You're standing in the Roundtable Hold. It's quiet. Then you see her. Fia, the Deathbed Companion, sitting on a bed in a dimly lit room, offering to hold you. Most players just take the hug for the free Baldachin's Blessing and move on. Bad move. Well, not a total disaster, but that hug comes with a hidden health penalty you probably didn't notice. It's a tiny icon under your stamina bar. Use the item to get your HP back. Now, if you actually want to see the Elden Ring Fia quest through to the end—which, let’s be honest, is the only way to get one of the coolest (and weirdest) endings in the game—you’ve got a lot of legwork ahead of you.
This isn't just some side fetch quest. It’s a massive, lore-heavy journey that spans from the very beginning of your run all the way to the Deeproot Depths. You're going to deal with cursed knives, a very angry brother, and a literal undead dragon.
Starting the Elden Ring Fia Quest the Right Way
A lot of people think you can just rush this. You can't.
First off, you need to talk to Fia. Repeatedly. Let her hold you. Talk in secret. Eventually, after you’ve reached the Altus Plateau (usually by taking the Grand Lift of Dectus or through the Ruin-Strewn Precipice), she’ll give you a Weathered Dagger. She wants you to return it to its "rightful owner."
Here is where things get messy. The owner is D, Hunter of the Dead. He’s the guy in the gold and silver armor sitting at the round table. Give it to him. Don’t worry, he won't be mad. At least, not yet.
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Reload the area.
Go past the blacksmith, Hewg, into that room that’s usually locked. You’ll find D on the floor. He’s dead. Fia is standing over him, dropping some cryptic lore about Godwyn the Golden and the "curse-mark of death." She vanishes. Most people freak out here because D was a useful NPC, but his death is mandatory for the Elden Ring Fia quest to progress. Pick up his armor (the Twinned Set) and his Bell Bearing.
You’ll need that armor later. Don’t sell it. Seriously.
Finding the Cursemark of Death
Now you’re in the mid-game. To keep the Elden Ring Fia quest moving, you have to find the Cursemark of Death. This isn't found in the Roundtable Hold. It’s at the top of the Divine Tower of Liurnia.
But there’s a catch.
You can’t get into the tower unless you’ve progressed Ranni’s questline far enough to get the Carian Inverted Statue. This is where Elden Ring's quests start to overlap like a tangled ball of yarn. You have to beat Starscourge Radahn, head down into Nokron, find the Fingerslayer Blade, and give it to Ranni. She gives you the statue.
Go to the Carian Study Hall. Place the statue on the pedestal. The whole building flips upside down. Fight your way through (watch out for Preceptor Miriam’s annoying magic bows) and cross the bridge to the Divine Tower. At the top, you’ll find the Cursemark on a charred corpse. This is half of the Hallowbrand you need for Fia's "Age of the Duskborn" ending.
Deeproot Depths and the Fia’s Champions Fight
The next step is finding Fia again. She’s moved to the Deeproot Depths. There are two ways to get there, and both are a pain. You can either climb into a coffin after beating the Valiant Gargoyles in Nokron (a brutal fight, honestly) or go through the subterranean shunning grounds beneath Leyndell and hit a literal invisible wall behind Mohg, the Omen.
Once you’re in the Deeproot Depths, look for the "Across the Roots" Site of Grace.
There’s a massive arena with a giant, dead-looking thing that looks like a mermaid-god-hybrid. That’s Godwyn. Or what's left of him.
As you approach, Fia’s Champions will spawn. It’s a gank fight. You’ll face Rogier (if he’s died in your world), Lionel the Lionhearted, and some generic NPCs. They aren't super tough individually, but they can swarm you. Use a Spirit Ash if you’re struggling. I usually go with the Mimic Tear or Black Knife Tiche because, well, they're broken.
After the fight, Fia will be sitting by the prince of death.
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Talk to her. She’ll ask if you’re there to kill her. Tell her "No, I want to be held." If you try to kill her, the quest ends right there. Don’t be that person. Give her the Cursemark of Death you found at the Liurnia tower.
The Lichdragon Fortissax Encounter
This is the peak of the Elden Ring Fia quest. After giving her the Cursemark, talk to her until you’ve exhausted all her dialogue. You might need to rest at the Grace a few times.
Eventually, you’ll see her asleep.
Interact with her to "Enter the Deathbed Dream."
You are now fighting Lichdragon Fortissax. This is one of the most visually stunning boss fights FromSoftware has ever designed. Red lightning everywhere. He’s a massive dragon, but the strategy is standard: stay under the belly, watch for the lightning strikes on the ground, and don’t get greedy with your swings. He’s weak to Pierce and Fire, but highly resistant to Holy. If you’re a Faith build using Holy weapons, swap to something else for five minutes.
Once Fortissax is dead, you’ll be warped back. Fia will have the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince on her body.
Pick it up. This is the item that unlocks the specific ending.
The D's Brother Complication
Remember D’s armor I told you to keep?
Just outside the Valiant Gargoyle boss room in the Siofra Aqueduct, there’s an NPC sitting on the ground, whimpering. This is D’s brother, Devin. If you give him the Twinned Armor, he eventually shows up at the end of Fia's quest in the Deeproot Depths.
If you give him the armor, he will kill Fia’s "body" after you finish the dream sequence. He’ll stand over her, gloating.
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Does this ruin the quest? No. You still get the Mending Rune. In fact, it’s the only way to get D’s armor back along with the Inseparable Sword. It’s a dark ending for her character, but in the Lands Between, "happy endings" are about as common as a friendly Caelid dog.
Honestly, the Elden Ring Fia quest is less about her and more about the fundamental laws of life and death in the game. By completing it, you’re basically saying that the "Live in Death" zombies (those annoying skeletons) deserve a place in the natural order. It's a grim choice, but it’s one of the most complete narrative arcs in the game.
Summary of Actionable Steps
- Check your status effects: If you have a red square with a down arrow, use the Baldachin’s Blessing to get your 5% HP back.
- Trigger the murder: Give D the Weathered Dagger in the Roundtable Hold once you reach Altus.
- Progress Ranni’s quest: You literally cannot finish Fia’s story without getting the Carian Inverted Statue from Ranni.
- Don't kill Fia: When you find her in the Deeproot Depths, always choose "No, I want to be held."
- Rest to refresh: If an NPC isn't moving to their next spot, rest at a Site of Grace. Just "passing time" isn't always enough to trigger the script.
- Check your Mending Runes: Before you touch the fractured Marika at the very end of the game, make sure the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince is in your inventory to see the specific ending cinematic.
The Elden Ring Fia quest is long and easy to break if you accidentally kill an NPC or skip a dialogue trigger. If Rogier has already died at the Hold, don't worry—his letter usually points you toward the next step anyway. Just keep your head down, your vigor high, and maybe stop hugging strangers if you value your max health.
Next, you should focus on collecting the remaining Great Runes to ensure you have access to the final area where this questline concludes. Specifically, make sure you've tackled Morgott in Leyndell, as the city’s transformation is a major milestone for several NPC endings. Maintaining a backup save before entering the final boss fog is also a smart way to experience multiple endings without playing through the entire 100-hour campaign again.