Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Ansbach quest line walkthrough

✓ At A Glance

• Start Ansbach’s quest at the Main Gate Cross
• He’ll move to the Specimen Storehouse after the rune shatters
• Ferry messages between Ansbach and Freya
• Decide to fight alongside Ansbach or Freya

As you creep up towards Belurat in the Gravesite Plains, you’ll come across the Main Gate Cross site of grace. Standing nearby is Ansbach, a weathered old Pureblood Knight formerly in service to Lord Mohg. He’s given up fighting, instead turning his attention to figuring out Miquella’s ultimate purpose. Talking to him kick-starts his quest, which will lead you to several locations across the Realm of Shadow.

In keeping with FromSoft tradition, there’s no hand-holding when it comes to figuring out where to go and how to complete his quest. We’ll walk you through all the steps to wrap up Ansbach’s quest. Given that we’ve only had one playthrough, there’s a good chance of alternative outcomes we haven’t come across, so we’ll pop back in and update with fresh info.

How to start Ansbach’s quest line

To start Ansbach’s quest line, you’ll need to talk to him at the Main Cross Gate site of grace just below Belurat in the Gravesite Plain. He’ll ask you to return to him if you find any crosses beyond the six known ones. You’ll want to find any of the following seven crosses then return to Ansbach for some more dialogue:

• Three-Path Cross
• Main Gate Cross
• Belurat, Tower Settlement – hidden room underneath the Stagefront site of grace, accessible by jumping over the rubble on the right just before the chamber full of spiders on the second floor of the dungeon.
• Pillar Path Cross
• Castle Ensis Checkpoint
• Highroad Cross
• Moorth Ruins

The next step is a tad more obscure, but you’re waiting for a loud noise, like a shimmering crackle, then a message on screen letting you know that a great rune has broken. It happened for me as I was heading up from the Bridge Leading to the Village site of grace in west Scadu Altus to the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. But the general trigger seems to be approaching Shadow Keep, regardless of the direction. We’re not 100% sure about any other progress requirements, but we’d beaten the Dancing Lion and Rellana by that point.

Once the rune shatters, return to Ansbach at the Main Gate Cross site of grace and exhaust his dialogue. He’ll reveal he’s a bit lost due to Miquella’s rune shattering and plans to run far away.

Ansbach at Shadow Keep

Reload the area and Ansbach will be gone. He’ll move the Shadow Keep, Specimen Storehouse. The closest site of grace is the Storehouse, First Floor. From the grace, follow the path forward round to the large beast corpse. Go the short stairs ahead, then down the stairs on the right into a room with a beast bone carcass on a platform at its centre. Ansbach is at the back on the right.

Despite his best efforts to make a fresh start, he’s set on figuring out what Miquella’s followers plan to do with Mohg’s remains. To progress from here, you’ll need to find the Secret Rite Scroll. From the Storehouse, Fourth Floor site of grace, go out onto the balcony, go left up the stairs, defeat the red fire knight, then take the stone stairs on your left down. The scroll is on a table on the right near the ledge that looks down into the storehouse.

Scroll location in the Specimen Storehouse. Captured by VideoGamer

Head down the stone staircase. Captured by VideoGamer

The scroll is on a table to the right. Captured by VideoGamer

Mysterious. Captured by VideoGamer

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Before delivering the scroll, talk to Freyja next to the Storehouse, Fourth Floor site of grace. Head back to Ansbach and tell him about Freyja’s decision. Hand over the scroll. Turns out there are plans to use Mohg’s corpse as a vessel. Leave him to it.

Romina and beyond

From here, Ansbach’s quest slows for a while until you defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud at the Ancient Ruins of Rauh. She’s a main story boss so you can’t miss the fight. Once she’s dead, head back to Ansbach. He’ll give you a Letter for Freyja. Bring the letter to Freyja at the Storehouse, Seventh Floor site of grace in the Specimen Storehouse. Return to Ansbach and pass on Freyja’s message.

Reload the area and return to Ansbach’s spot in the storehouse. He’ll have disappeared, leaving two summon signs on the ground – one to fight Ansbach alongside Leda and another to fight Leda alongside Ansbach. If you kill Ansbach, you’ll get Wise Man’s Mask, Ansbach’s Attire, Ansbach’s Manchettes, Ansbach’s Boots, Ansbach’s Longbow. 

If you choose to fight alongside Ansbach, you’ll get Ansbach’s Longbow and he’ll show up to help you in two fights in the late game in Enir-Ilim against Leda and allies, then Radahn. After the Radahn fight (the game’s final boss), you’ll find Ansbach’s corpse in the arena. Talk to him and you’ll get the Obsidian Lamina, Wise Man’s Mask, Ansbach’s Attire, Ansbach’s Manchettes, and Ansbach’s Boots.