Mastering Ranni’s Questline in Elden Ring

Ranni the Witch stands as one of Elden Ring’s most enigmatic and rewarding questlines, offering players access to a unique ending and powerful weapons. Her storyline weaves through multiple regions and introduces players to fascinating characters whose motivations challenge the game’s core narrative. This guide provides a complete walkthrough of every step required to unlock the Age of the Stars ending and claim all associated rewards.

Initial Encounter: Meeting Renna at the Church of Elleh

The journey toward Ranni’s questline begins deceptively simply in Limgrave’s Church of Elleh. After obtaining Torrent and meeting Melina, players should return to this Site of Grace during nighttime hours. A spectral blue figure materializes, introducing herself as Renna—though this is merely an alias concealing her true identity. This encounter represents a pivotal moment in understanding Ranni’s deceptive nature and mysterious background.

During this initial meeting, Renna offers two crucial gifts: the Spirit Calling Bell and Lone Wolf Ashes. These items serve as essential tools for summoning spirit allies throughout your journey. After receiving these gifts and conversing further, she vanishes, leaving players to wonder about her true purpose. This encounter feels minor at the time, but it plants the seeds for one of Elden Ring’s most elaborate quest arcs.

Progressing to Ranni’s Rise and Formal Service

The next significant phase occurs when players venture to Three Sisters, a hidden area within Liurnia of the Lakes. Three Sisters contains three distinct towers, each protected by magical seals. Ranni’s Rise occupies the central position among these structures. To reach this location, players must navigate through Caria Manor at Liurnia’s northwestern edge, bypassing Stormhill Castle. The journey itself presents considerable challenges but serves as an effective gatekeeper for players unprepared for the questline’s demands.

Upon reaching the summit of Ranni’s Rise, players encounter the witch in her true form. She reveals her actual name and extends a formal invitation to enter her service. Accepting this proposal officially activates the complete questline and unlocks subsequent objectives. Those who decline initially need not worry—returning to Rogier at the Roundtable Hold provides guidance on how to proceed, allowing players to rejoin Ranni’s service upon a second visit.

Consulting the Three Servants

After pledging allegiance to Ranni, three spectral projections materialize within her tower: War Counselor Iji, Preceptor Seluvis, and Half-Wolf Warrior Blaidd. Each character embodies different aspects of Ranni’s plan and provides unique perspectives on the unfolding conspiracy. The tower becomes temporarily sealed during this phase, preventing departure until all three conversations conclude. Speaking with each servant advances the narrative and reveals the true scope of Ranni’s rebellion against the established order.

Defeating Starscourge Radahn: The Turning Point

The questline pivots dramatically with the requirement to defeat Starscourge Radahn, one of Elden Ring’s most formidable demigods. This boss encounter occurs at Redmane Castle in Caelid and represents a significant combat milestone. Radahn’s defeat carries profound narrative implications for the entire game world, as his death allows a meteorite to descend and create a crater in Limgrave. This falling star serves as the gateway to Nokron, the underground city harboring Ranni’s hidden treasure.

Players approaching Radahn unprepared face near-certain defeat. His combination of speed, power, and magical attacks overwhelms careless adventurers. Utilizing spirit summons, maintaining distance, and exploiting openings between his attacks form the foundation of successful strategies. The reward justifies the effort—victory unlocks progression toward the game’s most mysterious secrets.

Exploring Nokron and Retrieving the Fingerslayer Blade

With Radahn defeated, a crater materializes on the map, revealing a path into Siofra River’s upper regions. This area represents the gateway to Nokron, an ancient civilization dwelling beneath the Lands Between. Navigating Nokron demands careful exploration and combat against formidable enemies, including the challenging Mimic Tear duplicate of your character.

Deep within Nokron lies a colossal statue holding a chest. This chest contains the Fingerslayer Blade, the artifact Ranni requires for her quest. Retrieving this blade marks a turning point in the narrative, as it demonstrates players’ commitment to Ranni’s cause. Upon returning to Ranni with the blade, she accepts it gracefully and vanishes to pursue her own objectives independently.

Accessing Renna’s Rise and the Ainsel River

After providing the Fingerslayer Blade, the quest stalls temporarily until players reload their game or fast travel. Upon returning to the Three Sisters region, the seal blocking Renna’s Rise to the north disappears. This previously inaccessible tower now opens, revealing new treasures and pathways. At Renna’s Rise summit stands a teleporter leading to the Ainsel River, the next major location in Ranni’s questline.

The Ainsel River presents a darker, more ominous atmosphere compared to earlier areas. Scarlet Rot pools contaminate the landscape, requiring careful navigation to avoid damage. The environment itself becomes an adversary, with hazardous terrain complementing aggressive enemies. This region establishes the escalating danger players face as they journey deeper into Ranni’s mysterious plans.

The Miniature Ranni Doll and Baleful Shadow Encounter

Upon arriving at the Ainsel River Main Site of Grace, a new dialogue option appears: “Talk to miniature Ranni.” A small doll can be found nearby, representing Ranni’s consciousness within a doll vessel. Selecting this dialogue option three times prompts Ranni to communicate directly through the doll, expressing annoyance at player interference. She assigns the player the task of defeating the Baleful Shadow, a mysterious entity lurking deeper within the Ainsel River region.

The Baleful Shadow functions as a mid-tier boss encounter, proving more manageable than Radahn but still demanding respect. Defeating this enemy demonstrates the player’s worthiness as Ranni’s consort and ally. The victory also progresses the narrative toward its climax, setting the stage for final encounters.

Locating the Dark Moon Ring and Navigating Lake of Rot

The Discarded Palace Key, obtained through earlier progression, unlocks a chest in Raya Lucaria’s Grand Library beside Rennala. This chest contains the Dark Moon Ring, a crucial artifact for Ranni’s final ritual. Acquiring this ring requires navigating Raya Lucaria’s treacherous halls and defeating its defenders.

With the Dark Moon Ring in hand, players must traverse the Lake of Rot within the Ainsel River. This hazardous zone presents environmental challenges alongside combat encounters. The Scarlet Rot water deals persistent damage, requiring careful movement and quick traversal. Players can interact with a stone coffin from a distance, avoiding direct contact with the toxic water while accessing the Grand Cloister beyond.

Defeating Astel and Accessing the Cathedral

Beyond the stone coffin awaits Astel, Naturalborn of the Void, a powerful cosmic entity guarding the final pathway. This boss employs gravity magic and devastating physical attacks, requiring players to balance offense with defense. Possessing the Dark Moon Ring removes an impassable magical seal blocking the exit after Astel’s defeat, allowing progression toward the Moonlight Altar and Cathedral of Manus Celes.

The Final Ritual and Quest Completion

The Cathedral of Manus Celes houses Ranni’s dormant physical form, resting beside the corpse of a Two Fingers entity. This location represents the culmination of Ranni’s centuries-long plan to defy the Greater Will and forge an independent path. Interacting with the doll body and placing the Dark Moon Ring on Ranni’s finger triggers the final ritual, fully restoring her consciousness within her doll vessel.

Upon completion, Ranni awakens and formally acknowledges the player as her consort. She promises that their paths will cross again, though the exact nature of their future relationship remains ambiguous. After Ranni vanishes, a legendary weapon materializes: the Dark Moon Greatsword, a intelligence-scaling blade infused with frost magic and capable of unleashing frost projectiles through special attacks.

Unlocking the Age of the Stars Ending

Completing Ranni’s questline opens access to the Age of the Stars ending, one of Elden Ring’s multiple endings. After defeating the Elden Beast in the final boss encounter, a blue summon sign appears near Marika’s broken remains instead of the usual interaction point. Using this summon sign triggers the Age of the Stars ending, where Ranni departs the Lands Between on her own terms, taking the player along as her eternal consort.

This ending represents a fundamentally different resolution compared to other available conclusions, offering a more ambiguous and mysterious finale that reflects Ranni’s enigmatic character. Players unlocking this achievement demonstrate mastery of one of Elden Ring’s most intricate narrative threads.

Quest Rewards Summary

• Spirit Calling Bell: Essential tool obtained at the questline’s beginning for summoning spirit allies
• Lone Wolf Ashes: Spirit summon providing reliable combat support throughout the game
• Dark Moon Greatsword: Legendary weapon scaling with Intelligence, featuring frost buildup and projectile capabilities
• Age of the Stars Ending: Unique game conclusion available only after quest completion
• Carian Inverted Statue: Key item enabling access to the Divine Tower of Liurnia
• Cursemark of Death: Lore item revealing crucial narrative details about Ranni’s plot

Key Locations Reference Table

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if I miss meeting Renna at Church of Elleh?

Missing the initial encounter delays obtaining the Spirit Calling Bell and Lone Wolf Ashes but does not permanently lock players out of Ranni’s questline. The quest can still be accessed by traveling to Ranni’s Rise and pledging service directly, though the early gifts remain unobtainable.

Can I complete Ranni’s quest without defeating Radahn?

No, Radahn’s defeat is mandatory for progressing Ranni’s questline. His death triggers the falling star event creating access to Nokron, which contains the Fingerslayer Blade required for advancement.

Is the Age of the Stars ending missable?

The ending becomes available only after completing Ranni’s questline. Players must complete her quest and reach the final boss encounter to access the blue summon sign triggering this conclusion.

What should I prepare before attempting Starscourge Radahn?

Equip heavy armor for damage negation, carry healing items, and bring powerful spirit summons to distract Radahn during combat. Level up sufficiently, and practice dodging his attacks before committing to the fight.

Can I use the Dark Moon Greatsword immediately after quest completion?

Yes, the Dark Moon Greatsword becomes usable immediately upon obtaining it. However, its effectiveness scales with Intelligence, so intelligence-focused builds benefit most from this weapon.