The Elden Ring Ranni quest is one of the longest and most important in the game. You'll learn a lot about the story and lore that you might otherwise miss, and it directs you to some of the most secret and extremely hard to get to locales in the Lands Between. Ranni's quest also unlocks an alternate ending, which has more substantial differences than in some other character quests.
You meet Ranni very early in the game, when she gives you the Spirit Calling Bell, though she tells you her name is Renna. You'll need to progress quite a way into Liurnia before you meet her again, however, and even then she's pretty hard to find if you don't know where to look. Once you reach Caria Manor and get a formal introduction, you can start the quest proper and aid the witch in making her bid for supreme power.
In this Elden Ring Ranni quest guide, I'll walk you through every step you need to take to complete it, and more importantly, grab that Dark Moon Greatsword.
This guide will contain lots of story spoilers surrounding secret locations and Ranni, so avoid if you want to find that stuff out yourself.
Elden Ring Ranni quest steps
I'll explain all these steps in greater detail below, but for now here's an easy to skim list of Ranni's quest steps:
- Meet Ranni in Ranni's Rise at Caria Manor, Liurnia.
- Meet Blaidd in Siofra River.
- Talk to Seluvis to get his letter of introduction for Sorceress Sellen.
- Talk to Sellen to find out about Radahn.
- Talk to Blaidd about Radahn.
- Head to Redmane Castle, Caelid.
- Defeat Radahn to free the stars.
- Head to East Limgrave and down into the falling star crater.
- Head to the center of Nokron to get the Fingerslayer Blade.
- Return and give the blade to Ranni.
- Head to Renna's Rise and go through the portal.
- Collect the Miniature Ranni Doll and talk to it at a Grace until it speaks.
- Defeat the shade of Blaidd near Lake of Rot to get the key.
- Head to the Raya Lucaria Grand Library to open the chest and get the ring.
- Head across Lake of Rot and descend the ledges to climb inside the coffin.
- Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void and enter the room behind him.
- Head into the Cathedral of Manus Celes and down through the hole.
- Put the ring on Ranni's finger.
- Claim the Dark Moon Greatsword.
How to start Ranni's quest
How to begin the Ranni quest
First, head to the Caria Manor in the northern part of West Liurnia. On your way up the road, be sure to talk to the giant blacksmith, Iji, since he'll become relevant later. Head inside the manor and make your way through it, watching out for those horrific hand monsters. After the Troll Knight on the stairs, you'll come to a big room with a pool surrounded by chairs.
This is where you'll fight Loretta, and she's a tricky boss, with an arsenal of sorceries, and a polearm that has a nasty reach from the back of her horse. Take the time to beat her yourself before heading out into the garden. There are three towers up here: Renna's Rise, Ranni's Rise, and Seluvis' Rise. Make your way to middle tower, Ranni's Rise.
Head to the top and talk to Ranni to start the search for the lost city of Nokron. After that, go back downstairs to chat to the other members of your merry little band. Blaidd will tell you he's heading to Siofra River to look for Nokron and to meet him there.
How to find Nokron
How to find Nokron in Elden Ring
Make your way to Siofra River through the Siofra River Well in the Mistwoods of East Limgrave. You'll find Blaidd further inside the underground region. Talk to him, and he'll explain that he can see Nokron up above, but can't find a way to get there. Follow these steps:
- Head to Iji on the road up to the manor to talk about Nokron, Blaidd, and Renna.
- Go to Seluvis' Rise to get the potion for Nepheli, then to ask about Nokron. Seluvis will give you a letter of introduction to Sorceress Sellen.
- Make your way to the Waypoint Ruins of East Limgrave, south along the road from the Agheel Lake North Site of Grace.
- Defeat Mad Pumpkin Head in the basement to unlock Sellen and give her the letter. She'll tell you to kill Radahn.
- Optional: Head back to Blaidd to tell him what she said about Radahn, and he'll mention the festival of combat at Redmane Castle, and tell you to meet him there. You can also talk to Iji about it to get some additional dialogue.
Starscourge Radahn tips
Defeating Starscourge Radahn
Now for the hard part. Head to the fort at the most southeasterly point of Caelid: Redmane Castle. Sprint past the defences with Torrent, and jump around to the right past the troll at the gate to sneak in. You'll eventually come to the Chamber Outside the Plaza Site of Grace. Good news is, by doing this quest, you've actually skipped a pretty horrible boss. In the next chamber where that boss should've been, are the contestants for the festival, including Blaidd and Alexander, The Iron Fist.
Head up and talk to the Jerren, then use the lift and the portal to enter the boss. Starscourge Radahn is a horrible boss to fight, but here are some tips:
- Don't summon in other players, since this fight is far easier on horseback.
- Summon NPCs throughout the fight using the signs that will reappear when they die.
- Let the NPCs bring Radahn into melee while you dodge his ranged attacks at a distance. This will prevent him using his basically undodgeable rain-of-arrows attack.
- The best option is to chip away at Radahn from a distance using scarlet rot (rot pot, rot grease, rot weapons) or sorcery.
- For those using melee, wait for his combos to end, then sprint in with Torrent to charge attack his rear and horse. To maximize the power of your attacks, I definitely suggest using some talismans such as the Lance Talisman, Axe Talisman, or the Blue Dancer Charm.
- Watch out for his second phase where he'll return as a flaming meteor. He'll summon four asteroids around him, and when he rides away from you, he's going to fire them. Dodge them, or stay near the ridge crest so you can use the hill to block them.
Once Radahn is dead, the stars will return, and one will fall to earth in East Limgrave.
Find the Fingerslaying Blade for Ranni in Nokron
Finding the Fingerslaying Blade for Ranni in Nokron
Head to the south section of East Limgrave and you'll spot a load of floating rubble and a crater. Go through the crater to enter Nokron, Eternal City. Progress through the area, past the Mimic Tear boss, and into the forest with the ancestral warriors. Find the Site of Grace in the image below: it lets you access the Night's Sacred Ground by jumping across rooftops. In the center of this area, below the giant finger reader sitting on the throne, you'll find the Fingerslayer Blade in a chest.
Give the Fingerslayer Blade to Ranni back at Ranni's Rise and she'll give you the Carian Inverted Statue that unlocks the Carian Study Hall.
If you want to know where Blaidd went, talk to Iji. He'll tell you that he locked Blaidd up for his own good. You can get some additional dialogue from the wolf man if you head to the Forlorn Hound Evergaol in the southernmost point of West Limgrave.
Exploring Nokstella and getting the Discarded Palace Key
Once you sit at a Site of Grace, you'll now be able to head to Renna's Rise, the previously inaccessible tower. It houses a portal that takes you into Ainsel River. Nearby you'll find the Miniature Ranni. Take her to a grace and talk to her until she replies. Tiny Ranni will tell you to head into Nokstella to kill some shades, but you can get additional dialogue if you talk to her at graces along the way.
Make your way under the meteor-shooting star beast, and through Nokstella until you descend an elevator into a garden with ant-riding Nox monks. Head right to find another elevator that leads down to the Nokstella Waterfall Basin grace. Sprint past the Basilisks to find yourself invaded by Blaidd. Kill him and Ranni will thank you, giving you the Discarded Palace Key. Head to the Raya Lucaria Grand Library where you fought Rennala and open the chest to find the Dark Moon Ring.
Lake of Rot and Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
Lake of Rot and Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
From where you fought Blaidd, head down into the Lake of Rot. You can stand on the switches to make platforms appear, but I recommend beelining straight towards the giant doorway on the right side if you have enough flasks to stay alive. There's a grace just beyond the doorway. Using the nearby ledges, descend to where the Pests are gathered below. Don't head towards the room at the end, but go left to the stone coffin by the waterfall. Climb in and wait.
This will start a cutscene, and you'll find yourself outside a fog door. Astel, Naturalborn of the Void is like something directly out of Bloodborne; a cosmic nightmare scorpion who has array of AoE attacks. Your best bet is to smack him in the face with jumping attacks when you can to stagger him, while remaining aware of his AoEs and his pincer grabs. Once he's dead, carry on up the elevator.
The Moonlight Altar and Dark Moon Greatsword
The Moonlight Altar and Dark Moon Greatsword
You're finally here! The end of the road. Head up from the elevator to the big cathedral you can see. A dragon boss will spawn that you can fight, but if you'd prefer not to, just run inside. In the center of the Cathedral of Manus Celes there is a hole in the floor you can descend through. Inside you'll find Ranni and some very dead fingers. Then, you'll initiate a cutscene where you slip the Dark Moon Ring onto her finger. She'll thank you for becoming her champion, and after she disappears, the Dark Moon Greatsword will appear in front of you.
Ranni quest epilogue
Alternate Ranni ending dialogue
If you want additional dialogue, head to the grace at the top of Ranni's Rise where she once sat. This will also change the dialogue for the ending of the game.
Now you can pursue Ranni's Age of Stars ending once you've finished the rest of the game. After you've beaten the final boss, just use Ranni's summon sign to start it.
So, what happened to Ranni's comrades, Blaidd, the wolf man and Iji?
If you're interested in where Blaidd went, head back to Ranni's Rise to find him—just be prepared for what unfolds.
It's also worth going to talk to Iji afterwards, for an epilogue to the quest.
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