Elden Ring Nightreign story explained – basic lore and setting

Due the fast-paced, roguelike nature of the game and a concerted move on the part of FromSoftware to not encroach on the original Elden Ring’s story, Nightreign is fairly light on lore and narrative meanderings compared to what we’d usually expect from the Japanese developer. That’s not to say there isn’t any story, but rather it’s been paired down while still remaining suitably opaque and open to interpretation.

After playing Nightreign for our review, we’ve gleaned a fairly reasonable understanding of what’s going on in Limveld and all the business surrounding the Night’s Tide and the Nightlords. In this guide, we’ll give you a quick primer on the Elden Ring Nightreign story.

Elden Ring Nightreign basis lore and setting

Though set in the Elden Ring universe, Nightreign’s story runs parallel and is disconnected to that of the base game. The two tales do however have some commonality, mainly in that The Shattering exists in both. But from that event onward, the two dissect, exploring their own narrative branches that run independently of one another. Nightreign isn’t canonical to the base game.

In Nightreign, the same great war in The Lands Between leads to The Shattering that destroys order. This draws forth an abomination known as the Night, personified by the Nightlord, which is described as a ‘living cataclysm’ that brings a heavy rain called the Night’s Tide to harry the region of Limveld. If the Nightlord’s ravaging and warping of the Lands Between remains unchecked the world will disappear.

Elden Ring Nightreign takes place in Limveld, an alternate reality version of Limgrave from the original game. The land is twisted by the Nightlord, corroding the earth and triggering cataclysms that link to other worlds but also summon those that failed to cross the Night successfully. The Night has corrupted the region’s inhabitants free to act in his name.

In step the Nightfarers, a group of redemption seekers gathered at the Roundtable Hold to fight back and stop the Nightlord. Each one has their own backstory drawing and beckoning them to fight the Nightlord as told through Remembrances, Nightreign’s take of quests. Fatigue caused by sustained war and combat had divested the Nightfarers are selected memories and through Remembrances you’ll reclaim these lost fragments that unfold chiefly in the Roundtable Hold but also by completing objectives during runs in Limveld.

That briefly covers the basic story and setting for Elden Ring Nightreign. For granular gameplay help, check out our tips and tricks to get your started in Limveld, how to upgrade weapons, how to find crest at the Sorcerer’s Rise, and how to unlock the Dresser and use skins.