What Happens If You Join Ranni in Elden Ring? A Deep Dive

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Joining Ranni the Witch in Elden Ring is one of the most significant decisions a Tarnished can make, unlocking a sprawling questline, powerful rewards, and a unique ending that shapes the future of the Lands Between. Saying yes to Ranni leads you down a path intertwined with cosmic forces, challenging encounters, and ultimately, the opportunity to usher in a new Age. By pledging allegiance to Ranni, you become instrumental in her ambition to overthrow the Greater Will’s influence and establish an Age of Stars, a reign of cold, distant order. Your journey will take you across the Lands Between, into hidden underground cities, and even to other worlds, granting you access to unique gear, challenging bosses, and a story that directly challenges the established order of the Golden Order.

Embracing the Path of the Empyrean

By accepting Ranni’s offer to serve her, the Tarnished initiates a series of tasks that unravel the mysteries surrounding her past, her motivations, and her ultimate goal. This journey is far from simple, demanding courage, cunning, and mastery of combat.

Key Events and Locations in Ranni’s Questline

1. Ranni’s Rise at the Church of Elleh: Initial meeting with Ranni in spectral form.

2. Seeking the Fingerslayer Blade: This requires navigating Nokron, Eternal City, and defeating the Mimic Tear boss. The Fingerslayer Blade is a crucial artifact needed for Ranni’s plan.

3. Releasing the Baleful Shadow: Confronting the Baleful Shadow, an assassin sent by the Greater Will to stop Ranni, is a pivotal battle that further cements your commitment.

4. Lake of Rot and the Grand Lift of Rot: Traversing the treacherous Lake of Rot, a deadly scarlet rot-infested area, and using the Grand Lift of Rot unlocks access to crucial locations.

5. Astel, Naturalborn of the Void: Defeating Astel is necessary to reach the Moonlight Altar, a sacred location linked to Ranni’s destiny.

6. Ranni’s Dark Moon: This involves retrieving the Dark Moon Ring from the Raya Lucarian Grand Library and placing it on Ranni’s miniature doll form, ultimately leading to her transformation and the true ending.

Rewards and Benefits of Serving Ranni

• The Dark Moon Greatsword: A legendary armament with frost and magic capabilities, considered one of the strongest weapons in the game.
• Unique Armor Sets: Obtainable armor sets include Ranni’s Snow Witch set and Blaidd’s armor set, though the latter is tied to tragic circumstances involving the NPC Blaidd.
• Access to New Areas: Ranni’s quest unlocks previously inaccessible areas, expanding the game world and offering new challenges and secrets.
• Lore and Story Depth: Unveiling layers of Elden Ring’s lore, shedding light on the motivations of key characters and the history of the Lands Between.
• The Age of Stars Ending: The option to trigger the Age of Stars ending, a unique conclusion where Ranni becomes the new god of the Lands Between, ushering in an era of cold, cosmic order.

The Moral Ambiguity of Ranni’s Path

Ranni’s questline presents a morally ambiguous path. While some view her actions as a necessary rebellion against the oppressive Golden Order, others see her as a manipulator who uses the Tarnished to achieve her own ends. The question of whether Ranni is ultimately “good” or “evil” is a matter of perspective and interpretation. Many argue that her ending, while not necessarily benevolent, is the “best possible outcome” as it represents a liberation from the Greater Will’s control. It is important to assess her motivations and the consequences of your actions carefully. The Games Learning Society often discusses these types of narrative driven experiences. You can learn more about them at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about joining Ranni the Witch in Elden Ring.

1. Is Ranni good or bad? Ranni is a morally gray character. Her goal is to free the Lands Between from the influence of the Greater Will, which some see as a positive, while others view her methods as manipulative and her ultimate vision as cold and unfeeling. Whether she’s “good” or “bad” is subjective.

2. Does serving Ranni lock you out of other endings? Completing Ranni’s questline doesn’t automatically lock you into her ending. You have the freedom to choose another ending until the very last moment. However, some endings, like the Lord of Frenzied Flame, require specific conditions that may conflict with Ranni’s quest.

3. Can I do Ranni’s questline and another ending? Yes, you can complete Ranni’s questline and still choose another ending, unless you have inherited the Frenzied Flame, in which case you would need to use Miquella’s Needle to remove the Flame. The game provides multiple options until the final choice.

4. What happens if I betray Ranni? Betraying Ranni, such as attacking her, will typically lead to her dismissing you. You might be able to atone for your actions through absolution at the Church of Vows, but some betrayals may have irreversible consequences.

5. Does Ranni sacrifice herself? Ranni does not explicitly “sacrifice” herself in the traditional sense. However, she willingly abandons her physical body and orchestrates the Night of Black Knives, a pivotal event where she simultaneously killed her own body and Godwyn’s soul, freeing herself from the influence of the Greater Will.

6. Does Ranni kill Godwyn? Ranni didn’t directly kill Godwyn the Golden. She orchestrated the Night of Black Knives, where assassins wielding Rune of Death fragments killed Godwyn’s soul and Ranni’s body simultaneously.

7. Should I summon Ranni or touch Marika? At the end of the game, after defeating the Elden Beast, you’ll have the option to touch Marika’s shattered form to trigger one of the default endings or to use a summon sign to summon Ranni. If you want the Age of Stars ending, choose to summon Ranni.

8. What happens if you don’t join Ranni? If you decline Ranni’s offer, you miss out on her questline, the Dark Moon Greatsword, and the Age of Stars ending. You’re free to pursue other paths and endings, but you won’t experience the unique narrative and rewards associated with Ranni’s story.

9. Is Ranni dead when you put the ring on her? Ranni is not “dead” when you place the Dark Moon Ring on her finger. She is in a doll form, and placing the ring restores her true form and solidifies her bond with the Tarnished as her consort.

10. Does the Tarnished marry Ranni? The Tarnished does not “marry” Ranni in the traditional sense, but becomes her consort. This means the Tarnished will rule alongside Ranni in the new Age of Stars, similar to how Radagon was consort to Marika.

11. Does Millicent affect Ranni’s ending? The Millicent questline doesn’t directly affect Ranni’s ending. However, completing Millicent’s quest is essential for unlocking other ending variations, particularly if you’ve been tainted by the Frenzied Flame.

12. Is Ranni the real villain of Elden Ring? Whether Ranni is a villain is a matter of interpretation. Some see her as a rebel fighting against the oppressive Golden Order, while others view her as a manipulator. Her questline does involve morally questionable actions, but it also offers what many consider the “best possible outcome.”

13. What did Ranni do to the Two Fingers? At the end of her questline, it is revealed that Ranni used a weapon designed to kill gods to slay her own Two Fingers, severing her connection to the Greater Will and changing her predetermined destiny.

14. Are all Black Knife Assassins female? The Black Knife Assassins are indeed all women, belonging to the Numen race, known for their skills in assassination and connection to the Rune of Death.

15. Does Ranni have the Rune of Death? Ranni stole a fragment of the Rune of Death and used it to create the Godslaying Black Knives, which were then used in the Night of Black Knives to assassinate Godwyn the Golden, which also led to the death of her physical body.

Ultimately, deciding to join Ranni involves embracing a complex and morally ambiguous path that leads to one of Elden Ring’s most significant and potentially rewarding endings. By following Ranni, you can unlock one of the best endings in the game, experience a unique questline and obtain some of the most powerful weapons in Elden Ring.