Can You Free Sellen in Elden Ring? A Complete Guide and FAQ

The answer is multifaceted. You can technically “free” Sorceress Sellen in Elden Ring, but not in the way you might initially imagine. Her questline leads to a pivotal choice that dramatically alters her fate and appearance, ultimately allowing her to achieve a form of freedom through transformation and transcendence, albeit at a significant cost. She doesn’t get to simply walk away and live a normal life. Instead, your choices determine whether she continues her relentless pursuit of primeval sorcery and the rediscovery of the Primeval Current, or faces an ignominious end. Completing her quest rewards you with powerful sorceries and insight into the dangerous world of Academy of Raya Lucaria’s darkest secrets.

Unraveling Sellen’s Questline

Sorceress Sellen’s questline is one of the most intricate and rewarding in Elden Ring, intertwining with themes of ambition, forbidden knowledge, and the consequences of tampering with powerful magic. The quest starts with your initial encounter with Sorceress Sellen at the Waypoint Ruins in Limgrave. She is chained and severely weakened. By agreeing to become her apprentice, you begin a journey that leads through several crucial stages.

Key Stages of the Quest:

• Initial Encounter at Waypoint Ruins: Agree to be her apprentice.
• Defeating Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon: This unlocks the ability to progress further into the questline.
• Finding Master Lusat: Locate and speak to Master Lusat in Sellia Hideaway in Caelid.
• Finding Master Azur: Locate and speak to Master Azur on Mt. Gelmir.
• Returning to Sellen: After finding both masters, return to Sellen at Witchbane Ruins in Weeping Peninsula, where her physical body is being held.
• Locating Sellen’s True Body: Find her true body, sealed away in Raya Lucaria Academy, behind a hidden illusory wall in the room where you fought Rennala.
• Helping Sellen Restore Her True Form: You’ll need to insert Sellen’s Primal Glintstone into her golem body.
• The Crossroads at Raya Lucaria Grand Library: This is where you make a crucial choice.

The Pivotal Choice: Sellen vs. Jerren

The climax of Sellen’s quest arrives at the Raya Lucaria Grand Library, after you’ve restored her true form. Here, you face a significant choice:

• Side with Sorceress Sellen: Help Sellen confront Knight Jerren, her former protector and executioner. By aiding her, you solidify her power and influence, but it comes at a dire cost.
• Side with Knight Jerren: Jerren believes Sellen’s ambition threatens the very fabric of sorcery and seeks to stop her. By siding with him, you condemn Sellen to a tragic end.

Consequences of Your Choice

Siding with Sellen: After defeating Jerren, Sellen will transform into a monstrous, grotesque ball of heads known as the Graven-School Mother. This reflects the dangers of unchecked ambition and the consequences of delving too deeply into forbidden knowledge. She remains in the Grand Library and becomes a merchant, selling powerful sorceries. While she might have achieved her goal of rediscovering primeval sorcery, it’s at the expense of her humanity.

Siding with Jerren: If you choose to help Jerren, he will kill Sellen. Her fate is sealed, and her ambitions are thwarted. After defeating Sellen, Jerren declares that he has saved the world from a great evil, and then departs on his own journey.

Therefore, “freeing” Sellen is not about liberating her in a conventional sense. Instead, it’s about choosing the path that allows her to fulfill her ambition, albeit with horrifying consequences, or preventing that ambition at the cost of her life.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sellen’s Quest

1. What happens if I kill Sellen early in the game?

If you kill Sellen before starting or completing her questline, you will forfeit all the rewards and lore associated with it. It’s generally not recommended unless you have a very specific reason for doing so.

2. Can I reverse my decision to side with Sellen or Jerren?

No, the choice is permanent. Once you choose to side with either character, you are locked into that path and cannot change it in the current playthrough.

3. What are the rewards for completing Sellen’s questline?

The rewards depend on your choice:

• Siding with Sellen: You receive the Glintstone Kris dagger, Sellen’s Primal Glintstone, and access to Sellen as a merchant who sells powerful sorceries like Stars of Ruin and Shard Spiral.
• Siding with Jerren: You receive the Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone and access to Sellen’s Bell Bearing, allowing you to purchase her initial sorceries from the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold.

4. Where can I find Sellen’s Primal Glintstone?

Sellen gives you her Primal Glintstone after you find Master Azur and Master Lusat and return to her true body in Witchbane Ruins.

5. Where is Master Lusat located?

Master Lusat is found at the end of Sellia Hideaway, a hidden cave in Caelid. You’ll need to navigate a series of illusory walls to reach him.

6. Where is Master Azur located?

Master Azur is located on Mt. Gelmir, near the Hermit Village. He’s sitting on a cliff overlooking the area.

7. Is Sellen evil?

Whether Sellen is “evil” is subjective. She’s ambitious and willing to delve into dangerous and forbidden magic, but her ultimate goal is to rediscover the Primeval Current and advance sorcery. Some might view her methods as reckless and harmful, while others see her as a driven scholar pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

8. What is the Primeval Current?

The Primeval Current is a source of powerful and ancient sorcery that was suppressed by the Academy of Raya Lucaria. Sellen seeks to rediscover it to unlock the full potential of sorcery.

9. What is the significance of Sellen’s transformation into the Graven-School Mother?

Sellen’s transformation is a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the consequences of tampering with forbidden knowledge. It shows the toll that the pursuit of power can take on one’s humanity.

10. What are Glintstone Sorcerers and what is their significance?

Glintstone Sorcerers are mages who derive their power from the Glintstone, a material found in the Lands Between. The Academy of Raya Lucaria is a school dedicated to their study. They are significant because they represent a key faction and play a vital role in the game’s lore and combat.

11. Does Sellen’s quest impact other NPC questlines?

No, Sellen’s questline is largely self-contained and doesn’t directly impact other major NPC questlines in Elden Ring.

12. What level should I be to comfortably complete Sellen’s quest?

It’s recommended to be around level 60-80 to comfortably navigate the areas required for Sellen’s questline and defeat any enemies or bosses you encounter.

13. Are there any missable items in Sellen’s questline?

No, there are no strictly missable items, but failing to complete the questline before certain events or areas become inaccessible might prevent you from acquiring the rewards.

14. What stats are most important for a build that focuses on Sorcery?

The most important stats for a sorcery build are:

• Intelligence: Directly increases the damage of your sorceries.
• Mind: Increases your FP (Focus Points), which are needed to cast spells.
• Vigor: Increases your health.
• Endurance: Increases your stamina and equip load.
• Dexterity: Reduces spell casting time.

15. If I’m having trouble defeating Knight Jerren, what can I do?

If you’re struggling with Jerren, consider summoning a spirit ash to aid you in the fight. You can also try using ranged attacks to keep him at a distance or equip armor with high physical resistance. Upgrading your weapon also helps significantly. He is vulnerable to bleed.