Chapter Summaries

The Tarnished entered Malenia’s dreamlike Land of Abundance and uncovered Millicent’s plan to release the Scarlet Rot that Malenia had been suppressing. After finding a hidden passage beneath the Tree Hollow, the Tarnished climbed into a coffin and flew onward toward Malenia.

• Trina invited the Tarnished to meet Malenia, and they arrived in the Land of Abundance, where Malenia’s knights attacked intruders.
• Ansbach explained that Malenia used the land’s abundance to restrain Scarlet Rot and warned the Tarnished that outsiders were not welcome.
• The Tarnished met Millicent and Alexander, then defeated Finlay and two of Malenia’s clones inside the Tree Hollow.
• Millicent revealed that the land was Malenia’s dream and asked the Tarnished to wake her so they could confront the Scarlet Rot directly.
• The Tarnished found a hidden passage in the Tree Hollow, entered a coffin, and flew onward.

The Tarnished fought Malenia in the dreamscape and learned that Miquella intended to exploit humanity’s corruption through scarlet rot. When Malenia demanded Millicent’s death, Ansbach broke free of Miquella’s charm and destroyed the figure disguised as Trina.

• The Tarnished entered the Scarlet Rot Center with Millicent and Ansbach, then faced Malenia as visions revealed Miquella’s plans and past schemes.
• Malenia attacked while Millicent drew her attention, and she explained that human corruption had made scarlet rot uncontrollable and that the Tarnished was meant to be Miquella’s vessel.
• After the Tarnished defeated Malenia, they answered that people woke because reality could surpass dreams, and Malenia demanded that they kill Millicent.
• The Tarnished waited instead of choosing either identical option, and Ansbach broke free from Miquella’s charm by inflicting pain on himself.
• Ansbach tore apart Miquella, who had been disguised as Trina, and collapsed in a pool of blood.

The Tarnished refused Shabriri’s offer of the Flame of Chaos, and Tracker intervened to save Millicent by taking her to the Manor. After Malenia departed and Scarlet Rot consumed the Dreamscape’s golden fields, the Tarnished found her final relic, Born to Die, at the Divine Tower of West Altus.

• Hecate urged the Tarnished to consider other choices, and the Tarnished refused Shabriri’s offer to resolve the crisis with the Flame of Chaos.
• Tracker killed Shabriri in Vyke’s body, then explained that he had taken the Duchess away and offered to send Millicent to the Manor for safety.
• Ansbach left to continue hunting Miquella, while Malenia gave the Tarnished her Ideology Rune and Remembrance and spoke of Scarlet Rot, progress, and justice.
• Malenia turned into red butterflies and vanished, and Scarlet Rot transformed the golden fields and killed the knights who opposed it.
• The Tarnished traveled to the Divine Tower of West Altus and received Malenia’s final relic, Born to Die, from the awakened Two Fingers.

Miquella tried to persuade the player to accept his paradise, but Ansbach and Tracker condemned his plan as tyranny. After the player defeated Miquella’s puppet-filled giant, the world returned to Crumbling Farum Azula, where Trina’s and Melina’s first-encounter dialogues repeated.

• Miquella argued that he would create a paradise where everyone could find happiness, and he offered the player a place in his dream.
• Ansbach and Tracker emerged to accuse Miquella of deception and tyranny, and the player rejected the idea that others could decide who was weak.
• Miquella enveloped the Elden Throne in white light and transformed into Adam, a giant whose threads controlled familiar figures as puppets.
• The player defeated the puppets and Adam, causing Miquella and the dream world to disintegrate.
• The player returned to Crumbling Farum Azula and heard Trina ask them to raise a storm against Miquella.
• Melina repeated her earlier warning to visit the Chapel of Anticipation and not seek perfection or eternity.

The player broke free of Miquella’s endless dream by using Trina’s relic, then watched Melina confront Miquella over his plan to make everyone happy in dreams. Miquella rejected her argument and prepared to settle the dispute with force.

• Jergal warned the player that aging would not change, while Lilith appeared in a treasure chest, died, and left behind the Formless Mother's Mark.
• The player encountered Marika with Gurranq, then saw Messmer appear and vanish before touching his remaining flame and dying again.
• At the site of Grace, the player chose to burn the suspicious Millicent illusion, but learned from a walkthrough that either choice led to the same scripted death.
• The player used Trina’s transformed relic, Hatred Until Death, to shatter Miquella’s dream and return to the real world.
• Melina appeared behind Miquella and wounded his right arm, while Miquella insisted that everyone had chosen his dream and that his plan would soon succeed.
• Melina argued that Miquella’s dream would end real-world progress and future generations, but Miquella dismissed her and raised his hand to command the unsullied giant.

Melina sacrificed herself to awaken Hötter and replace Ancient Death, while Horace’s long plan left the Outer Gods weakened or supplanted. The player’s allies defeated Miquella, who survived and left the player with the means to face the final battle.

• Melina crushed the seven Glintstones into a dagger and sacrificed herself, awakening Hötter and replacing Ancient Death.
• Horace’s plan had also replaced or weakened several Outer Gods, leaving the Formless Mother of Truth as the last major threat.
• Melina’s sacrifice opened the Spirit World, allowing Engvall, Ogha, Finlay, Jerren, Yura, Mohg, Radahn, and others to join the battle against Miquella.
• The player’s allies defeated Adam and Miquella, who surrendered and asked to be killed so he could see Trina.
• The Duchess returned and advised the player to keep Miquella alive, then said goodbye as the player neared becoming king.
• Miquella gave the player [Miquella's Ideology Runes], an item essential to participating in the final battle.

After Melina gave the player formal clothes, the player entered the Erdtree and met Horace, who offered an unfair battle as a test. The fight began against Horace and Rellana, leaving the player facing a familiar arena and two bosses wielding unusual greatswords.

• Melina returned alive, gave the player a set of formal clothes, and left after worrying about the player's strange thoughts.
• The player noticed twelve Ideology Runes and wondered whether a final battle remained before approaching the Erdtree.
• Horace asked the player who they were, then invited them to fight; the player selected [Fight].
• Horace recalled the player's previous defeat as the screen shifted to an abnormal battle state.
• The player entered a familiar arena and faced Horace and Rellana, who wielded the Sacred Relic Sword, a Spiral Sword, and two Moonlight Greatswords.

The player fought Horace and Rellana under a barrage of restrictions that locked items, skills, and controls, then survived by using Hötter’s blessing to gain twelve lives. After Rellana retreated and Horace lost half his health, he froze time and attacked, but the Formless Mother’s Mark protected the player; Horace kept the battle going.

• Horace’s Great Runes locked the player’s items and shortcuts, while his Blood Moon weakened healing and disabled skills and controls.
• The player struggled against Horace and Rellana’s alternating attacks, losing a level after restarting the fight.
• Hötter’s blessing granted the player twelve lives, allowing them to charge in and attack without dodging.
• The player reduced Rellana’s health to one-fifth, prompting her to withdraw, then brought Horace below half health.
• Horace froze time with golden chains and struck the player with his flaming Spiral Sword.
• The Formless Mother’s Mark absorbed Horace’s blow, but Horace refused to end the fight.

The player defeated Horace, obtained the Wild Hunt Ideology Rune, and received Hötter’s Cursed Sword before facing the choice of whether to ascend the throne. After exploring a disastrous Frenzied Flame ending, the player began another playthrough, where the story left them ready to return to the game again.

• The player endured Horace’s attacks with basic strikes and rolls, losing five levels before defeating him and receiving his Remembrance.
• Horace revealed that the player’s fate was to begin endless playthroughs, and the player obtained the Wild Hunt Ideology Rune.
• Hötter appeared in the Erdtree, gave the player the Cursed Sword, and invited them to ascend the throne.
• The player considered the available endings and chose the Frenzied Flame, burning the world after defeating Horace and betraying Tracker.
• The player started another playthrough in Limgrave, with the Spirit World’s heroes and enemies still answering their summons.