How to complete Ansbach's questline in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
A step-by-step guide on how to get through Ansbach's sidequest.
Ansbach is one of the new NPCs you'll meet in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. He's a warrior closely associated with Mohg, Lord of Blood - who you may remember you had to kill in order to start Shadow of the Erdtree in the first place. Awkward. Still, while you'd think there might be bad blood between you and Ansbach, he can potentially be one of your greatest allies in Elden Ring's DLC if you follow and complete his sidequest.
In this guide, we'll tell you exactly how to complete Ansbach's questline in Shadow of the Erdtree, outlining every step you need to follow, and when to give him important items so you don't end his questline prematurely.
On this page:
- First meeting - where to find Ansbach
- Second meeting
- Third meeting - Shadow Keep
- Speaking with Freyja and finding the Secret Rite Scroll
- Fourth meeting
- Fifth and final encounter
First meeting - where to find Ansbach
Ansbach is found at the Site of Grace 'Main Gate Cross' in Gravesite Plain, just before you arrive at Belurat, Tower Settlement. Here is his precise location on the map below:
If you talk with Ansbach here, he'll reveal a little bit about himself - that his fighting days are far behind him, and that he's now dedicated to investigating Miquella's ultimate purpose in coming to the Shadow Realm. Unsurprisingly, he's very interested in the Miquella's Cross locations you'll find throughout your travels, and if you speak to him a second time, he'll ask you to report back on other Crosses you find.
Whereas Hornsent's Cross Map only has three locations shown, Ansbach reveals that at least six Crosses have been discovered so far, and if you discover anymore, "be certain to tell me," he says.
At this point, Ansbach doesn't have much more to say, so feel free to leave - or talk to the merchant Moore, who can also be found at this Site of Grace. After speaking with Moore, you can ask Ansbach more about him, but once each NPC's dialogue is exhausted, feel free to move on.
Interacting with Miquella's Crosses
You can return to visit Ansbach to receive additional dialogue from him after interacting with the following Miquella's Crosses:
These aren't necessary steps in Ansbach's sidequest, but he'll tell you how grateful he is that you've joined him in his investigation. He'll share additional lore and backstory about Miquella after each interaction, and eventually reveal that Miquella is heading for the Tower of Shadow (not to be confused with the Shadow Keep).
Second meeting
The next major plot point in Ansbach's questline comes after you receive the message "Somewhere a great rune has broken..." either as you approach the Shadow Keep or enter Rauh Base for the first time. This is an important moment for all Shadow of the Erdtree's NPCs, and you should visit them all and talk to them again before going any further with the story.
Return to Ansbach at Main Gate Cross and he'll reveal that since Miquella has "discarded his Great Rune, the fog that vexed my aging faculties has been lifted", and he's now haunted by his past memories - particularly by the time he challenged Miquella as he tried to defend Lord Mohg.
However, the incident revealed just how weak Ansbach was, and he concludes that "Miquella the Kind... is a monster" in the way he "wields love to shrive clean the hearts of men".
Speak to Ansbach again, and he'll tell you that Miquella now makes his "blood run cold", and his greatest wish is to simply run away.
He won't say any more at this point, and after you leave the area, Ansbach will move on to a new location.
Third meeting - Shadow Keep
You'll find Ansbach again inside the Shadow Keep's Specimen Storehouse on the First Floor. This part of the Storehouse can be accessed via the main front entrance, after defeating the Golden Hippopotamus. You can also reach it via the Shadow Keep's Church District, and dropping down to the lower level of the Storehouse from the Site of Grace 'Storehouse, Back Section'.
From the Site of Grace 'Storehouse, First Floor', head left round the large animal statue in front of you, following the path through the bookshelves and up the stairs to the north.
At the top of the stairs, turn left, then right through the bookcases, and you'll see a room with an arched doorway. Ansbach is located here.
Talk to him, and he'll reveal how he was hoping to make a fresh start after bearing his soul to you. But there's still something bothering him, which is preventing him from moving on.
Speak to him again, and he'll tell you it's related to Lord Mohg - after Mohg was slain (by you), his body was removed from Mohgwyn Palace and taken straight to Miquella, it seems, and Ansbach wants to make amends.
Speaking with Freyja and finding the Secret Rite Scroll
After speaking with Ansbach, there are two things you'll need to do next:
- Speak with Freyja on the Storehouse, Seventh Floor
- Find the Secret Rite Scroll near the Storehouse, Fourth Floor
Speak with Freyja
To reach these upper levels of the Shadow Keep Storehouse, you'll need to enter the east side of the Shadow Keep and go through its Church District, arriving at the Storehouse via its Back Section exit. This is the only way to reach the upper floors.
When you find Freyja at the Site of Grace 'Storehouse, Seventh Floor', speak to her, and she'll tell you about her decision to go it alone. You can then return to Ansbach to tell him about this for some additional dialogue. He will wonder whether their problems are two sides of the same coin, and he'll give you a letter for her. You can choose whether or not to deliver this letter - and if you want to complete Freyja's questline, we'd suggest doing so. Whatever your decision is, though, it won't affect Ansbach's questline.
Where to find the Secret Rite Scroll
What is important to Ansbach's questline, however, is finding the Secret Rite Scroll. This is located between the Site of Graces 'Storehouse, Fourth Floor' and 'Storehouse, Seventh Floor' in the Shadow Keep, in a room only accessible from outside the main tower.
Here's how to find it, depending on which Site of Grace you're approaching it from (as you may not have found the Fourth Floor Site of Grace yet, since it's reasonably well hidden):
Approaching from the Site of Grace 'Storehouse Seventh Floor': Go down two floors to the fifth floor (which you can identify by the large table with an animal skeleton on it as soon as you reach the bottom of the stairs):
Follow the floor round to the east side of the tower, and take out the Fire Knight patrolling the hallways. At the end of this floor, you'll see a doorway leading outside. You'll likely be attacked by two giant bats as soon as you step outside, so deal with them and carry on round to the right (heading south-west). Just around the corner, you'll see another staircase leading down, back inside the tower. Take this staircase, killing the three mage shades on your left. You'll find the Secret Rite Scroll on a table behind the farthest bookshelf, by the open balcony:
Approaching from the Site of Grace 'Storehouse, Fourth Floor': Go back outside, following the staircase up to the area with the flaming boats and Fire Knight. Either defeat or run past the Fire Knight, and go up the stairs. Before you head back inside the Storehouse, go down the staircase on your left. The Secret Rite Scroll is located behind the farthest bookshelf on your right, by the open balcony.
What exactly is the Secret Rite Scroll? If you read its menu description, it says one can learn about the secret rite of the divine gateway with it - which refers to the Tower of Shadow Ansbach mentioned earlier.
Now that you've found it, you can choose whether or not to give the Secret Rite Scroll to Ansbach, which has important consequences for his overall questline.
- Give the scroll to Ansbach: choosing this option will continue Ansbach's questline. With the scroll's knowledge, Ansbach will finally have the answers he's been looking for, and he'll learn the truth about Miquella's intentions (and what his plans are for Mohg's body).
- Don't give the scroll to Ansbach: choosing this option will stall Ansbach's questline. Unable to make any further progress in his investigation, Ansbach will remain at Shadow Keep for the rest of the DLC.
NB: If you also want to complete Freyja's questline, you must find and speak to Freyja before giving Ansbach the Secret Rite Scroll - otherwise he may not be around for you to inform him of Freyja's decision, and by extension, he won't be able to give you the letter he's written for her.
Once you've given Ansbach the Secret Rite Scroll, he will move on to his final location either when:
- You pass on his letter to Freyja.
- You approach the final stages of the game (if you don't give Freyja the letter).
NB: It's still possible for Ansbach's questline to end prematurely within the Shadow Keep depending on further choices you make . If you summon Hornsent in the fight against Messmer, Needle Knight Leda will begin to target Ansbach. If Ansbach hasn't moved on when this happens, you'll get the option to fight either Leda or Ansbach, and you'll find summoning stones for both NPCs in Ansbach's room in the first floor of the Storehouse.
If you side with Leda, you'll need to kill Ansbach, which will end his questline early. You'll get slightly different rewards if you pick this option (Ansbach's Longbow and Leda's Rune), but you'll get better rewards if you side with Ansbach (Ansbach's Longbow, Ansbach's Armor Set, and further rewards later on).
You can also skip this fight entirely, and you'll still be able to continue Ansbach's questline as if nothing had happened.
Fourth meeting
If you gave Ansbach the Secret Rite Scroll and either sided with him against Leda or skipped the optional Shadow Keep fight altogether, you'll be able to summon Ansbach as an ally in Enir-Ilim when you fight against Needle Knight Leda and her companions.
This fight occurs just before the final boss battle against Radahn, Consort of Miquella, and Ansbach is one of the few NPCs who will come to your aid here, which is why it's so worthwhile completing his sidequest.
After the battle, you'll be able to speak to him again at the top of the lift leading up to the final boss arena. At last, he'll realise that it was you who killed Mohg, but he bears you no grudge. You both fought an honourable duel (in his eyes, at least), and will he continue to support you in your fight against Miquella.
Fifth and final encounter
After speaking to Ansbach at the top of the lift, you're now ready to face the final boss of Shadow of the Erdtree. Once again, you can summon Ansbach in battle to fight alongside you, and he will finally be able to exact his revenge.
The fight, however, will take its toll on his old warrior, and after you've beaten the final boss, you'll find Ansbach's corpse lying to the side of the battle arena.
Interact with his body to claim the following items:
- Wise Man's Mask
- Ansbach's Attire
- Ansbach's Manchettes
- Ansbach's Boots
- Obsidian Lamina (Ansbach's Scythe)
- Furious Blade of Ansbach (a rare Incantation)
This brings Ansbach's questline to a close - and congratulations on beating Shadow of the Erdtree!
Need more help? Improve your stats by finding all of Shadow of the Erdtree's Scadutree Fragment locations and Revered Spirit Ash locations. Alternatively, see which Erdtree bosses you've still got left to beat, and track down some great new early weapons to help you on your adventure.