Elden Ring may have the least opaque story of a Souls game so far, but you can still easily pass over some of its early NPCs and quests by accident. There isn't a quest log in Elden Ring, either, so you're left to keep track of these things by hand or by memory as in Souls games past. Don't let the first few merchants and questgivers in Limgrave fly under your radar: They're worth stopping to chat with to score new spells and quests and occasionally a good laugh.
Before you start exploring too far afield, make sure you've met the important NPCs Elden Ring expects you to run into. I'll assume that you've talked with Melina the Finger Maiden, the first Santa Claus-looking Nomadic Merchant in the Church of Elleh, and Roderika at Stormhill Shack. They all fall right along your route to Elden Ring's first boss Margit, and you're not likely to miss them. There are other Nomadic Merchants you'll want to pay a visit to also—one on the beach south of the Coastal Cave and one on the road east of Saintsbridge—who will sell you crafting recipes and other useful items. You'll also meet several other characters and merchants at the Roundtable Hold once Melina sends you there for the first time.
Aside from those basics, here are all the other folks you'll want to meet early on in Elden Ring, some of whom are much easier to miss.
Bernahl
Type: Merchant (Ashes of War)
Location: Warmaster's Shack
I know more than one person who managed to totally overlook Bernahl and the Warmaster's Shack Site of Grace. If you're playing one of the Elden Ring classes that relies on melee weapons, you won't want to miss him. He sells several Ashes of War that are handy for slapping on your swords. You'll find him and the Site of Grace on the northern road in Limgrave between the Stormhill Shack and Saintsbridge.
Kenneth Haight
Type: Quest giver
Location: Mistwood Outskirts
If you're keeping to the roads as you explore Elden Ring, you'll hear Kenneth calling out to you north of the Mistwood, but I managed to skirt around him for several hours by accident. Kenneth is an early quest giver in Elden Ring who will ask you to clear out Fort Haight nearby, south of the Mistwood. He'll gift you an Erdsteel Dagger for your trouble. You'd think a guy with a fort to his name would give bigger "thank you" gifts, but ah well.
Renna
Type: Quest giver
Location: Church of Elleh
Known as Renna the first time you meet her, this witch hands over your Spirit Calling Bell which you'll absolutely need if you want to summon Spirit Ashes as your combat companions. You can wind up missing her if you don't visit the Church of Elleh at night, so take care to stop and see her before you've progressed too far. Meeting Renna also opens up a quest chain, which you can follow closely in our Ranni quest guide.
Sorceress Sellen
Type: Merchant (Sorceries)
Location: Waypoint Ruins Cellar
It is easy to overlook giving Sellen a visit as she's hidden away in a tiny, easily missed dungeon at the bottom of a staircase in the ruins. Check our guide to finding the Waypoint Ruins Site of Grace for the rest of the details. If you're looking for new spells, Sellen is a merchant you won't want to miss.
Alexander the Iron Fist
Type: Quest giver
Location: Saintsbridge
Alexander is tough to miss, but after all the love for Elden Ring's talking pot boys you'll want to make sure you don't neglect him. Alexander will call out to you from above as you head east towards Saintsbridge on the road at the north end of Limgrave. Freeing him from the pickle he's gotten into will kick off his quest chain. You'll encounter him several more times throughout the game, so pay attention to where he says he's headed next.
Blaidd
Type: Quest giver
Location: Mistwood Ruins
Blaidd is another encounter that's easy to miss, so be sure to check our guide on how to get that wolf man out of the tower. You'll find him perched on top of the Mistwood Ruins at the center of the forest. Calling him down will start a quest chain with multiple meetings between you and Elden Ring's resident wolf guy, so don't skip meeting him early on.
D, Hunter of the Dead
Type: Merchant (Incantations)
Location: Summonwater Village Outskirts, Roundtable Hold
You'll initially find D at the Summonwater Village Outskirts after taking down a boss in the small pond there. You may also meet him for the first time at the Roundtable hold, which is where he'll hang out and sell you incantations. D is particularly helpful, pointing you towards an easy route to the Bestial Sanctum where you can buy special bestial incantations.
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