D, Hunter of the Dead's Quest

Key takeaways

Use these points to avoid losing the quest's connected rewards.

• Start at Summonwater Village Speak with D, Hunter of the Dead, near Summonwater Village before or while dealing with the undead threat there. The nearby Tibia Mariner is the important encounter for the first Deathroot handoff.
• Take Deathroot to Gurranq After obtaining Deathroot, speak with D at Roundtable Hold and use his guidance to reach Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, at Bestial Sanctum. Deathroot is exchanged with Gurranq for rewards and progression.
• Do not ignore Fia's dagger request After the relevant Roundtable Hold conversations, accept the Weathered Dagger from Fia and return it to D. Reloading the area reveals the next stage of the storyline.
• Find D's brother in Siofra Aqueduct After reaching Siofra Aqueduct, D's brother can be found outside the boss arena route. The Twinned Set can be given to him, but doing so changes the later reward state.
• Finish the Deeproot Depths resolution The final linked rewards require the Fia sequence in Deeproot Depths, including the Lichdragon Fortissax encounter. Check the area after the resolution to collect the resulting equipment.

D, Hunter of the Dead's Quest

D, Hunter of the Dead's quest is an optional Elden Ring storyline built around Deathroot and the conflict between D's beliefs and Those Who Live in Death.

The quest first introduces D, Hunter of the Dead near Summonwater Village, where he warns the Tarnished about the undead found in the area. His warning points toward the Tibia Mariner encounter at Summonwater Village and establishes Deathroot as the item connecting the local undead problem to a much larger storyline.

After the player obtains Deathroot, D can be found at Roundtable Hold. He explains that Deathroot should be taken to Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, at Bestial Sanctum, and can help direct the player toward that destination. This makes D's early role practical as well as narrative: he is both an optional quest giver and a guide to one of the game's unusual reward exchanges.

The later part of D's storyline overlaps with Fia's quest at Roundtable Hold and with the hidden route through Siofra Aqueduct and Deeproot Depths. Giving Fia the Weathered Dagger leads to a major change in Roundtable Hold, while D's brother becomes important after the player reaches the area beyond the Valiant Gargoyles. These events should be treated as one connected sequence rather than as isolated conversations.

The quest matters because its final rewards are tied to choices and timing. The Twinned Set can be transferred through D's brother, and the Inseparable Sword is obtained only after the later resolution involving Fia and the Prince of Death. The storyline is distinctive because it joins an undead-hunting character, Gurranq's Deathroot quest, Fia's hidden objective, and D's family into a single optional chain.

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Where this sits

Requirements

The storyline requires access to its named areas and the Deathroot, Fia, and Deeproot Depths sequences.

• RequiredMeet D, Hunter of the DeadLocate D near Summonwater Village and exhaust his relevant dialogue.
• RequiredDefeat the Tibia Mariner at Summonwater VillageThis encounter provides the Deathroot needed for the early handoff.
• RequiredReach Roundtable HoldD's next relevant appearance and the Weathered Dagger sequence take place there.
• RequiredReach Bestial SanctumGurranq, Beast Clergyman, is the recipient of Deathroot.
• RequiredProgress Fia's questThe Weathered Dagger and later Deeproot Depths events connect D's storyline to Fia.
• RequiredReach Siofra Aqueduct and Deeproot DepthsThese locations contain D's brother and the later resolution.
• RecommendedKeep the Twinned Set availableThe armor is needed if the player intends to use D's brother's later interaction.

Objectives

1. Meet D, Hunter of the Dead near Summonwater Village.Listen to his warning about the undead before continuing through the area.
2. Obtain Deathroot.Defeat the Tibia Mariner at Summonwater Village and collect the quest item.
3. Bring Deathroot into the connected character storyline.Speak with D at Roundtable Hold, then visit Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, at Bestial Sanctum.
4. Advance Fia's request.Accept the Weathered Dagger and return it to D at the appropriate stage.
5. Reach D's brother.Find him in Siofra Aqueduct after opening the route toward Deeproot Depths.
6. Complete the linked final events.Resolve the Fia sequence and inspect the area afterward for the equipment rewards.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Speak with D, Hunter of the Dead.

   Find D near Summonwater Village

   Travel toward Summonwater Village in Limgrave and look for D, Hunter of the Dead, outside the village area. Speak with him to hear why the undead there are dangerous; his dialogue identifies the local threat and sets up the Deathroot trail.

   Location: Summonwater Village, Limgrave

   TipExhaust D's dialogue before leaving so the warning and the next encounter are clearly established.

   Watch outDo not treat D as a hostile enemy or skip the conversation if you want the intended introduction to the quest.

2. 02

   Defeat the Tibia Mariner and obtain Deathroot.

   Defeat the Tibia Mariner

   Enter Summonwater Village and defeat the Tibia Mariner, the skeletal boatman responsible for the encounter. Search the reward pickup after the fight and take the Deathroot before leaving the area.

   Location: Summonwater Village

   TipThe Tibia Mariner can reposition around the flooded village, so keep the surrounding terrain in mind while tracking it rather than fighting with your back against obstacles.

   Watch outThe quest item is obtained from the encounter's reward; do not leave without collecting Deathroot.

3. 03

   Report the Deathroot to D and receive the direction to Bestial Sanctum.

   Speak with D at Roundtable Hold

   Return to Roundtable Hold and find D there after obtaining Deathroot. Exhaust his conversation to learn that the item should be delivered to Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, at Bestial Sanctum.

   Location: Roundtable Hold

   TipUse D's dialogue as the route clue instead of searching for a new quest marker; this storyline is not presented as a conventional map-marked mission.

   Watch outThe quest advances through dialogue and area transitions, so revisit Roundtable Hold if D is not immediately present at the first stage.

4. 04

   Give Deathroot to Gurranq, Beast Clergyman.

   Deliver Deathroot to Gurranq

   Travel to Bestial Sanctum and speak with Gurranq, Beast Clergyman. Give him Deathroot to advance the connected Deathroot storyline and receive the exchange associated with the item.

   Location: Bestial Sanctum, Caelid

   TipReturn to Gurranq whenever you obtain additional Deathroot during exploration; his rewards are handled through repeated handoffs rather than through D directly.

   Watch outThe Gurranq portion is related to D's quest but is not the entire D and Fia sequence; continue checking Roundtable Hold afterward.

5. 05

   Reach the point where Fia gives the Weathered Dagger.

   Advance the Roundtable Hold conversations

   Continue speaking with the relevant characters at Roundtable Hold, including Fia and D, until Fia's Weathered Dagger request becomes available. The necessary dialogue state can require leaving and returning to the hub.

   Location: Roundtable Hold

   TipRest or travel away and return if a character's dialogue does not change after the preceding event.

   Watch outThe later D outcome depends on returning the dagger to the correct character; keep the Weathered Dagger until that handoff is possible.

6. 06

   Return the Weathered Dagger to D, Hunter of the Dead.

   Give the Weathered Dagger to D

   Accept the Weathered Dagger from Fia, then identify D in Roundtable Hold and hand the dagger to him. After the handoff, reload the area or rest so the next event can occur.

   Location: Roundtable Hold

   TipIf the expected scene has not appeared, use the Site of Grace to reload Roundtable Hold rather than repeatedly speaking to the same character without resetting the area.

   Watch outThis is a progression trigger. Do not discard or sell the dagger, and do not assume Fia's request is complete until the handoff registers.

7. 07

   Investigate the room after the dagger event.

   Inspect the changed room

   After reloading Roundtable Hold, go to the room near Fia's former location and inspect the new scene. The event reveals the consequence of the dagger handoff and provides access to D's equipment.

   Location: Roundtable Hold

   TipSearch the room carefully after the scene; quest rewards can be placed on or near the body rather than delivered through a dialogue window.

   Watch outThis stage contains major story information about D and Fia. The scene is part of the quest's irreversible progression.

8. 08

   Find and speak with D's brother.

   Reach D's brother in Siofra Aqueduct

   Progress through the underground route toward Deeproot Depths and locate D's brother outside the Valiant Gargoyles arena in Siofra Aqueduct. Speak with him and assess whether to give him the Twinned Set before continuing.

   Location: Siofra Aqueduct

   TipThe brother is positioned along the route associated with the Valiant Gargoyles, so explore the approach to the arena rather than searching the open Siofra River region.

   Watch outGiving away the Twinned Set changes the later equipment outcome. Keep a copy or delay the handoff if you are not ready to commit to this branch.

9. 09

   Open the route into Deeproot Depths.

   Defeat the Valiant Gargoyles and enter Deeproot Depths

   Clear the Valiant Gargoyles encounter and use the route beyond the arena to reach Deeproot Depths. This opens the area needed for Fia's concluding sequence and the final D-related reward state.

   Location: Siofra Aqueduct and Deeproot Depths

   TipPrepare for a two-enemy boss encounter before committing to the route; the quest's final events cannot be reached from Roundtable Hold alone.

   Watch outThe Valiant Gargoyles are a progression gate for this route, not an optional detour once you are pursuing the Deeproot Depths resolution.

10. 10

    Advance Fia's quest to its concluding encounter.

    Complete Fia's Deeproot Depths sequence

    Find Fia in Deeproot Depths and progress her remaining dialogue and interaction sequence. If the relevant conditions are met, the area leads to the Lichdragon Fortissax encounter and the resolution involving the Prince of Death.

    Location: Deeproot Depths

    TipSpeak with Fia and inspect the nearby interaction points after each major step; the game communicates this sequence through conversations and dream-related transitions rather than a standard objective list.

    Watch outThis is the major-spoiler portion of the quest. Do not leave the area assuming the storyline is finished until the final character event has occurred.

11. 11

    Collect the rewards from the completed D and Fia sequence.

    Collect the final equipment

    After the relevant Deeproot Depths events resolve, return to the location associated with D's brother and inspect the resulting body or reward location. Depending on the earlier armor handoff, this is where the Twinned Set and Inseparable Sword can become available.

    Location: Deeproot Depths

    TipReload the area after the final event if the equipment is not immediately visible, then search the nearby scene again.

    Watch outThe Inseparable Sword is tied to the completed ending of this linked storyline; stopping after the Roundtable Hold event does not provide the full reward.

Mission mechanics

This is a dialogue-driven quest rather than a mission with a visible objective marker. Progress is checked through character states, item handoffs, boss victories, and area reloads. When D, Fia, or D's brother appears not to advance, leave the hub or rest at a Site of Grace before checking again.

Deathroot is the quest's first practical mechanic. D's role is to identify Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, as its intended recipient, while Gurranq handles the actual exchange. The Deathroot thread can continue through other Deathroot discoveries, but the D and Fia storyline still requires returning to Roundtable Hold and following its separate dialogue triggers.

The Weathered Dagger is the critical handoff item. Fia gives it to the player, and D must receive it at Roundtable Hold; the subsequent area reload changes the room and moves the story forward. This means the player should not rush away after accepting Fia's request or assume that holding the dagger is enough.

The Twinned Set functions as both equipment and a quest item in the later sequence. Giving it to D's brother at Siofra Aqueduct changes what can be recovered after the Deeproot Depths events, so players deciding whether to keep the armor should pause before making the handoff.

What works and what does not

Key encounters

1. 1

   Tibia Mariner at Summonwater Village

   Starts: Enter the Summonwater Village encounter after speaking with D.

   The Tibia Mariner uses the flooded village as a roaming arena and summons or relocates skeletal undead during the fight.

   • Boat attacksTell The boss attacks from its boat while moving around the waterlogged village.Answer Keep enough room to move around terrain and punish it after repositioning rather than getting trapped against ruins.
   • Skeletal undead pressureTell Skeletal enemies can distract the player while the Tibia Mariner changes position.Answer Control or bypass the lesser enemies when possible, then refocus on the Mariner so the fight does not become a prolonged crowd battle.
   • The reward is Deathroot, which is more important to the quest than the encounter's individual combat difficulty.
   • Use the open village space to maintain sight of the boss and avoid letting the terrain block your retreat.
2. 2

   Valiant Gargoyles

   Starts: Reach the boss route at the end of Siofra Aqueduct.

   This is the progression encounter guarding the route to Deeproot Depths. The fight requires managing two gargoyles rather than treating the arena as a single-target duel.

   • Paired boss pressureTell The encounter becomes more dangerous as both Valiant Gargoyles occupy the arena and attack from different angles.Answer Maintain awareness of both enemies, create separation when possible, and avoid committing to long attacks while the second gargoyle can reach you.
   • The boss is the route gate for the final D and Fia events, so prepare before entering rather than expecting to return immediately to the surface.
   • D's brother is encountered along the Siofra Aqueduct route before the Deeproot Depths transition.
3. 3

   Lichdragon Fortissax

   Starts: Progress Fia's concluding sequence in Deeproot Depths and enter the associated encounter.

   This optional major encounter is part of the Prince of Death resolution and completes the story thread that determines the final D-related rewards.

   • Lightning-based area pressureTell The encounter uses the arena and lightning effects to threaten space around the player.Answer Watch the ground and preserve room to retreat instead of staying beneath hazardous effects while attacking.
   • Complete the relevant Fia interactions before expecting access to the encounter.
   • After the resolution, inspect the nearby reward state and reload the area if necessary.

Boss encountersSpoilers

• Location
  Summonwater Village, Siofra Aqueduct, and Deeproot Depths

The required encounters serve different purposes. Defeat the Tibia Mariner to obtain Deathroot, clear the Valiant Gargoyles to open the route to Deeproot Depths, and complete the Lichdragon Fortissax encounter only after advancing Fia's sequence. Keep the quest items and revisit the relevant area after each victory.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Give the Weathered Dagger to D, Hunter of the Dead, after receiving it from Fia.

  This advances the Roundtable Hold event and moves D and Fia's connected storyline forward.

  Spoiler
• Give the Twinned Set to D's brother in Siofra Aqueduct.

  The armor handoff changes the later scene and enables the intended route to recovering the linked equipment after the Deeproot Depths events.

  Spoiler
• Keep the Twinned Set instead of handing it to D's brother.

  The later equipment outcome differs, and the player should not expect the same Inseparable Sword reward state from the linked conclusion.

  Spoiler
• Stop after obtaining Deathroot and visiting Gurranq.

  The Deathroot portion can progress, but D's Fia-related storyline and its later rewards remain unfinished.

Checklist

• Speak with D, Hunter of the Dead near Summonwater Village.Do this before moving on from the local undead investigation.
• Defeat the Tibia Mariner at Summonwater Village.Collect Deathroot from the encounter reward.
• Speak with D at Roundtable Hold.Exhaust the relevant dialogue about Deathroot and Gurranq.
• Visit Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, at Bestial Sanctum.Give him Deathroot and continue the related exchange.
• Return to Roundtable Hold after advancing the relevant character dialogue.Check both D and Fia for their next interaction.
• Accept the Weathered Dagger from Fia.Keep it until it can be returned to D.
• Give the Weathered Dagger to D.Reload Roundtable Hold afterward.
• Inspect the changed room at Roundtable Hold.This reveals the major transition in the storyline.
• Find D's brother in Siofra Aqueduct.Decide whether to give him the Twinned Set.
• Defeat the Valiant Gargoyles.Use the route beyond the arena to enter Deeproot Depths.
• Complete Fia's remaining Deeproot Depths sequence.This includes the route to Lichdragon Fortissax.
• Collect the final equipment rewards.Inspect the area after the concluding event and reload if needed.

Collectibles and secretsSpoilers

• 01
  Deathroot

  Where: Reward from the Tibia Mariner at Summonwater Village

  This key quest item is delivered through the D and Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, storyline and can also be exchanged with Gurranq when obtained elsewhere.

• 02
  Weathered Dagger

  Where: Given by Fia at Roundtable Hold

  Carry it to D, Hunter of the Dead, to trigger the major Roundtable Hold transition.

  Missable
• 03
  Twinned Set

  Where: Associated with D and D's brother in Roundtable Hold and Siofra Aqueduct

  The armor can be given to D's brother, changing the later equipment outcome.

  Missable
• 04
  Inseparable Sword

  Where: Reward state after the concluding D and Fia events in Deeproot Depths

  This weapon is tied to completing the linked storyline rather than merely meeting D or delivering Deathroot.

  Missable

Failure conditionsSpoilers

• Fail to collect Deathroot after defeating the Tibia MarinerThe early D and Gurranq progression cannot be followed until the item is recovered.
• Leave the Weathered Dagger unreturnedFia's request does not advance to the D-related Roundtable Hold event until the dagger is handed to D.
• Give the Twinned Set without deciding whether to keep itThe handoff changes the later reward state, so players seeking the full intended sequence should make this choice deliberately.
• Stop before the Deeproot Depths resolutionMeeting D, visiting Gurranq, or triggering the Roundtable Hold scene alone does not complete the quest's final reward path.

RewardsSpoilers

• Deathroot
  A quest item obtained from the Tibia Mariner at Summonwater Village and used in the Gurranq, Beast Clergyman, exchange.
• Gurranq's Deathroot exchange rewards
  Gurranq provides rewards for Deathroot, although the individual reward list is part of the broader Deathroot quest rather than D's final reward.
• Twinned Set
  A distinctive armor set tied to D's story and D's brother. Its later availability depends on how the Siofra Aqueduct handoff is handled.
• Inseparable Sword
  A unique weapon obtained through the later D and Fia resolution after the Deeproot Depths events.

Characters in this mission

• D, Hunter of the DeadThe quest's named hunter and the early Deathroot guide.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• D's title, Hunter of the Dead, reflects his opposition to Those Who Live in Death, while the quest later places that opposition alongside Fia's relationship with the dead.
• The storyline uses D's brother to connect equipment transfer with narrative progression: the Twinned Set is not merely a conventional loot reward, but part of the family-related sequence.
• D's Deathroot guidance and Fia's Weathered Dagger request initially look like separate Roundtable Hold activities, but they converge through the later Deeproot Depths events.
• The quest's most important progression signals are conversations, item handoffs, and area reloads rather than a visible quest marker.

Relationships