You’ve just met Preceptor Seluvis in his rise behind Caria Manor, and honestly, the guy is a total jerk. He’s condescending, creepy, and immediately hands you a task that feels... wrong. He wants you to find Nepheli Loux and force her to drink a "draught" that will turn her into one of his mindless puppets. It’s one of those classic FromSoftware moments where you’re standing there holding a glass of literal poison, wondering if following the questline is worth the moral bankruptcy.
Choosing to hand over Seluvis's potion isn't just a roleplaying choice; it’s a mechanical one that can permanently lock you out of some of the best spirit summons or quest rewards in Elden Ring. There are actually three different people you can give this potion to, and only one of them is the "correct" choice for Seluvis himself.
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The Three Choices for Seluvis's Potion
Most players think they only have two options: Nepheli or Gideon. But there's a third, darker path involving a certain loathsome individual in the sewers of Leyndell.
If you do exactly what the creepy wizard asks and give it to Nepheli, her quest ends immediately. She drinks it, stops moving, and eventually ends up as a puppet in Seluvis's secret basement. You’ll get her Spirit Ash later, which is a decent summon, but you lose out on two Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones. That's a high price to pay for a puppet.
Then there’s Gideon Ofnir. He’s her adoptive father and, despite being a "know-it-all" with his own questionable motives, he offers to dispose of the potion for you. This is the "safe" route. You lie to Seluvis, telling him she drank it, and his quest continues as if you’d actually done the deed. It lets you progress toward getting the Magic Scorpion Charm without ruining Nepheli’s life.
But wait. There is the Dung Eater. If you wait until you’ve progressed the Dung Eater’s quest to the point where he’s tied to a chair in the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, you can feed him the potion. This is widely considered the "best" outcome by many veterans because it turns one of the game's most reviled villains into a powerful Spirit Ash that you can use to tank bosses.
Why Nepheli Loux is usually the wrong choice
Nepheli is one of the few genuinely heroic characters in the Lands Between. Giving her the potion is objectively the "bad" ending for her. Beyond the narrative weight, the gameplay loss is significant. If you help her instead—by giving her the Stormhawk King ashes and defeating Morgott—she eventually becomes the ruler of Limgrave. This rewards you with those aforementioned Ancient Dragon Smithing Stones, which are finite resources required to max out your weapons.
Unless you are a completionist who absolutely must have the Nepheli Loux Puppet spirit ash for your collection, there is almost no reason to actually hand over Seluvis's potion to her.
Tricking the Wizard via Gideon Ofnir
Gideon is a pragmatist. When you talk to him at the Roundtable Hold about the potion, he recognizes Seluvis’s handiwork immediately. He offers to take it off your hands.
"I've a proposal for you. Give the potion to me."
Once you hand it over to Gideon, you go back to Seluvis. You tell him she took it. He’s smug, thinks he’s won, and opens up his shop to you. This is the path of least resistance. It keeps Nepheli’s quest alive, keeps the Dung Eater’s quest alive, and lets you get the Magic Scorpion Charm—an essential item for any Intelligence-based mage build.
The charm increases magic damage by 12%, but it also increases the physical damage you take by 10%. It’s a glass cannon’s dream. If you care about your build more than the lore, this is likely where you'll end up.
The Secret Option: The Dung Eater Puppet
This is where things get complicated. If you want the Dung Eater as a summon, you have to hold onto that potion for a long time. You can’t give it to Gideon, and you certainly can’t give it to Nepheli.
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You have to find the Dung Eater’s physical body in the sewers. You have to fight his invader form at the moat near Leyndell. Then, you go back to his body in the cell. Usually, you’d give him Seedbed Curses here to get his Mending Rune ending. Instead, you choose the option to administer the potion.
He’ll scream, gasp, and eventually fall silent.
Later, you can go to Seluvis’s secret lab (hidden under an illusory floor in the ruins near Ranni's Rise) and then confront him about it. Eventually, you can buy the Dung Eater Puppet from him using Starlight Shards. He is, arguably, one of the top five Spirit Ashes in the game due to his high HP and the way his "Shriek of Milos" debuffs enemy resistances.
Navigating the Seluvis Questline Timeline
Timing is everything in Elden Ring. If you progress Ranni’s quest too far—specifically, if you give her the Fingerslayer Blade from Nokron—Seluvis will die. If he dies before you’ve dealt with the potion or bought his charms, you are out of luck.
Ideally, you want to handle the potion situation as soon as you get it. If you’re going for the Dung Eater, you’ll be holding that vial in your inventory for a good chunk of the mid-game. Just don't accidentally drink it yourself. (Kidding, you can't, but wouldn't that be a twist?)
What happens if you fail?
If you miss the window or Seluvis dies prematurely, his bell bearing will be on his corpse. You can give this to the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold to buy his sorceries. However, you cannot get the puppets or the Magic Scorpion Charm this way. Those are tied specifically to the living NPC and your interactions regarding the potion.
Many players get frustrated because they want the Scorpion Charm but don't want to hurt Nepheli. They think they're stuck. You aren't. Gideon is your "get out of jail free" card here. Just remember that once the potion is gone, it's gone. There is only one per playthrough.
Real-world strategy for your playthrough
If this is your first time playing, the smartest move is giving the potion to Gideon. It’s the only way to ensure you don't break any major NPC questlines prematurely.
If you are on New Game Plus (NG+) and you already have Nepheli's rewards, go for the Dung Eater. Having a serial killer as a summoned tank is a unique experience that changes how you approach some of the harder late-game bosses like Malenia or Maliketh.
Actionable Steps for the Seluvis Potion Quest
- Check Nepheli's Location: If she isn't at the Roundtable Hold, she's likely under the bridge at the Village of the Albinaurics. You need to talk to her there before the potion options even appear properly at the Hold.
- Speak to Gideon: He is usually in his office surrounded by books. If the door is closed, you need to talk to him at the main table first or defeat a Great Rune boss.
- Decide on the Charm: If you are a mage, do NOT finish Ranni's "Fingerslayer Blade" step until you have the Magic Scorpion Charm from Seluvis. This usually requires you to buy all his spells and then talk to him about his "scheme."
- Find the Secret Lab: Even if you give the potion to Gideon, you must find Seluvis's puppet room in the Three Sisters sub-region to progress his dialogue. It’s located in the ruins between Ranni’s Rise and Renna’s Rise—look for the illusory floor.
- Stockpile Starlight Shards: You'll need these as currency to buy the puppets later. They are found at those stone sundial-looking structures scattered across the map.
Essentially, the potion is a test of your priorities. Do you value a rare upgrade material, a powerful combat summon, or a damage-boosting talisman? Most people choose the talisman and the upgrade material, which means letting Gideon handle the "disposal." Whatever you do, just don't trust Seluvis. He's exactly as bad as he seems.