Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree: Freyja & Ansbach NPC quest walkthrough

Ansbach and Freyja's quests are innately linked in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree, so here's a complete walkthrough guiding you through every step of their respective questlines.

Where to find Freyja

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Freyja is likely the first NPC you'll meet upon reaching the Land of Shadow, as she is found at the Three-Path Cross Site of Grace at the heart of Gravesite Plain.

This is just to the north of the first Site of Grace and Scorched Ruins, at the intersection between Belurat and Castle Ensis - the area's two main dungeons.

Where to find Ansbach

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Ansbach is found by the Main Gate Cross Site of Grace, which is just before you head into Belurat, Tower Settlement.

He shares this Site of Grace with the Verdigris knight Moore, and you'll need to meet the latter too if you wish to progress Thiollier's quest.

Quest walkthrough

While the quests of Freyja and Ansbach are technically separate, the main part of their narratives rely on mutual interaction so you'll need to ensure that you're progressing both at the same pace.

While it's unlikely that you'd miss talking to both Freyja and Ansbach before Miquella's charm is broken, it's technically not a required part of either of their quests, so don't stress if you've somehow passed them over. Thankfully they remain in the same spot until you've completed the aforementioned too, so there's no risk of failing their questline before it even starts.

You can also summon both characters in some of the earlier boss fights, but this isn't tied to any character progression so don't worry if you've missed them or prefer to tackle bosses on your own.

Breaking the charm

Like most of the main NPCs in the game, both Freyja and Ansbach's questlines officially commence once Miquella's Great Rune has been discarded and charm broken.

Player reports have indicated that this can trigger at multiple different points on the map, but for me (and many others) the most common spot seems to be just before you head into the Shadow Keep in Scadu Altus. Head just up to the main gate and a smashing sound effect should trigger, alongside a message stating "Somewhere a Great Rune has broken, and so too a powerful charm."

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In short, this removes the charm that Miquella placed on his followers, allowing them to think independently and thus enact their own paths from now on. You should talk to all of the NPCs that you've met so far as most have new and incredibly important dialogue, and this too includes Freyja and Ansbach.

Freyja will mention a vow made between Radahn and Miquella, and her search for more information regarding this relationship. Ansbach in turn will unveil critical details surrounding his former master Mohg.

Make sure to exhaust the dialogue of both characters to ensure that they've said everything they can, and then rest at a nearby Site of Grace so that they leave their spot and progress in their quest.

Rendezvous at the Shadow Keep

The Shadow Keep is where Freyja and Ansbach's quests converge. Both can be found within the Storehouse, which is a mandatory part of the legacy dungeon needed to progress through.

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Ansbach is just ahead of the First Floor Site of Grace, in a small library-like room just after you go up the first set of stairs. This is a bit of an annoying spot to reach, as you'll need to kill at least a few enemies on your way to him every time you want to speak.

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Freyja, on the other hand, is right next to the Storehouse, Seventh Floor Site of Grace, making her easy to reach and find as you progress through the area.

What also helps is that you'll be able to hear her speaking to herself once you're in the vicinity - making her easy to find as you crawl through the floors. Some players have reported that certain AoE attacks can actually kill her from the floor below if you're not careful though - so watch out!

While Freyja does mention needing Ansbach's help to decipher some texts, you can't actually progress either quest until you find the Secret Rite Scroll - which is thankfully in the same building.

Giving the Secret Rite Scroll

You can find the Secret Rite Scroll by starting at the Storehouse, Fourth Floor Site of Grace. From here, head along the path outside, and just after the first Fire Knight enemy should be a set of stairs down to the north.

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Head down the stairs and into the room to the right. Once in that room, walk all the way to the edge and look right. There should then be an item drop on a dead body, giving you the Secret Rite Scroll when you pick it up.

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Once you've found the Scroll you'll want to head back to Ansbach and give it to him via the 'Hand over Secret Rite Scroll' dialogue option. Make sure to also select the 'Tell him about Freyja's decision' dialogue option too, and exhaust all of the available dialogue.

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Ansbach should eventually give you a 'Letter for Freyja' - although you might need to rest/reload before the dialogue option appears, as that happened to me. Head back up to Freyja and select the 'Pass on Letter for Freyja' when speaking to her. You'll get the Golden Lion Shield at the end of this conversation.

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Finally, head back to Ansbach and select the 'Pass on Freyja's message' dialogue option. This is the final part of both quests in the Shadow Keep, so you can freely move on from here.

Fight in Enir-Ilim

You won't encounter either until you reach the boss fight with Leda and her allies near the end of Enir-Ilim.

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Ansbach will be available as a summonable NPC for you, whereas Freyja will unfortunately be one of your adversaries. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to court the Redmayne warrior to your side, as her pure loyalty to Radahn will always have her side with Leda.

Completing this fight is the endpoint of Freyja's questline, and you'll be able to pick up her armour and weapon from her body in the aftermath.

Conversation before the final boss

Ansbach will be waiting for you at the top of the lift after defeating Leda, so make sure to speak to him and exhaust his dialogue at this spot. Once you do so he'll become summonable for the final boss.

Alongside this, you'll be able to pick up his armour and weapon after the final boss - and you don't need to have summoned him for this to happen.