Fia the Deathbed Companion
Roundtable Hold
Mending Rune of the Death-Prince
Lichdragon Fortissax
Fia is a mysterious woman found in Roundtable Hold who offers warmth and comfort through embracing. Her questline delves deep into the secret of the Prince of Death, involving Ranni's quest, Deeproot Depths, and a hidden dragon boss. Completing her quest unlocks the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince, enabling the Age of the Duskborn ending.
Let her hold you to receive Baldachin's Blessing. Exhaust her dialogue about death and the undead.
Progress D's questline in Limgrave until he arrives at Roundtable Hold. Fia will eventually kill D after receiving the Weathered Dagger.
Fia leaves Roundtable Hold. She relocates to Deeproot Depths through a hidden path.
Find Fia holding the Prince of Death. Interact to face Fia's Champions in a 3v1 fight.
Defeat Lichdragon Fortissax — Receive Mending Rune of the Death-Prince.
Cursemark of Death requires Ranni's quest progression. Fia's quest locks permanently if you burn the Erdtree before completing it. D's brother (in Nokron) will kill Fia if you reload after Fortissax — kill him first to keep Fia alive.
Pro Tip
D's brother appears in Nokron after Fortissax is defeated. He kills Fia if you reload the area. Kill him immediately after the Fortissax fight to keep Fia alive for later encounters. He drops D's armor set, which you would otherwise miss.
Fia's quest has two critical missable points. First, do not give D's armor to his brother until after defeating Lichdragon Fortissax, or you will miss Fia's final reward. Second, Fia's hold dialogue must be exhausted completely in Roundtable Hold before leaving for new areas — she moves after certain story triggers. The Lichdragon Fortissax is an optional boss accessed by interacting with Fia's sleeping body in Deeproot Depths after giving her the Cursemark of Death. Fextralife's Fia page provides step-by-step location maps and dialogue trees for every stage.
The Mending Rune of the Death-Prince enables the Age of the Duskborn ending, where the concept of death itself is woven into the Elden Ring. This ending creates a world where death and undeath are natural parts of existence rather than aberrations. Those Who Live in Death are no longer persecuted but are recognized as legitimate inhabitants of the Lands Between. The ending is thematically tied to Godwyn's death and the concept of a "peaceful coexistence" between life and undeath. Wikipedia's breakdown of Elden Ring's multiple endings presents the Duskborn ending as one of the game's most morally ambiguous conclusions, offering neither liberation nor curse but simple acceptance.