Like Elden Ring, Shadow of the Erdtree introduces a number of characters, each tied to a quest of varying difficulty. In addition to being profitable, these quests also have unexpected repercussions later on. Leda serves as both the face and leader of Miquella’s followers, but the way her quests are designed, as well as their ramifications, can make her a frustrating NPC when you don’t know what to expect.
Leda’s Positions
Leda serves as a sort of narrator to introduce the DLC, next to Miquella’s hand, in Mohg the Bloodlord’s room. You probably didn’t miss her. Once in the Shadowlands, you’ll have to wait a while to find her again. She’ll leave you messages in the first two dungeons, Belurat, after the Dancing Lion of the Divine Beast, and towards the middle of the Ensis Castle. You must defeat Rellana, Knight of the Twin Moons, or go through a Sealed Spirit Source to find her, since she is located at the entrance to the second region, Occult Altus. She is obviously at the foot of a Miquella Cross. You can consult our Map Fragments guide for the different possible routes.
She doesn’t have a quest at the moment, but it is possible to obtain information on certain members of the companions by speaking to her, such as Dane Mortefeuille for his quest for the Monk’s Missive, or on Kérastien.
How to get Leda’s equipment quickly?
Oddly enough, you can get Leda’s armor set right at the start of the DLC if you know where to look. It’s on a ledge atop the cliffs, behind the church atop the rocky plateau that overlooks the entry point to the Grave Plain, and the expansion.
Ensis Castle
You can choose to summon Leda with her golden mark, before facing the boss Rellana, Knight of the Twin Moons. But this should be seen as a helping hand, it is not required to progress her quests.
Thiollier or Kérastien, or say nothing?
The situation takes an unexpected turn when Miquella’s major rune breaks, and with it, the enchantment that was affecting Leda and her companions. Leda becomes suspicious, even downright paranoid, and she begins to wonder which members of the group could pose a threat to Miquella. There are three possible answers. You can suggest Thiollier, but she does not consider him a threat. If you suggest Kérastien, or if you say nothing, she will decide to target him. Your answer therefore has no impact on what happens next.
We’ve tried a few different approaches, but it doesn’t seem possible to convince Leda to go after Thiollier, even if you’ve completed Thiollier’s quests beforehand. This section will be updated soon.
Kill or help Kérastien?
The rest is reminiscent of Sellen the Witch’s quests. In the Black Castle, at the top of the area following the Golden Hippopotamus, two marks will appear on the ground. A red one to kill Kerastien, and a yellow one to defend him.
- We have not yet been able to confirm what the consequences are if you defend Kérastien.
- If you choose to kill him, Leda will give you a talisman as a reward. You will also obtain Kérastien’s equipment.
- Another option is to choose neither brand and confront Messmer before settling this conflict. In this case, this step of the quest disappears.
Messmer and Kérastien
This extra section is dedicated to Kerastien, but the reason is simple. How you approach the fight will influence Leda.
If you summon Kerastien during the fight and Messmer is killed in his presence, his revenge is complete. Leda will continue to see him as a threat, and he will help you later. If you do not summon Kerastien, he becomes depressed that he missed his chance. Leda will no longer see him as a threat, and she will let him live.
Leda and Ansbach
After somehow handling the situation with the Kerastian, Leda will see Ansbach as the next traitor to eliminate.
But be careful, to access this step, you must not have burned the seal tree. You must have completed Ansbach’s quests, that is to say, given him the Secret Ritual Scroll, and given him Freyja’s request.
Go talk to Ansbach, on the first level of the Seed Tank, in the Black Castle, in the back library. After completing all these steps, Ansbach will disappear.
Only under these conditions will the summoning marks appear on the ground, and you will be able to choose between killing Ansbach or helping him. If you kill him, you will get his equipment and his bow, as well as a special reward from Leda, a talisman that increases the attack after a roll or a step back.
If you defend Ansbach, he will give you his bow. He will also assist you during the last two bosses of the game if you wish.
Messmer Elden Ring: How to beat this boss?
The headliner of ER’s SotE DLC awaits you atop the Black Castle, with its flames and snakes. Check out a video of the fight, as well as a written guide with tips and tricks, to kill him more easily.
Boss Leda and her allies
Leda has no further role to play in the story until near the very end. After defeating Messmer 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 default companions on one side, which makes it absolutely brutal by default. But by completing the companion quests, you can rally them to your cause in certain cases. In this case, you can choose to interact with the Golden Mark of Ansbach, before the fight, in order to obtain its welcome assistance against Leda. At least, if you have completed its quest.
We have not been able to confirm with certainty the list of companions who can switch sides. But Leda’s team may contain the following characters:
- Freyja
- Kerastien
- Dane Mortefeuille
- Thiollier
- Ansbach
- Moore
- Leda, Knight of the Needle
The attackers come one by one at the beginning, with a few seconds between each summon. But the fight can easily turn into 3 vs. 1, or even 4 vs. 1 if you’re not fast enough. Suffice to say that you’re probably going to die, since they’re all formidable. Suffice to say that you should complete at least a few quests during the story, in order to have one or two allies, which helps balance the situation.
Leda’s Death and Equipment
After defeating Leda’s entire team, you will automatically receive her sword. It will also be possible to pick up the armor sets of all your attackers, which is a lot of rewards at once.
Leda’s body is found in the next room, along with her armor set. It’s yet another tragic ending, but veterans of FromSoftware games had certainly anticipated this outcome from the beginning.
Those who helped you during the Leda fight will then be able to help you against the final boss. But don’t worry, you’ll have the opportunity to get their equipment later. There’s no point in forcing yourself to win a 1 vs. 7 fight, except for the challenge it represents.
