How to complete Swordhand of Night Jolan's questline in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree
Our step-by-step walkthrough for finishing Jolan's sidequest.
Swordhand of Night Jolan is one of the new NPCs you'll meet in Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. A mysterious and rather stern figure, Jolan's sidequest is closely tied to Count Ymir's questline, and completing it can reward you with one of the rarest new Spirit Ashes in the game.
Below, we'll tell you exactly how to complete Swordhand of Night Jolan's questline, as well what choices you can make at the end of it that determine what reward you'll receive. So read on for our step-by-step walkthrough on completing Swordhand of Night Jolan's sidequest.
On this page:
- First meeting - where to find Swordhand of Night Jolan
- Second meeting
- Third meeting
- Fourth and final encounter
First meeting - where to find Swordhand of Night Jolan
Swordhand of Night Jolan is located in the Cathedral of Manus Metyr in Scadu Altus. She stands next to a pillar by the west exit, which leads to a small graveyard. Here's her exact location on the map below:
To get to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr, you'll need to follow the route to the east side of the Shadow Keep. Starting at the Site of Grace 'Moorth Ruins', head east under the large archway until you come across a hidden hole in the ground near the crooked church tower on the north side of the ruins. This path leads down a ravine, taking you safely to the lower edge of the cliffs:
Follow the path downwards, using the ledges to descend into the underground passageway. Go all the way to the end until you reach a ladder that takes you up into Bonny Village. You'll need to pass through this village to continue your journey to the cathedral, following the wooden bridges to the east.
After the Site of Grace 'Bridge Leading to the Village', head north through the woods with the wolves, and past the Furnace Golem on the other side of the rock tunnel. Continue north up the slope and you'll see the cathedral on the cliffside above you.
Initially, Swordhand of Night Jolan won't appear inside the cathedral. Instead, you'll need to talk to Count Ymir first. Once you've done so, you'll then find Jolan leaning against a pillar near the western exit that leads to the graveyard:
Speak to her until her dialogue is exhausted, and she'll tell you a little bit about Ymir. She doesn't have much to say at this point, however, and she'll soon refuse to say anything else. For now, continue with Count Ymir's questline and find the first Ruins Map location.
Second meeting
After you've visited the Finger Ruins of Rhia and sounded the hanging bell there, return to the cathedral and speak to Jolan again. She'll be a bit more forthcoming this time around, but that's about it. Speak to her until her dialogue is exhausted, then leave to find the second Ruins Map location.
NB: Don't worry if you miss this step and accidentally explore the second Ruins Map location without returning to the cathedral to speak to either Ymir or Jolan. The quest will still proceed as normal, and you won't miss any dialogue options or rewards.
Third meeting
Now that you've visited the Finger Ruins of Dheo and sounded the second hanging bell as part of Ymir's questline, you can return once again to the cathedral to progress Jolan's questline.
Jolan won't have anything new to say until you've spoken with Count Ymir about visiting the second Finger Ruins. Once he's given you the third Ruins Map, rest at the Site of Grace inside the cathedral and pass the time. You'll find Ymir has now disappeared from his throne, allowing you to interact with it to reveal a hidden ladder leading beneath the cathedral.
As it turns out, the third map refers to the cathedral itself, and as you descend you'll discover the Finger Ruins of Miyr below. However, as you approach the third hanging bell, you'll be attacked by a mysterious NPC called Swordhand of Night Anna. Does she bear any relation to Jolan? All will be revealed in due course. For now, you'll need to defeat her in battle in order to progress both Ymir and Jolan's respective questlines.
Fortunately, Anna isn't a particularly difficult opponent. Her claw armament can inflict bleed damage, but she's easily parried and blocking her attacks with a shield doesn't take up much stamina, so it shouldn't be too tricky to take her down quickly.
Once she's been defeated, return to Jolan to tell her you were attacked. She'll express her disbelief and ask you to say no more of the subject. "I have one star alone," she says. "And only his words will do..."
Speak to her again and she'll add that she's in your debt for telling her about this incident, but she still won't hear any more about it. There's nothing more you can say to her at this point, so proceed back down underground to the Finger Ruins of Miyr to sound the third and final hanging bell.
NB: sounding this bell will instantly transport you to fight Metyr, Mother of Fingers, one of the ten Remembrance bosses in Shadow of the Erdtree, so make sure you're prepared for this fight before you interact with the bell.
Fourth and final encounter
After defeating Metyr, Mother of Fingers, fast travel back to the cathedral. Both Jolan and Ymir will have vanished from the cathedral now, but if you interact with Ymir's throne again, Jolan will appear as an NPC invader to fight you.
She accuses you of wounding Ymir "most irreparably" by defeating Metyr, and that he now wants you dead. How ungrateful!
As you might expect, you'll need to defeat Jolan in battle before you can advance her questline further. She's a very similar opponent to Swordhand of Night Anna, only Jolan uses a sword instead of claws. This can also inflict bleed damage if she hits you or you absorb her attacks with your shield, but she's still easy to counter with a well-timed parry to open up valuable attack windows.
On defeat, she'll cry out for Ymir, who will now also appear to attack you as a full-blown boss, complete with his own large health bar and the new title Count Ymir, Mother of Fingers.
As a glintstone sorcerer, Ymir has lots of magical attacks at his disposal, as well as the ability to summon Fingercreeper monsters to aid him in battle. Luckily, his defences are practically non-existent, and it doesn't take much to break through and land a lot of hits very quickly. You can also use the pillars inside the cathedral to avoid his magical attacks, too, so it's not a very difficult boss fight in the grand scheme of things.
Once he's been defeated, the cathedral will return to normal and you'll be able to leave again. Before you do that, though, rest at the Site of Grace and pass time.
Then, return to Jolan's previous position by her usual pillar, and you'll find her slumped against the wall. She'll call out to Ymir, saying she can no longer see the stars or the sky.
Here, you'll get a choice to give her one of two items if you have them in your possession: the Iris of Grace or the Iris of Occultation.
NB: Your choice here determines your final reward for completing Swordhand of Night Jolan's questline, and you cannot get both items in single playthrough. As a result, you'll need to think carefully about which item you'd rather receive:
- Give Jolan the Iris of Grace and you'll receive the Swordhand of Night Jolan Spirit Ash, which can later be transformed into the ultra rare Jolan and Anna Spirit Ash if you seek out Anna's remains at the very top of Rabbath's Rise. See our full walkthrough for how to get the Jolan and Anna Spirit Ash for more details.
- Give Jolan the Iris of Occultation, on the other hand, and you'll receive the weapon Sword of the Night.
Personally, we gave Jolan the Iris of Grace. Sure, the Iris of Occultation might be more in keeping with her theme of darkness and the night sky, but a new Spirit Ash is a lot more fun than yet another sword, in our opinion. You're free to make your own choice, though, so pick whichever option you think is best to conclude Swordhand of Night Jolan's questline.
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.