Chapter Summaries

Lord Zero decided to explore the Lands Between with Melina, build his strength and dexterity, and find Sellen to learn sorcery. After recovering a sword and reaching Waypoint Ruins, he prepared to fight the mad Pumpkin Head Soldier.

• Lord Zero chose a strength-and-dexterity build and planned to find a weapon, a staff, and Sellen, whom he also wanted to ask about Boc.
• Melina explained that grace revived many inhabitants of the Lands Between, but Tarnished like Lord Zero received too little grace to rely on resurrection.
• Lord Zero found a Lordsworn's Straight Sword near the battlefield where he and Patches had robbed Godrick's convoy.
• Lord Zero rode to Waypoint Ruins, avoided the flower monsters' attacks, and entered the underground passage to face the mad Pumpkin Head Soldier.

Zero fought and defeated the Mad Pumpkin Head Soldier in the basement, using the Lone Wolves to exploit the boss’s limited vision and mobility. After the fog cleared, Zero opened the next door and found someone pointing a Glintstone Staff at their head.

• Zero entered the basement through a fog gate and dodged the Mad Pumpkin Head Soldier’s ambush.
• Zero attacked from the boss’s unarmed side but was struck by a spinning flail and used a Flask of Crimson Tears to recover.
• Zero tested the boss’s hearing with a Throwing Knife, then summoned three Lone Wolves to distract and attack it.
• Zero waited for an opening after the boss’s head-slamming attack and killed it with a thrust to the chest.
• The fog dispersed, and Zero opened a heavy iron door, where an unknown person pointed a Glintstone Staff at Zero’s head.

After discovering Sellen in the basement, the narrator asked her to become their sorcery teacher, and she agreed on the condition that they first find a glintstone staff. The narrator also asked how to reverse a friend's transformation, and Sellen suggested that the friend might not want to change back.

• The narrator accidentally entered Sellen's basement, apologized, and asked whether she would teach them sorcery.
• Sellen accepted the narrator as her apprentice after warning them that she was an exiled teacher from the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
• The narrator expected to learn Glintstone Pebble by spending runes, but Sellen lectured them on Glintstone Sorcery and told them to find a glintstone staff.
• The narrator asked how to undo a friend's transformation, and Sellen explained that the friend might be unwilling to change back.

The Tarnished realized Boc could not return to his original form because fear kept him from pursuing his mother’s stolen treasure. After the Tarnished urged him to confront what he truly wanted, Boc transformed back, and they prepared to go to the Coastal Cave.

• The Tarnished returned to Boc and explained that his fear of the Coastal Cave was keeping him trapped as a bush.
• Boc warned that the cave was dangerous, but the Tarnished promised to help him recover his mother’s treasure.
• When Boc remained stuck, the Tarnished dug around him and challenged him to admit how much the treasure mattered.
• The Tarnished shared his own fear of death and urged Boc to pursue what he wanted despite the danger.
• Boc admitted he could not bear to lose the treasure, then transformed back into his original form and thanked the Tarnished.

Zero and Boc raided Gatefront Ruins to retrieve a treasure and prepared for an upcoming battle. After escaping with the loot, they visited Kale, stocked up on meat, and recruited him to join them the next day.

• Zero summoned three Lone Wolves and sent Boc riding into Gatefront Ruins to distract the Godrick Soldiers.
• While the soldiers chased Boc and the wolves, Zero opened the cellar chest and took the Whetstone Knife and Ash of War.
• Zero reunited with Boc and rode with him to the Church of Elleh, where Kale was cooking rabbit meat.
• Zero paid Kale for food and dried meat, then invited him to join the next day's battle, and Kale agreed.

Zero, Boc, and Kale reached Groveside Cave, where Zero befriended the White Wolf King and recruited its pack to fight alongside him. With the wolves agreeing to leave their unsafe home, Zero prepared to head for Coastal Cave.

• Zero used Storm Stomp to knock down a Godrick Soldier, then tied him up instead of killing him.
• Zero led Boc and Kale through the woods to Groveside Cave and drove off a wolf that lunged at Boc.
• The White Wolf King recognized Zero, and Zero calmed the wolves by bringing them game to eat.
• Zero found injured wolves and Godrick Soldier corpses deeper in the cave and concluded the soldiers had been attacking the pack.
• Zero used one of his Lone Wolves to ask the White Wolf King to join him, and the king agreed to lead its pack with him toward a new home.

Zero led the White Wolf King, Kale, Boc, and the wolf pack toward Coastal Cave to deal with the Demi-Humans. After finding Knight Ishutobon and merchant Huf under attack, Zero helped them and learned the cave’s enemies might be preparing for a fight.

• Zero discovered that diluted Flask of Crimson Tears improved injured wolves’ wounds and left them at the Church of Elleh before setting out with the pack.
• Kale told Zero to snap his fingers beneath a wolf howl in Mistwood, hinting that he could meet Blaidd there.
• Kale showed Zero how the cave’s statue and a Furlcalling Finger Remedy could guide Tarnished to a helper.
• Zero’s group found Ishutobon and Huf surrounded by Demi-Humans, and the White Wolf King helped Ishutobon defeat their attackers.
• Zero introduced himself to Ishutobon, while Kale reunited with Huf and warned that Demi-Human reinforcements might be preparing inside Coastal Cave.

Zero, Boc, and Ishutobon entered the Coastal Cave to reclaim Boc’s mother’s belongings, but the Demi-Humans ambushed them with two chiefs and a surrounding force. With help from their allies, they defeated the chiefs and cleared the cave, leaving the surviving Demi-Humans surrendered.

• Zero, Ishutobon, and Boc found the Coastal Cave’s usual Demi-Human guards missing and approached the cavern where the Demi-Human Chief waited.
• Boc confronted the chief and demanded his mother’s belongings, but the chief rejected his plea and knocked him back.
• Zero drove the chief away with Storm Stomp as a second chief and a crowd of Demi-Humans emerged to ambush the group.
• The White Wolf King, Kale, and the Three Wolf Spirits arrived with their allies, and Zero and Ishutobon fought the chiefs while the others battled the Demi-Humans.
• Zero and Boc killed one chief, Ishutobon beheaded the other, and the remaining Demi-Humans surrendered.

After defeating the Demi-Human Chief, Zero claimed the Coastal Cave for his companions and helped Boc recover his mother’s sewing tools. At the Dragon Communion Church, Ishutobon reflected on his lost comrades before leaving, while Zero wondered whether they might meet again as enemies.

• Zero drove the defeated demi-humans from the cave, gave Kale his agreed share of runes, and convinced him the cave could provide better shelter than the Church of Elleh.
• Boc showed Zero and Kale his mother’s Sewing Needle and Sewing Kit, thanked them for recovering the keepsakes, and offered to work as their tailor.
• Boc told Zero that Ishutobon had gone through a passage at the back of the cave, so Zero and Kale followed it to the Dragon Communion Church.
• Ishutobon described his former companions and their past visit to the church, where they had tried to stop the Dragon Communion ritual.
• Ishutobon left to continue his journey, and Zero bid him farewell while privately considering that they might someday become enemies.

Lord Zero led the wolves in hunting Land Octopuses and settled into a comfortable life on the coast with the Demi-Humans. Melina warned him that a fire was beginning to burn, empowered him by turning runes into strength and agility, and left him preparing to explore the world again.

• Lord Zero directed the White Wolf King and the Lone Wolves as they brought down a Land Octopus with their attacks and his Fire Pots.
• Lord Zero had the Demi-Humans harvest the Land Octopus's eggs and tentacles before returning its body to the sea, and another octopus crawled ashore.
• Lord Zero described how he had made the coast safe and comfortable, with Boc, Kale, Huf, the Demi-Humans, and the wolves helping maintain their life by the cave.
• Melina arrived at the Dragon Communion Church, warned Lord Zero that a fire was beginning to burn, and agreed to turn his runes into strength and agility.
• After Melina empowered him and disappeared, Lord Zero decided to leave the next day and explore the world.

Zero left Boc and the White Wolf King in Coastal Cave, then visited Patches at Murkwater Cave to ask about the carriage robbery and browse the stolen goods. Patches tricked Zero into a trapped chest, and Zero lost consciousness as he was sent into its abyss.

• Zero said farewell to Boc and the White Wolf King and rode Torrent away from Coastal Cave.
• Zero went to Murkwater Cave, where Patches’ bandits attacked him before Patches stopped them.
• Patches told Zero that the carriage robbery had succeeded and invited him to choose an item from the stolen goods.
• Zero opened chests and examined weapons, but he could not wield the Flail or Greataxe properly.
• A trapped chest released black mist, and Patches shoved Zero into its dark interior as he mocked him.

After Patches’s trap sent him to Mistwood, the narrator tried to find Blaidd but became trapped in a desperate chase with Rune Bears. He hid in the cellar beneath Mistwood Ruins and found an Axe Talisman, but remained unsure how to escape.

• The narrator woke in Mistwood, found the map stele, and decided to visit Mistwood Ruins to look for Blaidd.
• A Rune Bear spotted the narrator, and he fled on Torrent before encountering a second bear blocking his way.
• The narrator used Torrent’s dismissal to make the two Rune Bears collide, then hid in bushes, but they tracked him by scent and resumed the chase.
• The narrator spotted Mistwood Ruins and Blaidd, then rushed into the cellar to avoid a third Rune Bear waking up.
• The three Rune Bears gathered in the ruins while the narrator opened a treasure chest and found the Axe Talisman.
• The narrator wondered how he would escape the cellar.

The Tarnished escaped three Rune Bears in Mistwood Ruins with Blaidd’s help, using Trina’s lilies to daze the two bears pursuing them. At the entrance to the Siofra River well, the Tarnished met Blaidd and offered to lead him to Bloodhound Knight Darriwil.

• Three Rune Bears cornered the Tarnished in the Mistwood Ruins until Blaidd arrived and killed one, then fought the other two.
• The Tarnished scattered Trina’s lilies and used Storm Stomp to fill the air with sleep-inducing pollen, slowing the remaining Rune Bears.
• Blaidd grabbed the Tarnished and escaped the ruins, and they continued to the stone fort at the Siofra River well.
• Blaidd thanked the Tarnished for the lilies and explained he was searching for Bloodhound Knight Darriwil.
• The Tarnished recognized Blaidd, confirmed his name, and offered to show him where Darriwil was.

Zero and Blaidd entered an evergaol to confront the imprisoned Bloodhound Knight Darriwil, whose devotion to Ranni had driven him to rebel against her plans. Their argument turned into a fight, leaving Blaidd and Darriwil clashing blades.

• Zero and Blaidd traveled south from Mistwood toward the Weeping Peninsula, and Blaidd warned Zero to avoid the Rune Bears.
• At the circular evergaol, Blaidd identified Darriwil’s scent and opened the seal with his blood.
• Inside, Darriwil emerged and asked after Ranni, then revealed a figurine depicting the princess as he believed she should have been.
• Blaidd produced a miniature of Ranni’s current form, and the two argued over which figurine better represented her.
• Darriwil accused Blaidd of abandoning Ranni and declared his plan to ally with Radahn and the Jurist to conquer Leyndell and seize the Elden Ring.
• Blaidd called Darriwil dangerous and raised his greatsword, and Darriwil attacked him with Bloodhound’s Fang.

Zero watched Blaidd fight Darriwil in the evergaol, where Blaidd used the frost to slow his opponent and win. Darriwil died after giving Blaidd the red-haired Ranni Doll and entrusting the princess to him.

• Darriwil’s speed and Bloodhound’s Step put Blaidd on the defensive, while Zero watched and held back from intervening at Blaidd’s request.
• Blaidd and Darriwil argued over the princess’s cause, the royal household’s failures, and whether Darriwil could face the demigods alone.
• Blaidd unleashed repeated frost attacks, gradually chilling the evergaol and slowing Darriwil’s movements.
• Blaidd offered to spare Darriwil if he stayed in the evergaol, but Darriwil launched one final attack and ran onto Blaidd’s sword.
• Darriwil acknowledged Blaidd’s victory, handed him the red-haired Ranni Doll, and collapsed into pale blue haze.

After defeating Darriwil, Zero and Blaidd traveled toward the Weeping Peninsula to protect Irina while Zero delivered her letter. Blaidd reached the meeting place first, but Irina was already dead.

• Blaidd thanked Zero for helping defeat Darriwil and gave him Darriwil's Bloodhound's Fang.
• Blaidd agreed to help Zero protect someone on the Weeping Peninsula, and they raced to cross the Bridge of Sacrifice.
• Zero used a Spirit Spring to leap across the river and reached the far side of the bridge.
• Zero found Blaidd waiting near Irina, but Blaidd nervously tried to hide Irina's dead body.

Zero and Blaidd found Irina dead beside the road, and their examination suggested someone had disguised her injuries to make the Misbegotten appear responsible. After discovering a handkerchief that seemed deliberately planted as a clue, Zero suspected another person who knew Elden Ring’s plot and headed alone to Castle Morne to find them.

• Zero found Irina dead beside the road, and Blaidd offered to help identify her killer.
• Blaidd examined Irina’s wounds and concluded that someone had added cleaver injuries to hide that blood loss had killed her.
• Zero and Blaidd found Irina’s blood-written handkerchief pinned beneath a rock, leading Zero to suspect that someone familiar with Elden Ring’s plot had left it for him.
• Zero and Blaidd buried Irina, and Zero refused Blaidd’s offer to accompany him because it might expose Blaidd and Ranni.
• Zero rode Torrent toward Castle Morne to investigate the planted clue.

The narrator encountered the Night's Cavalry near Castle Morne and fought him using strategies remembered from Elden Ring. After adapting to the knight's unpredictable attacks, the narrator recovered with a Flask of Crimson Tears and prepared to attack again.

• The narrator rode past the massacre in the mountain basin and approached the Wandering Merchant's camp near Castle Morne.
• The Wandering Merchant fled as the Night's Cavalry appeared and attacked the narrator with a flail.
• The narrator tried to stick to the knight's left side but was knocked down by the warhorse and missed a counterattack.
• The narrator chased the Night's Cavalry and threw a Fire Pot at his warhorse, creating an opening to slash at the horse and knight.
• The Night's Cavalry knocked the narrator away and struck at them with his flail, while the narrator blocked and then drank a Flask of Crimson Tears.

The narrator fought the Night's Cavalry rider near Castle Morne, using Torrent, Fire Pots, and close-range sword attacks to overcome him. He exploited the nearby Site of Grace to replenish his healing flask and defeated the rider, acquiring a weapon skill and the Night's Cavalry's Flail, then wondered where to rest.

• The narrator mounted Torrent, chased the Night's Cavalry rider, and used Fire Pots to knock him from his horse.
• The rider attacked on foot, forcing the narrator to retreat toward the Site of Grace until he realized the Flail was less effective at close range.
• The narrator charged through a Flail strike, blocked it with his shield, and attacked the rider at close range.
• The narrator used the Site of Grace to refill his Flask of Crimson Tears and repeatedly healed while fighting the rider.
• The narrator dodged the rider's attacks, thrust his sword into the rider's cracked armor, and defeated him.
• The narrator acquired Weapon Skill-Barricade Shield and Weapon-Night's Cavalry's Flail, then sat down and wondered where to rest.

The narrator explored the Weeping Peninsula, gathered clues about another person who knew Elden Ring, and fought his way toward Castle Morne. After defeating the castle’s Golem guardian, he entered the castle and prepared to clear it.

• The narrator found that someone had already broken the seal at Oridys's Rise and taken the Memory Stone, then rode Torrent to meet the Wandering Merchant.
• The narrator paid the merchant for information about a pale-faced customer with glowing eyes who had bought Cracked Pots several days earlier, then purchased a Wooden Roundshield, a Crimson Amber Medallion, and Kukri.
• The narrator activated the Weeping Peninsula Map Stele and drew the Golem’s fire by the Castle Morne gate, then walked across the plain despite its inaccurate arrows.
• A Golem’s arrow blast knocked the narrator down, so he attacked its ankle, toppled it, and killed it for runes.
• The narrator entered Castle Morne and rode the lift upward as sounds of activity reached him.