Forager Brood Quest - eXputer Wiki

Key takeaways

The sequence is easy to disrupt if approached like a normal enemy-clearing objective.

Meet Moore first Begin at the Main Gate Cross and speak with Moore before searching for the Forager Brood. His dialogue establishes the connection between the merchant and the peaceful creatures.
Do not attack the brood Treat each Forager Brood as a friendly interaction target rather than a combat encounter. Avoid lock-on attacks, sweeping weapon skills and spells that could hit it accidentally.
Return after the Great Rune event Moore’s important follow-up conversation becomes available after Miquella’s Great Rune breaks. Revisit him and exhaust his dialogue before moving on.
Choose Moore’s direction carefully The later conversation presents a choice between encouraging Moore to put his grief behind him and telling him to remain sad. The options lead to different outcomes for his storyline.
Do not expect a conventional combat reward The sequence is primarily exploration and NPC content. Its known reward is associated with the Forager Brood Cookbook, while the larger value is the effect on Moore’s quest state.

Overview

Forager Brood Quest is a community-facing name for the optional sequence connecting the peaceful Forager Brood creatures with Moore, the merchant encountered near the beginning of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

The sequence begins after the player reaches the Realm of Shadow and meets Moore at the Main Gate Cross. Moore is associated with Miquella’s followers and sells supplies, while the Forager Brood are non-hostile insect-like inhabitants found in several parts of the expansion. They are not ordinary enemies to clear for runes: approaching them without attacking can lead to useful dialogue and a cookbook reward.

The practical rule for this content is simple but important: do not strike a Forager Brood unless you are deliberately abandoning this interaction. The creatures are easy to mistake for hostile targets because of their appearance and because the Realm of Shadow frequently places dangerous enemies nearby. Lock-on, wide attacks, area damage and accidental swings can therefore have consequences that a player clearing the surrounding area may not expect.

After the story event involving Miquella’s Great Rune, Moore’s dialogue changes and his personal storyline reaches a decision point. The player can advise him to move on from his grief or tell him to remain sad. That answer affects how Moore’s story proceeds, so the choice should be made only after considering whether the player wants to preserve his later involvement in the expansion’s final conflict.

This content matters less for a powerful standalone reward than for its combination of exploration, dialogue and missable state changes. The Forager Brood provide a small piece of the Realm of Shadow’s environmental storytelling, while Moore’s conversation turns a seemingly minor merchant encounter into a choice with broader consequences. The exact names and locations of every brood encounter are not fully established in the supplied material, so this page avoids presenting an unverified location list as definitive.

Where this sits

Reach the Realm of ShadowRequired expansion area

Find Main Gate CrossMoore’s early location

Meet the Forager BroodOptional peaceful encounters

Miquella’s Great Rune breaksDialogue state change

Resolve Moore’s choiceBranching aftermath

●Meet Moore at Main Gate CrossstartSpeak with him before investigating the brood encounters.
2Locate a Forager BroodoptionalApproach without attacking and interact where dialogue permits.
3Return after the Great Rune eventprogressionThe significant Moore dialogue occurs after the relevant story change.
4Select Moore’s advicechoiceThe response determines the direction of his storyline.

This is an optional Shadow of the Erdtree sequence rather than a numbered main-story mission.

Requirements

The sequence requires access to the Realm of Shadow and is easiest to manage if Moore is visited before any brood encounter.

RequiredAccess to the Realm of ShadowThe Forager Brood and Moore content belongs to Shadow of the Erdtree, so the player must be able to enter the expansion region.
RequiredReach Main Gate CrossFind Moore at the Main Gate Cross and speak with him to establish the relevant NPC storyline.
RecommendedPreserve the Forager BroodDo not deliberately attack the peaceful brood if you want to continue the associated interaction and cookbook route.
RequiredReturn after Miquella’s Great Rune breaksThe later Moore dialogue is tied to this story-state change rather than being fully available at the first meeting.

Objectives

Speak with Moore at Main Gate CrossExhaust his available dialogue before leaving the area.
Find and approach the Forager Brood peacefullyAvoid treating the creatures as standard enemies; the interaction is the point of the encounter.
Obtain the Forager Brood CookbookThe cookbook is the known direct reward associated with the brood interaction.
Revisit Moore after Miquella’s Great Rune breaksThis advances the NPC sequence to its decision point.
Choose whether Moore should move on or remain sadThe answer determines the later state of Moore’s storyline.

WalkthroughSpoilers

01
Find Moore and establish his storyline.
Reach Main Gate Cross
Enter the Realm of Shadow and travel to the Main Gate Cross area, where Moore can be found near the Site of Grace. Speak with him until his opening dialogue is exhausted; this gives context for the Forager Brood and prevents the first meeting from being overlooked.
Location: Main Gate Cross
TipUse the Site of Grace as the return point for later checks, because Moore’s dialogue changes as the expansion story advances.
Watch outDo not assume that finding Moore later will reproduce every early conversation; NPC dialogue can change as major story events occur.
Checkpoint
02
Locate a Forager Brood encounter.
Search for a Forager Brood
Explore the Realm of Shadow for one of the peaceful Forager Brood creatures associated with Moore. Their appearance can make them look like valid targets, but the intended approach is to move close without attacking and look for the interaction rather than beginning a fight.
Location: Realm of Shadow
TipPut away wide-area attacks and avoid swinging while moving through the brood’s vicinity. Nearby hostile enemies can make an accidental hit more likely.
Watch outKilling or attacking a Forager Brood may disrupt the associated interaction and can affect the availability of its reward.
Missable
03
Finish the peaceful encounter and receive its associated reward.
Complete the brood interaction
When the Forager Brood responds, continue the interaction instead of leaving after merely spotting it. The encounter is tied to the Forager Brood Cookbook, so check the inventory after the exchange before assuming that no reward was granted.
Location: Forager Brood encounter
TipIf the creature is not responding, first make sure that all nearby combat has ended and that you have not already attacked it.
Watch outThe supplied material does not verify whether every brood encounter has identical dialogue or whether each one can be repeated, so do not assume that every sighting grants a separate cookbook.
Missable
04
Reach the Moore dialogue state after Miquella’s Great Rune breaks.
Advance the expansion story
Continue through Shadow of the Erdtree until the story event in which Miquella’s Great Rune breaks. This is not a separate objective marker for the Forager Brood sequence, but it is the progression point that changes Moore’s available dialogue.
Location: Realm of Shadow
TipIf Moore appears to have no new conversation, confirm that this story event has occurred before searching for a missing step.
Checkpoint
05
Trigger Moore’s follow-up conversation.
Return to Moore
Go back to Main Gate Cross and speak with Moore again after the Great Rune event. Exhaust the new dialogue so the game registers the decision conversation rather than leaving the NPC sequence midway through its progression.
Location: Main Gate Cross
TipMake a manual note of the current state before selecting a response if you are trying to preserve a particular NPC outcome.
Watch outThe dialogue branch is the key irreversible decision in this sequence; choose the response only after deciding which Moore outcome you want.
Missable
06
Resolve the branching Moore conversation.
Choose Moore’s advice
Moore asks for direction after the change affecting Miquella’s followers. The available advice is broadly to put the sadness behind him or to remain sad forever; select the line that matches the outcome you want for Moore’s storyline.
Location: Main Gate Cross
TipThe option telling Moore to move on is generally the practical choice for keeping his storyline active, while the sad-forever response leads to a different resolution.
Watch outThis choice cannot safely be treated as cosmetic. It changes Moore’s later state and may remove access to his intended later appearance.
Missable
07
Confirm the consequence of the dialogue choice.
Check the later Moore outcome
After choosing Moore’s direction, continue the expansion and watch for the resulting change in his availability. If Moore remains part of the active storyline, his later involvement can matter during the final conflict; if he does not, that reflects the branch selected earlier.
Location: Later areas of the Realm of Shadow
TipFinish Moore’s dialogue before starting major late-game encounters if you want to preserve all possible NPC participation.
Watch outThe supplied material does not verify the exact late-game location, summon conditions or item rewards for every branch, so those details should not be treated as confirmed.
Missable

Mission mechanics

The central mechanic is recognition rather than combat. Forager Brood resemble creatures that a player might attack on sight, but their role in this sequence depends on leaving them alone long enough to interact. The safest procedure is to clear only the immediate danger from a distance, stop using attacks with broad hitboxes, and approach the brood while checking that no combat state is active.

The quest is also driven by world-state progression. Moore’s opening interaction is available around Main Gate Cross, while his meaningful follow-up occurs after Miquella’s Great Rune breaks. If a player has already passed that story event, the relevant dialogue may be waiting immediately; if the dialogue is absent, the player should verify Moore’s location and whether the brood interaction has already been completed.

Moore’s advice choice is the sequence’s branch point. Telling him to put his grief behind him is associated with keeping his storyline moving, whereas telling him to remain sad forever produces a more final outcome. Because the exact downstream state can depend on other expansion progress, players seeking a specific ending should record their choice and avoid assuming that a later reload will restore every option.

The Forager Brood Cookbook is the tangible reward identified for the peaceful interaction. The source material does not establish its recipe list, item number or full crafting effect, so this page does not assign it a recipe function that has not been verified. Its importance should be understood as a collectible cookbook reward and as evidence that the encounter was completed.

What works and what does not

Strengths

The sequence is accessible early in Shadow of the Erdtree once Main Gate Cross can be reached.
The peaceful brood encounters add exploration value without requiring a dedicated combat build.
The Moore dialogue branch gives the interaction consequences beyond collecting a cookbook.
The main safety rule is straightforward: avoid attacking the Forager Brood.

Weaknesses

The game does not necessarily present the whole sequence as one clearly marked quest, which can make the objective easy to miss.
The brood’s hostile-looking appearance creates a risk of accidental attacks during exploration.
The important Moore choice arrives later, so players may forget the earlier interaction by the time the branch becomes available.
The exact locations and downstream rewards are not fully verified here, limiting this page’s use as a complete map guide.

Best uses

Follow this route when preserving NPC questlines and optional Shadow of the Erdtree content is more important than clearing every nearby creature.
Use a cautious approach around the brood rather than a high-area-damage setup.
Return to Moore after the Great Rune event before committing to late-game progression.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

Tell Moore to put it behind him.
This is the progression-oriented response and is associated with Moore continuing along his storyline. The exact later appearance and participation conditions are not verified in the supplied material.
Spoiler
Tell Moore to remain sad forever.
This leads to a different, more final resolution for Moore and can prevent the normal continuation of his storyline. Select it only if that outcome is intentional.
Spoiler
Attack or kill a Forager Brood.
The peaceful interaction and its associated reward may be lost or altered. Because the effect is potentially irreversible, this should be treated as a quest-risking action.
Spoiler

Completion checklist

Speak with Moore at Main Gate Cross.Exhaust his initial dialogue.
Leave the Forager Brood unharmed.Avoid accidental attacks and area effects.
Complete a peaceful brood interaction.Confirm that the interaction has concluded rather than merely seeing the creature.
Check for the Forager Brood Cookbook.Verify the reward in the inventory.
Wait until Miquella’s Great Rune breaks.This changes the relevant Moore dialogue.
Return to Moore and exhaust his new dialogue.Do this before selecting the branch.
Choose Moore’s advice deliberately.The move-on and remain-sad responses do not lead to the same outcome.
Record the selected branch.Useful when comparing outcomes or planning a later playthrough.Optional

Collectibles

01
Forager Brood Cookbook
Where: Obtained through the associated peaceful Forager Brood interaction in the Realm of Shadow.
A cookbook reward connected to the brood encounter. The supplied material does not verify its numbered entry or the complete list of recipes it unlocks.
Missable

Failure conditionsSpoilers

Attack or kill a Forager BroodThe brood interaction can be disrupted, and the associated reward may no longer be available in the intended way.
Ignore Moore’s post-event dialogueLeaving the NPC conversation unresolved can make it harder to identify which branch the storyline is using when later content is reached.
Choose the remain-sad response unintentionallyThis is a branch choice with a different outcome from telling Moore to move on and may end his normal continuation.
Progress without checking Moore after Miquella’s Great Rune breaksThe relevant conversation is tied to this story state, so players who do not return may believe the quest has stopped.

On failure

The sequence does not have a separately verified quest checkpoint system. Treat the first peaceful brood interaction and Moore’s later dialogue choice as the important state changes.

Rewards and drops

Forager Brood Cookbook
The known direct reward for the peaceful Forager Brood interaction. It is a cookbook item rather than a weapon, armor piece or rune payout; its exact crafting entries are not verified here.
Moore storyline progression
The larger non-item reward is access to a branching NPC storyline whose later state depends on the advice given after Miquella’s Great Rune breaks.

AftermathSpoilers

Decide Moore’s fate before moving on

After Miquella’s Great Rune breaks, return to Moore and choose his advice carefully. Telling him to put it behind him and telling him to remain sad forever are not equivalent responses; the latter can produce a more final outcome for Moore’s storyline.

Trivia

Forager Brood Quest is an informal guide label rather than a verified official quest title supplied by the game’s quest log.
The sequence is notable because its central interaction asks the player not to attack a creature that visually resembles a normal hostile target.
The reward is a cookbook, linking the encounter to Elden Ring’s broader crafting and exploration systems rather than to a conventional boss or equipment reward.
Moore’s storyline illustrates how Shadow of the Erdtree uses NPC dialogue choices to alter the state of characters encountered near the expansion’s opening area.

Relationships

characters

MoorePrimary NPCMoore’s dialogue and branch form the central progression of the sequence.

factions

Forager BroodPeaceful encounterThe Forager Brood are the creatures the player must approach without attacking.

locations

Main Gate CrossStarting locationMoore can first be encountered at Main Gate Cross.

game content

Shadow of the ErdtreeExpansion contentThe sequence takes place in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.