Chapter Summaries

The Lord of Frenzied Flame watched the world burn after the Frenzied Flame consumed everything, but Melina killed him with a dagger imbued with destined death. As the ruined world faded away, a golden butterfly flew toward the far shore.

• The Frenzied Flame consumed the world, and the narrator lamented that Melina and the others had died after he had tried to make them happy.
• A strange man on the snowy mountain celebrated the narrator as the Lord of Frenzied Flame while chaos engulfed the world.
• Melina stabbed the Lord of Frenzied Flame with a dagger of destined death, then struck him again and extinguished the final flame of madness.
• Melina recovered the scorched Elden Ring, apologized to her mother, and began to fade after completing her purpose.
• A storm carried the ruined planet away as a golden butterfly flew from the last light of grace toward the far shore.

An exhausted office worker quit his job and spent the night replaying Elden Ring, dreaming of its upcoming DLC and a happier fate for the Lands Between. He awoke in a ruined chapel in the Lands Between, apparently reincarnated as a naked Wretch with a wooden club.

• The narrator quit his exploitative job and got excited when he saw news about Elden Ring’s Shadow of Gold DLC.
• He started a new Elden Ring playthrough, aiming to reach Ranni after defeating Godrick and planning to pursue other characters’ quests.
• After playing until dawn, he fell asleep while hoping the DLC would give the Lands Between a happier ending.
• He followed a golden butterfly through a white mist and woke in a cold, ruined chapel.
• He realized he was wearing only a loincloth, holding a wooden club, and may have crossed into the Lands Between as a Wretch Tarnished.

A Wretch Tarnished arrived in the Lands Between, found his dead Finger Maiden, and set out to face the Grafted Scion. After the monster overwhelmed him and blocked his escape, he feared he was about to die for real.

• The Wretch Tarnished confirmed he was in Elden Ring and tested his unfamiliar warrior body.
• He found the dead Finger Maiden at the Chapel of Anticipation and vowed to become Elden Lord.
• He stepped outside, marveled at the Erdtree, and crossed the bridge toward the Grafted Scion.
• The Grafted Scion attacked, sending him crashing into a ruined wall and forcing him to dodge repeated strikes.
• The Tarnished tried to escape through the gate, but the Grafted Scion blocked his path and left him facing imminent danger.

The protagonist escaped the Grafted Scion by vaulting over him and leaping from a cliff, then woke in a cave after Melina rescued him. He recovered, gathered supplies, and left the tutorial area, ready to explore the world of Elden Ring.

• The protagonist charged the Grafted Scion, broke his club against the greatshield, then climbed over it and ran for the plaza exit.
• He leaped from the cliff, drowned, and later woke in a damp cave where Melina had left flasks and a cloak.
• He healed with the Crimson Tears Flask, used the cloak to carry both flasks, and decided to skip the Cave of Knowledge tutorial because he had no weapon and feared fighting people.
• He tested the Site of Grace and learned that touching it refilled his flasks, then discovered the fog seal led back to its entrance and found a Finger Severer.
• He rode the elevator, opened the final door, and stepped into the bright outdoors, eager to begin exploring Elden Ring.

The narrator met Varre outside the starting area, then fled when the Tree Sentinel attacked. They escaped on the Wandering Merchant’s horse-donkey, carrying the merchant along, but the Tree Sentinel continued to pursue them into the woods.

• The narrator met Varre, who warned that Godrick the Grafted was seeking Tarnished and began to offer advice, but the narrator left before hearing it.
• The Tree Sentinel charged the unarmed narrator, who dodged its attacks and ran toward the Church of Elleh.
• The narrator reached the church and touched its grace, but the Tree Sentinel smashed through a wall and kept pursuing them.
• The narrator mounted the Wandering Merchant’s horse-donkey, pulled the merchant onto it, and fled toward the woods with the Tree Sentinel close behind.

The narrator escaped a Tree Sentinel with Kale, then fought Godrick’s soldiers and found a sword before learning that survival in Limgrave required food and caution. After a failed hunt and fleeing giant bats, he ended the day trapped on a pole beside a screaming captive.

• The narrator and Kale hid from the Tree Sentinel, introduced themselves, and Kale warned that Godrick the Grafted’s soldiers were hunting Tarnished.
• A Godrick soldier attacked the narrator, who disarmed and struck him before reinforcements arrived and forced him to flee with a straight sword.
• The narrator realized he needed food, tried to hunt a boar, and was knocked down when it charged him.
• The narrator fled from giant vampire bats and hid on a pole beside a captive who screamed through the night.

The Tarnished survived on hunted rabbit and spoke with Kale before Melina appeared and vanished after being startled by his clothing. Determined to see her again, he set out for the Stormfoot Catacombs with weapons and a borrowed shield, beginning his first dungeon run.

• The Tarnished hunted and cooked rabbit with Kale, who warned him to seek strength in the dangerous Lands Between.
• Melina appeared at the camp, but the Tarnished lunged at her and startled her away; a message asked him to put on proper clothes.
• The Tarnished resolved to explore and chose the Stormfoot Catacombs as his first dungeon.
• Kale lent the Tarnished a Large Leather Shield before he departed for the catacombs.
• The Tarnished reached the dungeon, rested at its Site of Grace, and descended inside, ready to attempt a one-life clear.

The Tarnished explored Stormfoot Catacombs, fought stone imps, and learned that the catacombs’ traps and enemies behaved differently in the real world than in the game. After accidentally provoking five imps, he became trapped atop a flame pillar with no clear way down.

• The Tarnished defeated imps in a burial chamber and found Root Resin, then healed a bleeding shoulder wound with his Flask of Crimson Tears.
• He fought more imps, discovered that their attacks could pierce his leather shield, and reached a room with a flame-breathing pillar.
• He learned that throwing knives could deactivate the flame pillars by striking their trigger points, and found a Talking Talisman.
• The Tarnished tried to lure out the imps guarding an item but accidentally awakened all five at once.
• He retreated onto a rising flame pillar and ended up stranded on top while the five imps waited below.

The narrator outsmarted the Imps in the catacombs, gathered their loot, and defeated the Erdtree Burial Watchdog. The first dungeon run ended with a disturbing sight of corpses entwined in roots, leaving the narrator questioning what it meant to return to the Erdtree.

• The narrator lured five Imps onto a descending pillar and used the catacomb’s fire traps to kill them.
• The narrator explored the catacombs, collected Wandering Noble Ashes, and opened the boss room.
• The narrator returned to the Site of Grace, restored strength and flasks, and found that the Imps had respawned.
• The narrator defeated the Erdtree Burial Watchdog by dodging its attacks and repeatedly striking its neck, earning runes and Aristocrat Sorcerer Ashes.
• The narrator noticed shriveled corpses entwined in roots and wondered whether the Watchdog had been guarding them from escape.

The Tarnished returned to the Church of Elleh, learned how to use runes, and bought supplies from Kale before Melina appeared and offered an accord. Melina agreed to accompany the Tarnished toward the Erdtree, and she entrusted them with the whistle that summoned Torrent.

• The Tarnished returned from Stormfoot Catacombs with a damaged shield and shared a meal with Kale.
• Kale taught the Tarnished to reveal their rune total, charged them for the shield, and sold them a Crafting Kit and Chainmail Hood.
• Melina appeared at the church and offered to serve as the Tarnished’s Finger Maiden in exchange for being taken to the foot of the Erdtree.
• The Tarnished accepted Melina’s offer and learned they could call for her near a Site of Grace.
• Melina gave the Tarnished the Spectral Steed Whistle, explaining that Torrent had chosen them.

The narrator rode Torrent beyond the Church of Elleh to explore Agheel Lake, but struggled to control his eager mount and fled from soldiers, skeletons, and a Flying Dragon. He returned to the church exhausted and found it shrouded in unusually thick fog.

• The narrator summoned Torrent, fed him, and set out to explore beyond the starting forest.
• Torrent repeatedly tried to charge a guarded gate, drawing arrows and a Troll Guard before he fled with the narrator toward another Site of Grace.
• The narrator passed Sword Monuments, escaped a Kaiden Sellsword and Godrick Soldiers, and used Torrent’s double jump to evade them beneath a bridge.
• Torrent and the narrator fled a group of living skeletons and witnessed a Flying Dragon incinerate people gathered by a bonfire at Agheel Lake.
• The narrator returned to the Church of Elleh and noticed that thick fog covered the church grounds.

The Tarnished met Ranni, who introduced herself as Renna the Witch and gave them the Spirit Calling Bell along with three spirits. After Ranni vanished, Melina briefly appeared at the Site of Grace, leaving the Tarnished wondering about a connection between them.

• The Tarnished entered the mist-shrouded Church of Elleh and met Ranni beneath a Dark Moon.
• Ranni asked whether the Tarnished could summon Torrent, and the Tarnished teased her before admitting the truth.
• Ranni gave the Tarnished the Spirit Calling Bell and placed three spirits inside it.
• The Tarnished promised to seek out Ranni, who disappeared in blue motes of light.
• Melina appeared beside the Site of Grace, then vanished before the Tarnished could learn why she had come.

The narrator entered Groveside Cave to gain experience and prepare for a future fight with a dragon, but a wolf ambush forced them to summon their spirit wolves. They fought the Beastman of Farum Azula and wounded it, then felt a disturbing sensation as its blood covered them.

• The narrator found Groveside Cave, activated its Site of Grace, and entered with a shield and torch.
• The narrator’s retching alerted the wolves, and the white wolf leader attacked as the pack pursued them through the cave.
• The narrator summoned the Lone Wolves, which defeated the pursuing wolves and held the white wolf leader back.
• The Beastman of Farum Azula ambushed the narrator, who dodged its attacks and struck its head with a jumping slash.
• The Beastman bled onto the narrator, who felt a strange sensation spreading inside them.

The narrator defeated the Farum Azula Beastman and unexpectedly gained the submission of the White Wolf King and his pack. After leaving Groveside Cave, the narrator obtained a magical map at Gatefront and found Seamster Boc calling for help.

• The narrator killed the Farum Azula Beastman with a bold counterattack, then discovered the summoned spirit wolves had watched alongside the wild wolves.
• The White Wolf King bowed to the narrator, and the narrator left Groveside Cave with the wolf pack under the king’s leadership.
• The narrator rode Torrent to Gatefront at night and touched the stone monument, causing a detailed map of the Agheel Lake region to appear in their mind.
• Following the map, the narrator found Seamster Boc in a grove as he called out for help.

The Tarnished found Boc trapped in tree form and tried several ways to free him, but Boc could not remember the spell that might have transformed him. While riding toward Agheel Lake to fetch water, the Tarnished fled the Night's Cavalry and reached the river channel, where a Bloody Finger emerged from a pool of blood.

• The Tarnished rolled into Boc and learned that the demi-human had been driven from a Cave and turned into a tree after falling asleep outside.
• Boc recalled dreaming of his mother singing a lullaby and reciting a spell, but he could not remember the spell itself.
• The Tarnished slashed Boc's branches and burned one of his leaves while testing ways to free him, then promised to fetch water from Agheel Lake.
• The Night's Cavalry chased the Tarnished toward a bridge, and Torrent jumped into the river channel to escape the knight.
• The Tarnished sent Torrent away when the steed was distressed by the stench of blood, and a Bloody Finger rose from a pool of blood.

The narrator fought Bloody Finger Nerijus by the river, but Nerijus overwhelmed them with blood attacks and triggered a terrifying hemorrhage. As the narrator struggled to recover, a corpse tripped them and Nerijus moved in for a killing blow.

• The narrator tried to strike Nerijus with a jumping slash but missed, then used Square Off to knock him away.
• Nerijus endured another Square Off attack and countered, wounding the narrator before bombarding them with Blood Blades.
• The narrator suffered severe blood loss, feared death, and drank from their Flask of Crimson Tears to heal.
• The narrator waited for Yura to arrive, but Nerijus charged again while they hesitated.
• The narrator tripped over a corpse, dropped their sword, and fell as Nerijus plunged a dagger toward their head.

The Tarnished gained the upper hand against Nerijus, but hesitated to kill him after he appeared to surrender. Nerijus exploited the pause to blind and stab the Tarnished, who collapsed believing he was dying.

• The Tarnished used his cloak, a leg sweep, and throwing knives to disrupt Nerijus before attacking with his Straight Sword.
• The Tarnished endured Nerijus’s Blood Blade and battered both daggers from his hands, leaving him defeated on the ground.
• The Tarnished hesitated to kill Nerijus when he raised his hands and appeared afraid.
• Nerijus spat blood into the Tarnished’s eyes and stabbed him in the chest while he was blinded.
• The Tarnished collapsed in Nerijus’s grasp and thought of Melina and Ranni as his vision faded.

The narrator woke in Murkwater Cave after Patches rescued him from the aftermath of Nerijus’s death. Patches returned the narrator’s belongings, took his runes as payment, and persuaded him to help rob one of Godrick’s caravans.

• The narrator awoke beside a campfire and mistook Patches for Nerijus, then attacked him with a rock.
• Patches subdued the narrator and explained that Nerijus was dead, likely killed by someone who struck him from behind.
• The narrator realized his chest wound had healed, and Patches returned his weapons, tools, and Flask of Wondrous Physick while taking his runes.
• Patches invited the narrator to help ambush a caravan from the Weeping Peninsula and claimed he wanted to fund a shop and provide for his bandits.
• The narrator reluctantly agreed, and Patches called his bandits over to welcome their new mate.

The narrator and Patches ambushed a weary convoy at Agheel Lake, but the narrator froze after accidentally getting a Godrick Soldier crushed beneath a Troll. Torrent rescued the narrator from a Noble Sorcerer's attack and carried them away from the battle.

• Patches signaled his hidden accomplices, and their poison traps and arrows threw the convoy into chaos.
• The narrator wounded the two Trolls and fought off a Godrick Soldier who tried to make them move the carriage.
• The narrator threw a Fire Pot at the Godrick Soldier, who stumbled beneath a Troll's foot and was crushed.
• The narrator froze in shock at the soldier's death and was struck by the Noble Sorcerer's Glintstone Stars.
• Torrent blocked the sorcerer's attack, lifted the narrator onto its back, and galloped away from the battle.

Zero confessed to Melina that he came from another world and was overwhelmed by fear, but their conversation helped him reconsider the Lands Between as a real place and its people as living beings. Melina and Zero renewed their agreement to explore the land together, beginning their journey anew.

• Zero told Melina he was an ordinary person from another world and asked her to find another Tarnished to guide.
• Melina admitted that she could not guide him and had forgotten the purpose her mother gave her.
• Melina urged Zero to stop treating the Lands Between as a game, and he realized he had not truly accepted the world as real.
• Melina asked Zero to explore the land with her and Torrent so they might rediscover their purposes, and Zero agreed.
• Zero gave Melina the name Zero and promised that their journey would begin anew.