Elden Ring: Shadow of the Earthtree

Given the sheer size of Elden Ring, quests from NPCs are easy to overlook. There are also a few characters in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion whose storylines you can follow. We'll give you tips on the quest from Lord Ymir, who you find in the Cathedral of Manus Metyr.

Since Jolán's questline is tied to the progress of Ymir's story, we have also summarized for you the steps you need to take. We also recommend our tips section for Elden Ring, where you can find all kinds of useful information about the base game and the DLC.

Reading tip: Find the hidden area Abyssal Woods in Shadow of the Earthtree

The questline of Lord Ymir

Lord Ymir's questline is easy to complete overall, but it does require some traveling. If you haven't explored most of the Shadow Realm yet, it's a good idea to keep the quest in mind and continue it later.

If you also want to complete Jolán's questline, you have to be careful because it is directly tied to the progress of Ymir's Thread. We will first explain to you step by step what you have to do for the High Priest.

Source: PCGames

• The quest begins in the Cathedral of Manus Metyr in Scadu Altus. How to get there: At the ruins of Moorth, drop into the large hole near a destroyed house and continue on your way until you reach Bonny Village. Run east and past the whipping hut, then follow the path up the mountain. Turn left at the Place of Grace “High Road to the Church District” and you will arrive at the cathedral.
• Go through the door and walk to the very end of the throne room. Speak to Lord Ymir, who will give you the first ruin map and a carved necklace. Speak to him twice more so that you can also buy magic from him.
• The first map shows the Finger Ruins of Rhia in the south of the Shadow Realm. You get there by riding to the beach from the Place of Mercy “Cross on the Cerulean Shore” and following the shore until you can turn left to the ruins. From there, head a little further north, but watch out for the enemies.
• Ring the hanging bell to receive the Crimson Talisman +1.

Source: PCGames

• Return to the cathedral. From this point on, Jolán will be leaning against a pillar on the right. Talk to Ymir again and you will receive the second ruins map and the item Beloved Stardust.
• This time, the map sends you to the Finger Ruins of Dheo in the northeast of the Shadow Realm. So you must first enter the Hinterlands before you can reach the ruins. To do this, you need an emote that you can find in the north of Bonny Village and you must use it in front of the statue in the room to the right of Commander Gaius' boss arena, behind the Shadow Keep.
• Ring the hanging bell here too. In return you will receive the Sky Seed Talisman +1 as a gift.

Source: PCGames

• Go back to the cathedral and talk to Ymir. He will give you the third and final ruins map, which shows you the area around the cathedral of Manus Metyr.
• Now use all of Ymir's dialogue options, otherwise you won't get any further. Rest at the Place of Grace to reload the cathedral. Then interact with the empty throne to open a secret path.
• Climb down the long ladder and you will land in the Finger Ruins of Miyr. There you will be attacked by the NPC invader Anna, Sword Hand of the Night. If you defeat her, you will receive the weapon Claws of the Night.
• At the end of the path, ring the hanging bell again. This will take you to the boss arena of Metyr, Mother of Fingers.

Source: PCGames

• After your victory, return to the cathedral and interact again with the throne that has closed the way to the Finger Ruins. You will then be attacked by the NPC invader Jolán, Swordhand of the Night.
• As soon as you have defeated them, the next boss appears: Lord Ymir, Mother of Fingers. As a reward for your victory, you will receive Ymir's Sound Pearl, the Motherly Staff weapon, as well as the hat, robe, gloves, and undergarment from the High Priest set.
• After your work is done, rest at the Place of Mercy. In the small cemetery that you can reach from the cathedral, you will find the Caressing Fingers spell. Regardless of whether you have followed Jolán's questline on the side, you can also speak to her at her usual location to receive one of two items – although she is now lying wounded on the ground.

The questline of Jolán

If you also want to complete Jolán's quest, you have to go to her and talk to her every now and then during Ymir's storyline. This way you will not only hear new dialogues, but also receive optional support in some boss fights.

• Since Jolán only appears in the cathedral after you have rung the bell in the Finger Ruins of Rhia, her quest only begins at this point. As usual in FromSoftware games, always talk to her until she has nothing new to say. After you have also talked to Ymir, you can now summon Jolán for the boss fight against Messmer.
• Return to her after ringing the bell in the Finger Ruins of Dheo and speak to her.
• After defeating the NPC invader Anna, you must return to Jolán before tackling the boss. From now on, you can summon her for the boss fight against the two tree guardians that are hanging around in the Scadu View area.

Source: PCGames

• Now take a trip into the hinterland. At the shaman village you can carefully let yourself fall further and further down until you land on the levels of Rabbath's tower that are inaccessible from below. There you will find a doll that looks like Anna. Report your discovery to Jolán.
• Now continue with Ymir's quest until you find Jolán injured at the pillar. If you give her an Iris of Mercy, you will receive the Spirit Ash Jolán, Sword Hand of the Night. If you choose an Iris of Darkness instead, you will receive the Sword of the Night.
• If you have decided to take the spirit ash, you can go one step further. Return to the doll in Rabbath's tower and interact with it to expand the newly acquired spirit ash to Jolán and Anna. If you want to undo this later, check back with the doll.

It's best to complete Ymir and Jolán's quests together so you don't forget anything. If you overlooked Jolán or didn't speak to him, you'll have to do without her support in the two boss fights mentioned, but you can still get one of the two items at the end of Ymir's quest. Whether you choose the spirit ash or the weapon is entirely up to you.