Age Of Stars Ending in Elden Ring: Ranni The Witch Quest Guide 

Tarnished One, I sense that Ranni’s whisperings have reached you, presenting a choice that will shape your fate.

In the heart of Ranni’s Rise, the Snow Witch weaves a complex tale, flanked by her mysterious associates Blaidd and Seluvis.

Completing Ranni’s questline not only pulls you deeper into Elden Ring’s lore but also yields a plethora of rewards.

Notably, this questline is the sole path to unlocking the game’s hidden ending – the esteemed Age of Stars – that is widely considered the game’s best conclusion.

Let me enlighten you on the challenges that lie ahead if you so wish to follow the Snow Witch’s questline and pursue the “Age of Stars”.

1. Age Of Stars Ending: Ranni The Witch Quest Guide

By choosing to serve Ranni the Witch, players will embark on an intricate questline with the potential to alter the game’s ending. However, to pledge allegiance to Ranni, players must first prove themselves by defeating either General Radahn or Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon.

Declining Ranni’s offer, however, comes with no consequences, allowing players to continue their journey to the Erdtree. Ranni won’t retaliate or hold a grudge, even offering a second chance to serve her if players return to Ranni’s Rise later.

if you wish to serve Ranni, follow this two-part guide to complete her questline, but be prepared for a challenging journey as it requires extensive map exploration and multiple key boss defeats.

2. Ranni’s Quest Part 1 – The Hidden Treasure of Nokron

Step 1: Meet Ranni
Head to the Three Sisters towers, west of Caria Manor, by defeating Royal Knight Loretta. Enter Ranni’s Rise, the middle tower, and take the lift to meet Ranni at the top.

Step 2: Gather Information
Ranni will task you with finding Nokron’s hidden treasure and instruct you to speak with her associates: War Counselor Iji, Blaidd, and Seluvis. Talk to them on the first floor to learn that Starscourge Radahn stopped the stars.

Step 3: Defeat Radahn
Find Blaidd at Siofra River, where he’ll reveal more about Nokron. To access Nokron, defeat Starscourge Radahn, which is part of the Elden Ring Blaidd the Half-Wolf questline. Find the new crater situated south of Mistwood and jump down to reveal the hidden city of Nokron.

Step 4: Acquire Fingerslayer Blade
In Nokron, Eternal City, follow the path to the Mimic Tear boss fight, then head to the Night’s Sacred Ground Site of Grace. Jump onto the roofs and reach the ground-level church to find the Fingerslayer Blade.

Step 5: Receive the Carian Inverted Statue
Bring the Fingerslayer Blade back to Ranni to receive the Carian Inverted Statue, which unlocks the top of the Divine Tower of Liurnia.

Step 6: Obtain the Cursemark of Death
Use the Statue at the Carian Study Hall to flip the tower, then head up to reach the Divine Tower. At the top, claim the Cursemark of Death from the corpse.

3. Ranni’s Quest Part 2 – The Dark Moon Ring

Step 1: Talk to Miniature Ranni
Head back to the Northernmost tower, Renna’s Rise, and activate the Waygate to reach Ainsel River Main. Obtain the Miniature Ranni and engage with it multiple times at the nearest Site of Grace until it responds. She will then task you with defeating the Baleful Shadow.

Step 2: Defeat the Baleful Shadow
Travel to Nokstella, Eternal City, and head down to the Nokstella Waterfall Basin Site of Grace. Defeat the Baleful Shadow, an NPC Invasion resembling Blaidd, to receive the Discarded Palace Key from the Miniature Ranni.

Step 3: Claim the Dark Moon Ring
Use the key to unlock the chest in the Raya Lucaria Grand Library, where you previously fought Rennala, and obtain the Dark Moon Ring.

Step 4: Head to the Grand Cloister
Head to the Lake of Rot, cross the lake using stepping stones and enter the Grand Cloister building. Find the coffin near the waterfall and enter it to be transported to the next location.

Step 5: Defeat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
Engage in a challenging boss fight against Astel, using strategies like staying behind or under him, employing summons, and dodging his attacks. Astel’s gravity-enhanced strikes and delayed blasts require careful maneuvering.

Step 6: Complete Ranni’s Quest
After defeating Astel, head through the arena to the elevator, which will take you to the surface level in Liurnia. Avoid the dragon attack and make your way to the Cathedral of Manus Celes. Carefully drop down the ravine to find Ranni’s body, and place the Dark Moon Ring on her hand to finally complete her quest.

4. Secret Ending And Quest Rewards

Completing Ranni’s questline grants access to the secret ending, but it won’t trigger automatically.

After defeating the final boss, look for a blue summoning sign to summon Ranni and initiate the Age of Stars ending, a permanent decision that concludes the game in Ranni’s desired outcome.

Numerous rewards are scattered throughout Ranni’s questline, including:

• Dark Moon Greatsword: A unique Greatsword with frost damage and temporary self-empowerment, requiring Int 38 to use. Received after finding Ranni’s body at the Cathedral of Manus Celes.
• Remembrance of the Naturalborn: Dropped by Astel, exchangeable with Finger Reader Enia for the Waves of Darkness Ash of War or the Intelligence-scaling flail, Bastard’s Stars.
• Silver Tear Mask and Larval Tears: Defeating the Mimic Tear rewards a unique helmet-boosting Arcane stat and two Larval Tears, usable for respeccing or redefining your character.
• Loretta’s Greatbow and Ash of War Loretta’s Slash: Defeating Royal Knight Loretta yields the Greatbow sorcery and Loretta’s Slash Ash of War, granting Magic Affinity and a strong upwards strike to spears and polearms.

I wonder then, Brave Tarnished, whether you will pledge your allegiance to Ranni the Witch, or forge an independent path of your own?

5. About Elden Ring

Elden Ring is a major title released by FromSoftware in 2022, the developers of Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne, and the Dark Souls franchise. Set in the ‘Lands Between’,  players are on a quest to repair the Elden Ring and become the new Elden Lord.

Shadow of the Erdtree is a full-fledged expansion for Elden Ring added in June 2024. It is a whole new map with new Weapons, Sorceries, Ashes, and Craftables. It is a challenging DLC and as players continue to explore the map, they find surprises and easter eggs left by the developers every day.