Elden Ring Ranni questline walkthrough
Here's how to complete every part of the Ranni the Witch questline
Want to know how to complete the Elden Ring Ranni quest? Ranni is the most popular character in Elden Ring, and she also facilitates one of its most important quests. The Ranni quest will allow you to access the best Elden Ring ending, but that means you'll need to put in some serious work. Ranni's quest has over 20 steps, and you'll travel all over the Lands Between to complete them all.
In this guide, we'll break down every step of the Ranni quest in Elden Ring. This includes every area, boss, and NPC that you'll need to find to complete Ranni's questline and achieve an alternate ending in Elden Ring.
Note: spoilers for certain areas, bosses, and items follow. You've been warned.
Elden Ring Ranni quest walkthrough
To complete Ranni's quest in Elden Ring, you must start by going to the Church of Elleh in Limgrave. This then sets you on an incredibly long adventure which offers many rewards, including the Age of Stars alternate ending. If you complete Ranni's questline, you'll also get an incredibly powerful legendary armament known as the Dark Moon Greatsword. This is one of the best weapons in Elden Ring, so it's worth completing Ranni's quest during your playthrough, regardless of the ending you want to choose.
Below, you can find a full list of all the key steps you need to do to complete the Elden Ring Ranni quest:
- Talk to "Renna" (Ranni) at the Church of Elleh
- Progress Sorcerer Rogier's quest until he mentions Ranni
- Conquer Caria Manor in north Liurnia
- Meet with Ranni in her tower behind Caria Manor
- Speak to Rogier again about Ranni
- Return to Ranni and agree to serve her
- Speak to Blaidd in Siofra River Bank
- Meet with Seluvis in Liurnia
- Speak to Sellen in Limgrave
- Defeat General Radahn in Caelid
- Obtain the Fingerslayer Blade from Nokron
- Deliver the Fingerslayer Blade to Ranni
- Use the teleporter in Renna's Rise
- Pick up and speak to Miniature Ranni
- Defeat the Baleful Shadow
- Unlock the chest in the Academy Library
- Head through the Lake of Rot
- Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
- Ascend to the Moonlight Altar in Liurnia
- Interact with Ranni at the Cathedral of Manus Celes
- Obtain the Dark Moon Greatsword
- Use Ranni's summon sign after the final boss
Some of these tasks are optional steps and other parts can be done in a different order, but this offers you the most comprehensive experience of the entire Elden Ring Ranni questline. Below, we'll break it all down one step at a time.
1. Talk to "Renna" (Ranni) at the Church of Elleh
Your first opportunity to meet the witch Ranni comes very early on. After you obtain your horse, Torrent, from Melina, you should head to the Church of Elleh at night. You should find Ranni there waiting for you.
Speak with her. She'll introduce herself as "Renna" for now, and she'll give you the Spirit Calling Bell used to summon Spirit Ashes. If you didn't do any of this, don't worry: you can purchase the Spirit Calling Bell from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold later on. And the rest of the Ranni questline will still be available to you.
2. Progress Sorcerer Rogier's quest until he mentions Ranni
Sorcerer Rogier is a friendly character you first meet in Castle Stormveil, and who can later be found in the Roundtable Hold (after you've defeated Godrick). It isn't necessary, but for the most complete version of Ranni's quest you should complete the following parts of Rogier's quest at this point:
- Examine the bloodstain near the giant face below Stormveil Castle (you can reach this area by entering the room with the pots opposite the Secluded Cell Site of Grace, then using the ledges around the walls to jump through the window).
- Find Rogier in the Roundtable Hold and talk to him about the corpse.
- Talk to Fia, ask her to hold you, and exhaust her dialogue. She'll tell you about the Black Knifeprint artifact.
- Retrieve the Black Knifeprint from the Black Knife Catacombs in Liurnia.
- Give the Black Knifeprint to Rogier.
- Reload the area and talk to Rogier about his findings.
Complete all these steps, and when you ask Rogier about what he's discovered from the Black Knifeprint, he'll explain that Ranni the Witch was behind the plot to slay Godwyn the demigod, whose corpse you found below Stormveil Castle. He'll then say that the Cursemark of Destined Death should still be somewhere on Ranni's person, and that you can find Ranni in her tower behind Caria Manor in north Liurnia to learn more.
3. Conquer Caria Manor in north Liurnia
Once you're ready, you should head north of the Academy of Raya Lucaria and tackle Caria Manor. This is a fairly tough area filled with buried hands, sorcerers, and tough soldiers. At the end you'll fight the boss of Caria Manor: Royal Knight Loretta.
Once you've defeated her, head outside behind Caria Manor and you'll find the Three Sisters area. It's guarded by Glintstone Dragon Adula; you can either fight it or avoid it. Head to Ranni's Rise, which is the middle of the three towers in this area (the other two towers are currently blocked off). At the top of the tower, speak to Renna.
4. Speak to Ranni in her tower behind Caria Manor
Renna will reveal herself to be Ranni upon speaking to her in her tower. If you didn't proceed through Rogier's quest before this, the conversation will skip to step #6. Otherwise, she'll send you on your way, telling you the Cursemark you (and Rogier) seek isn't here.
5. Speak to Rogier again about Ranni
Return to Rogier after your meeting with Ranni, and he will suggest that you offer to serve her as her vassal. This will allow you to get close enough to her to ascertain more about the Cursemark's whereabouts.
6. Return to Ranni and agree to serve her
Speak to Ranni again and offer to serve her. If you have followed Rogier's path, she'll see through you, understanding that you're here only for the Cursemark - but she'll still agree to let you serve her. If you didn't follow Rogier's path before reaching this point, she will agree all the same.
Ranni will then tell you that she needs a certain item from Nokron, The Eternal City. The dialogue here differs depending on whether you've beaten Starscourge Radahn or not; if you haven't beaten Radahn, she'll tell you to meet with Blaidd down by Siofra River.
As a note: you might think the Cursemark is important to Ranni's quest, but it isn't. The Cursemark is actually a part of Fia's quest - there just happens to be a bit of overlap between the two characters' questlines. So you won't hear any more about the Cursemark here.
7. Speak to Blaidd in Siofra River Bank
Siofra River is one of the major underground sections of the Elden Ring map. You can get there by using the lift at Siofra River Well, just next to the Minor Erdtree in the Mistwood. Explore this area, and you'll eventually come across Blaidd hanging around next to the Hallowhorn Grounds. Talk to him, and he'll explain that he doesn't know how to enter Nokron itself. He does, however, mention that one of Ranni's other followers, the sorcer Seluvis, may know the way forward.
8. Speak to Seluvis in Liurnia
Seluvis owns the southmost of the three towers in the Three Sisters. The talk with him is short and characteristically brusque; he'll tell you to seek out the sorceress Sellen in Limgrave.
9. Speak to Sellen in Limgrave
Sorceress Sellen can be found in the cellar beneath the Waypoint Ruins, just beyond the Highway Bridge in Limgrave. If you haven't been there before, the cellar is guarded by a Mad Pumpkin Head that you must first defeat before speaking to Sellen.
As part of this quest, Sellen will explain that you first need to defeat General Radahn before you can make your way into the Eternal City, Nokron.
10. Defeat General Radahn in Caelid
Ah, it sounds so easy, doesn't it? Radahn is one of the major bosses of Elden Ring. You can find him by travelling to Redmane Castle on the southeast island of the Caelid Wilds. However, he won't actually spawn at Redmane Castle until you have accessed the Altus Plateau via either the Ravine or the Grand Lift of Dectus. Go ahead and start working on that. I'll wait.
11. Obtain the Fingerslayer Blade from Nokron
With Radahn defeated, a meteorite will drop from the sky on top of the Eternal City of Nokron, opening the way up for you. Proceed down there from the adjoining Siofra River.
From the Ancestral Woods Site of Grace, you can jump onto the nearby building and follow the path to a new area. At the end of this area, in a large chest inside a small building, you'll find the Fingerslayer Blade, which is the treasure of Nokron that Ranni desires.
12. Deliver the Fingerslayer Blade to Ranni
Head back to Ranni in her tower and interact with her to deliver the Fingerslayer Blade to her. She'll thank you for your work and your servitude and tell you that your work is done. She'll also give you the Carian Inverted Statue at this point, which is the key to reaching the Divine Tower of Liurnia.
You may think that the questline ends here, but it certainly does not.
13. Use the teleporter in Renna's Rise
Now that you've delivered the Fingerslayer Blade to Ranni, head to Renna's Rise directly opposite Caria Manor. You should find that the tower is no longer barred, and you can now enter it and reach the top. At the top is a teleporter which will take you to a previously inaccessible area of Ainsel River, which is the underground section below Liurnia.
14. Pick up and speak to Miniature Ranni
In front of you where you arrive, there should be a loot drop on a coffin. Loot it and you'll find a miniature Ranni doll, which is apparently cool to the touch.
At the next Site of Grace, speak to the Miniature Ranni. At first it will not respond, but keep attempting to speak to it and it'll eventually deign to speak to you. As it turns out, the doll was a disguise, and you actually are speaking to Ranni herself. Exhaust her dialogue, and she'll set you on another quest: to slay the Baleful Shadow down here in the Ainsel River.
She'll also explain a little bit more about herself at this point:
"I was once an Empyrean. Of the demigods, only I, Miquella, and Malenia could claim that title. Each of us was chosen by our own Two Fingers, as a candidate to succeed Queen Marika, to become the new god of the coming age. Which is when I received Blaidd. In the form of a vassal tailored for an Empyrean. But I would not acquiesce to the Two Fingers. I stole the Rune of Death, slew mine own Empyrean flesh, casting it away. I would not be controlled by that thing. The Two Fingers and I have been cursing each other ever since... And the Baleful Shadows... are their assassins."
15. Defeat the Baleful Shadow
Progress through this area of Ainsel River and you'll eventually find a Baleful Shadow. It's a tough adversary, but defeat it and Ranni will reward you once more with a Discarded Palace Key.
You may also notice at this point that Ranni seems to say farewell, and if you inspect the Miniature Ranni doll, it will no longer be cool to the touch, indicating that Ranni's spirit has fled this doll. However, amazingly, this still is not the end of the questline.
16. Unlock the chest in the Academy Library
After defeating Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon, you may notice that sitting next to her in the Academy Library is a locked chest. The Discarded Palace Key unlocks this chest. Inside, you'll find the Dark Moon Ring. it isn't a wearable; it'll come into play shortly.
How to reach the Moonlight Altar and the Cathedral of Manus Celes in southwest Liurnia
These next steps take you through the Lake of Rot and a powerful boss, so that you may finally reach that mountain on the southwest of Liurnia which is otherwise completely inaccessible to players.
17. Head through the Lake of Rot
Go back to where you fought the Baleful Shadow, and take the lift downward. You'll emerge in a new area: the aptly named Lake of Rot. Standing in this lake builds up your Scarlet Rot meter, which is like an even more powerful poison effect. It's not a nice place.
18. Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
There's a Dragonkin Soldier that you can fight in the lake, but it's not essential for this questline. Head to the end of the Lake, and at the very end, on the left, there's a magical coffin that you can rest inside, which will take you to an area guarded by a powerful boss: Astel, Naturalborn of the Void. Defeat it. Again, I'll wait.
19. Ascend to the Moonlight Altar in Liurnia
After defeating Astel, if you've followed the above steps and obtained the Dark Moon Ring, you'll be allowed through to the end of the cave. So if you find the way is blocked, go back and get that ring.
If the way isn't barred, then head through and up the lift, which takes you up the Deep Ainsel Well to a brand new area of Liurnia: the Moonlight Altar.
There's plenty to explore up here, including a new Evergaol boss, and Glintstone Dragon Adula (if you fought it at Caria Manor to the point where it flew off). There are also other regular dragons just lumbering about, so be careful of them while you're up here.
20. Interact with Ranni at the Cathedral of Manus Celes
Head to the Cathedral of Manus Celes, and you'll see a hole in the ground. Carefully head down this hole using the ledges partway down, and then follow the pathway.
At the end, you'll see a gruesome sight: a slain Two Fingers, with a seemingly lifeless (but still perfectly poised) Ranni sitting in front of it. Interact with Ranni, and you'll trigger a cutscene where you place the Dark Moon Ring on her finger. Her lifeless body then disappears, and her familiar snow witch form appears in front of you.
21. Obtain the Dark Moon Greatsword
Speak to Ranni, and she'll explain that she's leaving now, "to the night sky". She bids you follow the path of the Elden Lord. Then she disappears.
Wait a few seconds, and a loot drop should appear next to where she disappeared, at the base of the Two Fingers. Loot it, and you'll at long last obtain the Dark Moon Greatsword (or Moonlight Greatsword), one of the legendary armaments.
The Dark Moon Greatsword requires 16 Strength, 11 Dexterity, and 38 Intelligence to wield properly. It deals joint physical and magical damage, and also causes frost buildup to enemies.
Its unique skill is Moonlight Greatsword: "Raise the sword aloft, bathing it in the light of the dark moon. Temporarily increases magic attack power and imbues the blade with frost. Charged attacks release blasts of moonlight." Powerful stuff, and hopefully well worth the considerable effort it took to obtain!
22. Use Ranni's summon sign after the final boss
At the very end of the game, after defeating the final boss, if you've completed all of the previous steps in this questline you'll have the ability to summon Ranni using a summon sign on the ground. This will prompt Ranni's ending for you, the best possible ending in the game. We won't go into any more details here except to tell you that this is how you reach the true end of Ranni's quest.
That wraps up our guide on the Elden Ring Ranni quest. While you're here, you may also want to check out our list of Elden Ring boss locations, or our guide to the best builds in the game. This quest will pit you against some of the hardest bosses in Elden Ring, so make sure you're prepared with the best armor and best spells in Elden Ring.
