Ansbach Questline - Elden Ring Guide - IGN (2024)

Ansbach is one of the new NPCs you’ll encounter in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree who has a questline that runs alongside the main story. A veteran who formerly was in charge of the Pureblood Knights under Lord Mohg, he no longer cares for combat as much as he cares for information.

He’ll provide both you and the other followers of Miquella with crucial information to further their pursuits. To complete his side quest, here’s everything you need to know from where to find him, to the choices you’ll face, and the outcomes of those decisions.

• Ansbach in Gravesite Plain
• Ansbach at Shadow Keep
• Ansbach and Freyja at Shadow Keep
  • How to Find the Secret Rite Scroll
• Final Encounter with Ansbach

Where to Find Ansbach in Gravesite Plain

Speak to Hornsent first at the Three-Path Cross Site of Grace to pick up the map of Miquella’s Crosses. This will depict the Three-Path Cross site and two more of Miquella’s Crosses in the west by Belurat and northeast in Castle Ensis.

Head for Miquella’s Cross in the west towards Belurat, and you’ll find Ansbach (as well as another Scadutree Fragment) as you reach the main gate. He’ll be standing facing the cross, with another NPC sitting in full armor nearby.

Speaking to Ansbach for the first time, he’ll explain that his fighting days are behind him and he’s now devoted to investigation. He’s unwilling to offer his service to anyone unless he knows he can be of use to them.

Talk to him again and he’ll ask you to help him. You’ll learn that there are more of Miquella’s Crosses than the 3 that Hornsent has shown you (Ansbach mentions 6) and he’ll also ask you to tell him when you discover more of them.

If you speak to Moore, then rest at the Site of Grace here you can return to Ansbach and ask him about the “person in the verdigris armor.” Ansbach will give you additional lore about Moore and also request that you’re polite to the forager brood, should you encounter them on your travels.

After Vising Belurat

Once you’ve progressed through Belurat, Tower of Settlement enough that you’ve reached Miquella’s Cross just before the Stagefront Site of Grace, you can return to Ansbach and “speak of the cross at the tower.” He’ll be grateful for you sharing the knowledge and offer additional lore about Miquella, telling you that he must be attempting to seek entrance to the tower of shadow.

After the Breaking of the Great Rune

When you approach Shadow Keep, you’ll hear a loud noise and a notification will appear telling you that somewhere, a great rune has broken and along with it, a spell. This is when things will start to change drastically for the NPCs.

Return to Ansbach and speak to him. With the enchantment broken, Ansbach’s opinion of Miquella has drastically changed, calling him a monster. Talk to Ansbach again and he’ll tell you that he wants to run far away. After this, he will move on from the Main Gate Cross Site of Grace.

Where to Find Ansbach at Shadow Keep

When you reach Shadow Keep, you’ll work your way up and around to the Storehouse, First Floor from the Main Gate Plaza. Ansbach can be found here.

From the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace, head to the northeast of the room. You'll start by going left around the statue, then turning right. Head up the stairs to the left, then find the room tucked behind the bookshelves on the northeastern side.

Ansbach says that he hoped to make a fresh start, but there was one thing he was thinking about. Press him by starting a conversation again and he’ll say that Mohg’s body has been taken and given to Miquella. Ansbach wants to make amends, feeling like he lost sight of his values. Speak to him again and he’ll contemplate what they might have in store for Mohg’s body.

Ansbach and Freyja at Shadow Keep

When you’re on the fourth floor of Shadow Keep, you’ll come to a Scadutree Fragment, one of Miquella’s Crosses, and a Site of Grace. A scroll can be seen to the right of Miquella’s Cross. Pick this up to receive a letter from Ansbach called the Storehouse Cross Message. It reads:

“It would seem that the people of the keep have flooded the holy quarter that leads onward to the Scadutree, barring access. However, this is no route that leads there from this storehouse. Perhaps there is another way to reach the holy quarter, from somewhere else in this keep…”

When you find Freyja higher up in the Storehouse, you have the option to go to Ansbach and tell him about her decision. He’ll hand you a letter that you can choose to give to Freyja or not. You can find out more about the outcome of these decisions by following our page on the Redmane Freyja Questline.

How to Find the Secret Rite Scroll

From the Storehouse, Fourth Floor Site of Grace, head outside to the west and follow the steps up to the southeast. Head up the stairs past the Fire Knight, then look for the stairs on the left as you head northeast. Go down the stairs and take the door on the right, at the bottom.

Head for the northeast corner of the room you’ll enter, to find a bookshelf. The Secret Rite Scroll sits just behind here. Pick this up, then you’ll have a choice to make of whether to give this to Ansbach or not.

Decision and Outcome in Ansbach's Questline

• Choose to Hand Over the Secret Rite Scroll
• Choose Not to Hand Over the Secret Rite Scroll

Choose to Hand Over the Secret Rite Scroll

Hand over the Secret Rite Scroll and speak to Ansbach. He’ll tell you that you’ve given him the answers that he needs, and with it, you’ll unlock the chance to see him again later in the game.

Ansbach and Freyja Questline

If you want to complete both Freyja and Ansbach's questline, then be sure to find Freyja before you give Ansbach the Secret Rite Scroll.

Depending on your choices in Freyja’s questline (whether you give her the letter or not), Ansbach will either leave after:

• You give the message to her from him (be sure to rest at a site of grace and return to get the letter for Freyja).
• As you approach the later stages of the game if you choose not to give her the letter.

Choose Not to Hand Over the Secret Rite Scroll

If you don’t hand over the Secret Rite Scroll, Ansbach won’t move on from the Storehouse, First Floor.

Leda and Ansbach at Shadow Keep

The encounter against Hornsent isn't the only one Leda can have. As mentioned, if you help Leda or skip the fight against Hornsent, Leda will start to target Ansbach. When this happens, you'll want to visit the Storehouse, First Floor. Here you'll find two summoning stones, one red for Leda, and one gold for Ansbach.

Second Decision and Outcome in Ansbach's Questline

• Summoned to Help Ansbach
• Summoned to Help Leda
• Skip the Fight

Summoned to Help Ansbach

If you're summoned to help Ansbach, you'll be rewarded with:

• Ansbach's Longbow
• Leda’s Rune, which gives you 40,000 runes

This is also the option you'll need to choose if you want to Tap to Reveal

Summoned to Help Leda

If you choose to help Leda, after the fight you'll receive:

• Wise Man's Mask
• Ansbach's Attire
• Ansbach's Manchettes
• Ansbach's Boots
• Anbach's Longbow

This will lock you out of being able to use Tap to Reveal

Skip the Fight

You can choose to skip the fight, and still Tap to Reveal.

This also prevents him from being summoned later on to help you out in a fight Tap to Reveal. Instead, you’ll receive the Sanguine Noble Nataan as a summonable character. It also stops Ansbach from being summoned for the final boss fight.

Final Encounter with Ansbach

If you give Ansbach the scroll you find at Shadow Keep, you’ll be able to summon him to help you in the fight against Tap to Reveal.

Once the fight is over, you can find him just before the Divine Gate Front Staircase. Ask about Mohg’s death. Ansbach reveals he knows that it was you who slaughtered Lord Mohg, and that he has no grudges against you. This allows Ansbach to be summoned for one final time against the last boss of the DLC.

After the final boss fight, rest at the Gate of Divinity Site of Grace, then you'll find Ansbach's body just to the northeast. Loot his body to collect:

• Wise Man's Mask
• Ansbach's Attire
• Ansbach's Manchettes
• Ansbach's Boots
• Obsidian Lamina
• Furious Blade of Ansbach