Liurnia, Caelid, Mountaintops, underground | 4 | Age of Stars, Moonlight Greatsword, Mimic Tear |
| Goldmask | Altus Plateau, Leyndell, Mountaintops | 1 | Age of Order ending, Law of Regression |
| Fia | Stormveil, Leyndell, Deeproot Depths | 2 | Age of the Duskborn ending, Fia’s Mist |
| Brother Corhyn | Altus Plateau, Mountaintops, Farum Azula | 0 | Goldmask’s companion, lore on the Golden Order |
From a design perspective, the ranni questline is the most ambitious of these because it asks the player to return to a region after a long absence, to use a new mechanic (the inverted tower), and to engage with a different narrative register in the cathedral. Studying how the ranni questline sequences these moments is a useful exercise for designers who want to understand how to build a long quest that respects the player’s time. The ranni questline is also notable because it never asks the player to make a moral choice in dialogue; the only real choice is whether to help Ranni at all, and the rest is execution.
Closing notes for new players
Approach the ranni questline as the spine of your first run. It will carry you through several major regions, teach you the rhythm of the game’s quest design, and reward you with one of the most discussed endings in recent memory. The ranni questline is forgiving for new players because the developers placed most of the major items in reachable locations, and the only real difficulty is keeping track of which NPC you are speaking to and when. With a save before each major conversation and a willingness to backtrack, the ranni questline is a satisfying path through the game, and a strong foundation for any further exploration you want to do in the Lands Between.
For more guides on how to navigate long, multi-zone questlines, our Clash Royale codes page and our AFK Journey codes page show how we approach progression in live-service titles that share similar long-form design patterns.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I start the ranni questline?
Begin by defeating Starscourge Radahn in Redmane Castle, then defeating Royal Knight Loretta in Caria Manor. Once both bosses are down, rest at the Three Sisters grace in northern Liurnia and enter Ranni’s Rise at night. The doll inside is Ranni, and she gives you the first step of the ranni questline.
What level should I be for the ranni questline?
Around level 80 is a comfortable starting point for the ranni questline, and level 110 covers the late steps. The Mimic Tear boss is the most level-sensitive encounter, and over-leveling the ranni questline at that point can make the fight trivial. If you want a balanced experience, aim for the lower end of the range.
Can I do the ranni questline without doing other NPC arcs?
Yes. The ranni questline is self-contained, although it interacts with Blaidd, Iji, and Seluvis. Skipping those side stories still lets you reach the Age of Stars ending, but you will lose some dialogue and unique gear.
Does the ranni questline block any other endings?
Only the Frenzied Flame ending, and only if you have consumed Seluvis’s potion. The ranni questline is compatible with all other endings, including the default Erdtree ending, and you can replay the final step with different choices from the same save.
What happens if I kill Blaidd during the ranni questline?
Killing Blaidd is not required and changes the dialogue in the cathedral at the end of the ranni questline. You can still reach the Age of Stars ending, but Blaidd’s final scene is replaced with a different one. The ranni questline does not require Blaidd’s death for any reward.
Is the Mimic Tear spirit ash the best reward in the ranni questline?
The Mimic Tear is the most famous reward, but the Moonlight Greatsword and the Age of Stars epilogue are the ranni questline’s true payoffs. Mimic Tear is strongest in the mid-game, while the greatsword and the ending remain relevant across the rest of the game and into the post-credits scene.
Can I do the ranni questline after beating the main bosses?
You can, but several steps become much harder. The ranni questline is best completed before Leyndell, Ashen Capital, because the underground routes open and close based on main-game progress. If you have already beaten the final boss, you have missed the ranni questline’s main rewards.
What do I do if Seluvis gives me the potion?
Refuse it. The ranni questline treats the potion as a hard lock on the Age of Stars ending, and consuming it forces you to reload an earlier save. If you want the spirit ash reward, do it on a separate save file that you are willing to use for the alternate ending.
Does the ranni questline have multiple endings of its own?
Only one ending is directly tied to the ranni questline: the Age of Stars. The other variants come from combinations with the Frenzied Flame, the Lord of Chaos, and the standard Erdtree endings. Each combination is reachable from the same save if you have not locked yourself out with Seluvis’s potion.
How long is the ranni questline in real time?
A focused run takes around three to five hours, including travel and the four mandatory bosses. A casual run with the optional Blaidd, Iji, and Seluvis branches can run to eight hours. The ranni questline is one of the longest questlines in the game, and it is worth pacing it across a single evening rather than trying to clear it in a quick session.
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