Step 1 — Meeting Ranni at the Church of Elleh
Ranni's quest begins in two stages. First, she appears at the Church of Elleh in Limgrave early in the game, offering you the Spirit Calling Bell and the Lone Wolf Ashes. She will only appear if you have unlocked the Roundtable Hold (by resting at a grace after defeating a boss). The bell is essential for using spirit ashes throughout the game. If you miss this encounter, the bell can be purchased from the Twin Maiden Husks at Roundtable Hold later. Fextralife's Ranni quest page has full step-by-step details and item locations.
Step 2 — Joining Ranni's Service
After defeating Godrick the Grafted, travel to Caria Manor in northwest Liurnia of the Lakes. Defeat the Royal Knight Loretta boss at the manor's summit. Behind Loretta's arena, you will find Ranni's Rise — one of three towering sorcerer spires. Inside, Ranni appears as a small doll-like figure. Speak to her and accept her offer to join her service. This action commits you to the Age of Stars ending path. She introduces you to her servants: Blaidd the half-wolf, Iji the giant blacksmith, and Seluvis the creepy sorcerer. Wikipedia's Elden Ring article provides background on Ranni's role in the game's lore.
Step 3 — Nokron and the Fingerslayer Blade
Ranni asks you to retrieve the hidden treasure of Nokron, the Eternal City. Accessing Nokron requires defeating Starscourge Radahn at Redmane Castle in Caelid. Radahn's death triggers a starfall that opens a massive crater in the Mistwood region of Limgrave. Descend into the crater to reach Nokron. Navigate the Eternal City and defeat the Valiant Gargoyles boss to claim the Fingerslayer Blade. Return this blade to Ranni at Ranni's Rise. She will reward you with the Carrian Inverted Statue — a key item for accessing the divine tower of Liurnia.
Step 4 — Lake of Rot and the Grand Cloister
After delivering the Fingerslayer Blade, Ranni departs Ranni's Rise. Use the Carian Inverted Statue at the Carian Study Hall to reach the divine tower of Liurnia, where you find Ranni's discarded body and the Cursemark of Death. Travel to the Lake of Rot through the Ainsel River well depths. Equip the Mottled Necklace +1 for scarlet rot resistance and bring plenty of Neutralizing Boluses. Navigate the lake by activating the four pillars to lower the rot water level. At the Grand Cloister, face the Dragonkin Soldier of Nokstella before reaching the coffin that transports you to the Moonlight Altar plateau.
Step 5 — Moonlight Altar and Dark Moon Greatsword
The Moonlight Altar is a hidden plateau in southwest Liurnia, accessible only via the coffin from the Grand Cloister. Here you can summon Ranni by interacting with the miniature Ranni doll obtained earlier. Exhaust her dialogue at each site of grace on the plateau. Finally, reach the Cathedral of Manus Celes and defeat the Dragonlord Placidusax (actually a different boss — the Glintstone Dragon Adula guards the entrance). Inside, find Ranni's summon sign on the ground. Accepting it triggers the ending cutscene and rewards the Dark Moon Greatsword, one of the most powerful legendary armaments in Elden Ring.
Rewards and Endings
Completing Ranni's questline grants the Age of Stars ending — widely considered the game's best ending by the community. Key rewards include the Dark Moon Greatsword (intelligence-scaling greatsword with frost beam weapon art), the Royal Greatsword (Blaidd's weapon), and access to the Moonlight Altar with its unique loot including the Cerulean Hidden Tear (infinite FP for 10 seconds). Ranni's quest is the longest in the game spanning 7+ regions and involving multiple boss fights. The quest can be permanently locked if you join the Frenzied Flame or kill key NPCs, so follow the steps carefully.
Ranni's Servants — Blaidd, Iji, and Seluvis
Ranni's quest is accompanied by three key servants, each with a distinct personality and role. Blaidd the Half-Wolf is Ranni's shadowbound beast, created by the Two Fingers to guard her. Unlike most shadows, Blaidd develops genuine loyalty and affection for Ranni, making his eventual descent into madness one of the game's most tragic moments. He assists you during the Radahn Festival and provides crucial guidance throughout Nokron. Iji the giant blacksmith is a former Carian knight who forged the Royal Greatsword and serves as Ranni's strategist. He sits at the Road to the Manor grace outside Caria Manor, offering information about Ranni's past and the Carian royal family. His dialogue about the stars and fate provides deep lore context for the Age of Stars ending.
Seluvis the sorcerer is the most morally ambiguous of Ranni's servants. He offers you a potion to give to Nepheli Loux that would turn her into a puppet, as well as teaching sorceries from the Carian lineage. His questline culminates in discovering his hidden puppet chamber beneath his tower, revealing his disturbing experiments. Complete Seluvis's quest before progressing Ranni's story too far, as advancing past the Fingerslayer Blade delivery will lock out his questline. The third hidden servant, Pidia the Carian slave master, is found in Caria Manor's lower levels and is actually the true puppeteer controlling Seluvis. Each servant's fate is tied to Ranni's ending: Iji dies by Black Knife assassins, Blaidd goes mad and must be put down, and Seluvis is killed by Ranni when his betrayal is discovered. Their deaths create an atmosphere of tragic sacrifice around the Age of Stars ending, questioning whether Ranni's freedom was worth the cost.
The Age of Stars Ending Explained
The Age of Stars ending represents a complete departure from the Golden Order's influence. Instead of repairing the Elden Ring and becoming a new Elden Lord, Ranni takes the Ring and ushers in a thousand-year voyage under the night sky — a journey guided by the dark moon rather than the Erdtree's grace. This ending removes the Greater Will's influence over the Lands Between entirely, creating a world where gods and their followers are distant, and mortals are free to determine their own fate. Ranni describes it as a world "under the wisdom of the moon," where "fear, doubt, and loneliness" will exist but also "freedom, revelation, and purpose." Unlike the other endings that simply replace one order with another, the Age of Stars breaks the cycle entirely by removing the concept of an ordained god-queen ruling through a vassal like the Elden Beast.
To achieve this ending, you must complete Ranni's full quest chain and interact with her summon sign at the Cathedral of Manus Celes after defeating the Elden Beast. The alternative Frenzied Flame ending is the only other ending that permanently changes the world state. The Age of Stars is widely considered the best ending for its narrative depth, emotional weight, and the personal connection built with Ranni throughout her quest. However, it requires the most effort to unlock — spanning 7 major regions and multiple optional bosses including Starscourge Radahn, the Valiant Gargoyles, and the Dragonkin Soldier. The ending cutscene shows Ranni holding the Dark Moon Ring and speaking directly to the player, declaring the beginning of the Age of Stars. This personal touch, combined with the tragic fates of her servants, makes the Age of Stars the emotionally richest conclusion in Elden Ring.
Common Mistakes and Missable Items
Several key items in Ranni's quest are permanently missable if you progress too far without collecting them. The most critical is the Cursemark of Death on the divine tower of Liurnia — accessible only after Ranni gives you the Carian Inverted Statue. If you progress past delivering the Fingerslayer Blade without placing the statue, you must backtrack to the Carian Study Hall to complete this step. The Dark Moon Ring is obtained in the Cathedral of Manus Celes after defeating the Glintstone Dragon Adula — do not leave the Moonlight Altar plateau without collecting it. The Royal Greatsword, dropped by Blaidd at Ranni's Rise, must be collected before the area resets after completing the quest. Many players also miss the Cerulean Hidden Tear in the Moonlight Altar area, which grants unlimited FP for 10 seconds and is one of the best tears in the game for caster builds.
Common progression blockers include forgetting to exhaust Ranni's dialogue at each site of grace — she will not progress to the next stage until you have heard all her dialogue at the current location. If you reach the Lake of Rot without the Purifying Crystal Tear, acquirred from defeating Eleonora Violet Bloody Finger at the Second Church of Marika, you will face the area's rot buildup without protection. Another frequent mistake is killing Blaidd before completing Ranni's quest, which cuts off access to his summon sign for the Radahn fight and locks his dialogue. Finally, if you accidentally hit Ranni during the quest, head to the Church of Vows in Liurnia to atone using a Celestial Dew — this resets NPC aggro without losing quest progress. Ranni's quest is designed to be completed over many hours of gameplay, so methodically checking each step before moving to the next area prevents most missable scenarios.
