Honestly, the Elden Ring Nepheli questline is one of the most frustratingly easy stories to mess up in the entire game. You meet this powerhouse warrior early on, she helps you flatten Godrick, and then she just... disappears into a basement to mope? If you've spent hours wondering why she won't move from that spot downstairs in the Roundtable Hold, you aren't alone. Most people think they’ve finished her story way before the actual credits roll on her arc.
Getting Nepheli to her "true" ending isn't just about her; it's a weirdly intertwined mess involving a snobbish noble named Kenneth Haight and a creepy gatekeeper who likes stomping on severed heads. If you want those Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones, you've got to play matchmaker for a bunch of broken NPCs.
First Encounters and the Godrick Trap
You first run into Nepheli Loux in a small room tucked away in Stormveil Castle. She's standing over a dead knight, looking significantly more competent than anyone else you've met so far. Talk to her. Exhaust every single line. If you don't, her summon sign won't appear outside Godrick’s fog gate.
While summoning her for the Godrick fight isn't technically "required" for the quest to move forward, why wouldn't you? She’s a tank. She uses those dual Stormhawk Axes to absolute perfection. Once the Grafted King is toast, she moves to the Roundtable Hold.
She’ll be standing outside Gideon Ofnir’s study. Go talk to her. She gives you the Arsenal Charm, which is a godsend for your equip load early on. But this is where the quest usually stalls out for people.
The Liurnia Massacre
The next time you see her, she’s in a much darker place. Literally. You’ll find her under a bridge in the Village of the Albinaurics in Liurnia of the Lakes. The village is a nightmare—overrun by madness and piled high with bodies.
💡 You might also like: Marvel Rivals Emma Frost X Revolution Skin: What Most People Get Wrong
- Find her by the village entrance.
- Go up the hill and kill the Omenkiller boss.
- Talk to her again.
She’s devastated. She realized her foster father, Gideon "The All-Knowing" Ofnir, was the one who ordered the slaughter of the village. It breaks her spirit. When she returns to the Roundtable Hold this time, she’s downstairs past the blacksmith, staring at the floor.
The Seluvis Potion Dilemma: Don't Mess This Up
While Nepheli is depressed in the basement, you’ll likely meet Preceptor Seluvis. He’s a jerk. He gives you a potion and tells you to force-feed it to Nepheli.
Whatever you do, do NOT give Nepheli the potion.
If she drinks it, she becomes a puppet. Her quest ends right there. You lose out on the top-tier rewards, and she becomes a Spirit Ash you can buy from Seluvis later. It's a tragic, "bad" ending for her character. Instead, take the potion to Gideon. He’ll offer to dispose of it. Doing this "tricks" Seluvis into thinking you did the deed, keeping Nepheli's quest alive while progressing the mage's storyline. It’s the only way to play both sides.
How to Get the Stormhawk King
To snap Nepheli out of her funk, you need a very specific item: the Stormhawk King. This isn't a summonable spirit ash; it's a key item.
📖 Related: Finding the Right Words That Start With Oc 5 Letters for Your Next Wordle Win
To find it, you have to go back to where the game started—the Chapel of Anticipation.
- Go to The Four Belfries in western Liurnia.
- Use an Imbued Sword Key on the portal labeled "Precipice of Anticipation."
- Kill the Grafted Scion that probably murdered you in the first five minutes of the game.
- Go back to the chapel building and find the side door that was previously locked.
- Pick up the Stormhawk King on a ledge.
Bring this back to Nepheli. She’ll mention it smells of the ancient storm. This is the catalyst she needs to remember her roots. But even after giving her the hawk, she still won't move. This is the part that kills most players' progress.
The Kenneth Haight Connection
The Elden Ring Nepheli questline is secretly two quests in one. You must complete Kenneth Haight’s tasks too. You find Kenneth yelling for help on top of a ruin in Limgrave. You have to clear out Fort Haight for him, then go back and talk to him. Eventually, he’ll move back to his fort and complain that he needs to find a "true and stalwart Lord" to rule Limgrave.
Nepheli is that ruler. But they won't meet up until a very specific world event happens.
The Final Trigger
You have to kill Morgott the Omen King in Leyndell. Once he's dead, and you've given Nepheli the hawk and finished Kenneth’s dialogue, you need to head back to the Godrick the Grafted Site of Grace.
👉 See also: Jigsaw Would Like Play Game: Why We’re Still Obsessed With Digital Puzzles
Go into the throne room right behind it. If they aren't there, try resting at the grace and "Passing Time" until morning. Sometimes you have to do this two or three times to force the game to update the NPC positions.
Rewards and the Gatekeeper
If you did everything right, Nepheli will be sitting on the throne. Kenneth Haight will be standing next to her, finally happy. Even Gatekeeper Gostoc (if you didn't kill him for being a thief) will be there, frantically stomping on nothing.
The Haul:
- Nepheli gives you an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.
- If Gostoc is alive, he opens his shop and sells you a second Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for 20,000 runes.
This is massive. These stones are extremely rare—only 13 exist in the base game. Getting two in one room is the best reason to see this quest through to the end. Plus, Nepheli becomes available as a summon for the final boss fights in the Ashen Capital, which is a huge help when things get sweaty.
Why It Fails
The quest can break if you progress too far into the endgame. If you kill Maliketh before finishing these steps, Nepheli might never move to the throne. Also, obviously, if you kill Kenneth, Gostoc, or Nepheli at any point, the chain snaps.
Next Steps for You:
If Nepheli is currently moping in the basement, go to the Four Belfries and grab that Stormhawk King immediately. If you've already given her the hawk but she's still stuck, check Fort Haight to see if Kenneth is still complaining about "searching for a lord." Once both are prepped, go kill Morgott and claim your throne room rewards.