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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThere is no single linear order for the Shadow of the Erdtree NPC quests: several stories overlap, and choices can change who you fight alongside and which rewards you can get. A safe approach is to meet the early NPCs, complete timing-sensitive steps before major bosses, revisit the group when the Great Rune breaks, and finish anything still available before burning the Sealing Tree.
Start with the early NPCs and their quest hooks
Use these locations to establish the main questlines as you explore. They are starting points, not a strict order for completing every step.
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| NPC or quest | Where to begin | Timing note |
|---|---|---|
| Leda | Highroad Cross, after meeting her at Mohg’s Palace | Return after major story events; her quest intersects with Hornsent and the Shadow Keep conflict. |
| Freyja and Hornsent | Three-Path Cross | Initiate Hornsent before defeating Messmer. |
| Ansbach and Moore | Main Gate Cross | Start Moore’s quest before progressing Thiollier’s questline. |
| Thiollier | Pillar Path Cross | His story later leads toward St. Trina in the Stone Coffin Fissure. |
| Igon | On the road near Pillar Path Waypoint | His story connects to Jagged Peak and the Dragon Communion Priestess. |
| Count Ymir and Jolan | Manus Metyr | Their story is centered on the cathedral and its surrounding area. |
| Hornsent Grandam | Storeroom in Belurat, Tower Settlement | Begin her quest before defeating Messmer. |
| Fire Knight Queelign | His invasion in Belurat | His quest can still be completed after the Sealing Tree is burned, according to PowerPyx. |
| Dryleaf Dane | Monk’s Missive at Highroad Cross | The missive is the quest hook; the location list does not establish a required order for his later steps. |
After meeting an NPC, talk until their dialogue is exhausted. Pick up letters and quest items when offered, and check back after messages, boss progress, or a character’s move to a new location. These habits help you notice a quest advancing without treating every new event as a lockout.
Use the Great Rune break as a revisit point
When the message “Somewhere a Great Rune has Broken” appears, return to the NPC group rather than assuming you have failed a quest. GamesRadar+ reports that this event advances many character stories but does not itself lock them. Check Leda, Hornsent, Freyja, Ansbach, Moore, and Thiollier; their locations or dialogue may have changed.
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- Collaborating with George R.R. Martin to create the ELDEN RING mythos has been a genuinely delightful experience and a source of wonderful inspiration. The team is working hard to ensure that the world of ELDEN RING will be a fascinating place for players to explore, filled with peril and wonder from its furthest reaches to its lowest depths. This is a FromSoftware title through and through, rich in fantasy and RPG action. We sincerely hope you look forward to it.
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Handle the Shadow Keep overlap as a set of choices
Leda, Hornsent, Freyja, and Ansbach have intersecting steps around the Shadow Keep. The choices affect which characters oppose one another and which rewards are available, so there is no source-backed single route that can be called best for every player.
- If you want to keep a particular character’s story moving, follow that character’s available dialogue and quest items before making a decision that targets them.
- If you want a specific reward, check what the relevant choice awards before committing; do not assume that every mutually exclusive reward can be earned in one playthrough.
- If an optional NPC summon matters to you, account for it before resolving the related encounter. The available guide material does not establish a complete branch-by-branch route that preserves every summon and reward.
PowerPyx and GamesRadar+ identify these intersections and timing concerns, but their walkthroughs do not establish a universally optimal all-rewards sequence. Treat this part as a choice, not a checklist with one correct answer.
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Progress the regional stories while exploring
Igon and the Dragon Communion Priestess
Follow Igon’s story toward Jagged Peak and check in with the Dragon Communion Priestess along the way. These quests form a regional thread; they do not need to be forced into the Shadow Keep sequence.
Thiollier and St. Trina
Thiollier’s story leads to St. Trina in the Stone Coffin Fissure. Establish Moore’s quest before advancing Thiollier, then return to Thiollier and follow any new dialogue or items as the story develops.
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Continue Count Ymir and Jolan’s story from Manus Metyr. The initial location establishes the questline, but the guide evidence does not support a complete step-by-step order for every later interaction.
Grandam, Queelign, and Dryleaf Dane
These additional questlines begin through Grandam’s storeroom in Belurat, Queelign’s invasion, and Dane’s Monk’s Missive at Highroad Cross. Establish their hooks during regional exploration, then revisit them when you find new dialogue or quest items.
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- Charge into battle, pick off enemies one-by-one using stealth, or even call upon allies for aid - many options are at your disposal as you decide how to approach exploration and combat
Finish available quests before burning the Sealing Tree
The broad point of no return is after Romina, Saint of the Bud, when you burn the Sealing Tree at the Church of the Bud to open the Tower of Shadow. GamesRadar+ and PowerPyx describe this as the main cutoff for most NPC questlines. Before interacting with the tree, revisit the characters whose stories you have started and complete any remaining steps you want to preserve.
PowerPyx lists Queelign, Ymir and Jolan, and Igon and the Dragon Communion Priestess among the questlines that can remain doable afterward. That is not a guarantee for every individual quest state, so the conservative route is to finish all available NPC quests before burning the tree.
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How to interpret the walkthrough evidence
The timing and location guidance above is drawn from third-party walkthroughs by GamesRadar+ and PowerPyx, not official developer documentation. Their guides are useful for planning, but they do not establish a complete route that guarantees every reward and branch in one playthrough. PowerPyx’s checklist also received additions in its comments, so treat its timing warnings as practical guide evidence rather than an exhaustive ruleset.
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