Like Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree introduces many characters, each tied to a quest that is more or less difficult to complete. In addition to being profitable, these quests also have unexpected repercussions later on. Here’s everything you need to know about the Kerastian, one of the native residents of the Shadow Realm, who is hungry for revenge.
Moore’s initial position and delivery
The adventure begins in the Sepulchral Plain. Going north, you will meet the first companions, Freyja and especially Kérastien. The latter will give you a map of the Crosses of Miquella, which can be useful. There is nothing else to do with him for the moment, the rest comes by progressing in the next zone. A little further in the zone, Moore and Thiollier have a quest to entrust to you on their side.
Altus Occult
You have to reach the first Cross of Miquella of the central area of the continent, Altus Occulteto find the Kerastian. To do this, you must either go through the Castle of Ensis and defeat Rellana, knight of the twin moons, or go through a Sealed Source further south. You will finally find Leda, the Monk’s Missive, and of course, the Kerastian. He will give you a second map of the Crosses of Miquella.
Suggest Kérastien, Thiollier, or say nothing?
The situation takes an unexpected turn as you approach the Black Castle, north of Altus Occulte. Miquella’s enchantment will end, and the companions will be freed. The Kerastian decides to prioritize his revenge on Messmer. You can talk to Leda and try to convince him to go after the Kerastian or Thiollier. You can also choose to say nothing, but the result seems to be the same in almost all cases. Leda defaults to punishing Kerastian, unless you have completed Thiollier’s quests, and this is not a desirable option in all cases.
Should we help Leda or Kérastien?
Upon entering the Black Castle, you will need to defeat the Golden Hippopotamus. A little further into the area, you will notice two marks on the ground, the principle is the same as for the final phase of Sellen’s quest. If you help Leda, you will face the Kerastian, in order to try to kill him. If you help the Kerastian, you will need to kill Leda.
Here are the different possible choices and their consequences:
- Help Leda : The Kerastian dies, you get his weapons and armor set. Leda will also give you a unique talisman as a reward. This is probably the best choice from what we’ve seen, so far.
- Help the Kérastien : The Kérastien survives, he will help you against Messmer, as well as against the last bosses of the game. All the repercussions of this choice are not yet confirmed.
Ignore marks : You can decide not to take part in the conflict, and go and confront Messmer directly. This will give you two additional choices: Kill Messmer by summoning the Kerastian with his golden mark on the ground, allowing him to accomplish his revenge. Or, you can kill him without his help. If the Kerastian obtains his revenge, he will help you later.
In this second case, the Kerastian is depressed, and Leda considers that he is no longer a threat. This is a way to reconcile them, but it has no advantage for you, unless you like difficulty. Warning, big spoilers await you below.
Boss Leda and her allies
The Kerastian has no further role to play in the story until near the very end. After defeating Romina the Holy Bud and opening the Shadow Tower, Leda will realize that you were never an ally of Miquella, quite the opposite. A formidable fight awaits you, with Leda, Dane, and all the other companions on one side, which makes it absolutely brutal by default. But by completing the companions’ quests, you can rally them to your cause in some cases. The side on which the Kerastian will fight will depend on your previous choices. Of course, if you have already killed him, he will be absent.
- If you didn’t use the marks, and you killed Messmer in the Kerastian, he will assist Leda, the ungrateful one!
- If you have helped him in the past, he can be summoned to assist you during this fight, making it significantly easier.
By killing the Kerastian during this fight, his body will then appear, allowing you to pick up all of his equipment.
Final Boss
If you summoned the Kerastian during the fight against Leda, he will be physically present in the room afterwards. You will be able to talk to him, and his golden mark will be present in front of the final boss room. There is no need to summon him during the fight, he would be more of a penalty than a bonus anyway, since the boss’s life increases with each summon. Once the final boss is defeated, you will be able to find the body of the Kerastian in the area, with his equipment.
