Roderika's Quest

Key takeaways

The quest is easy to miss as a quest, but its reward is one of the most useful early-game services.

• Start at Stormhill Shack Speak with Roderika at Stormhill Shack and continue talking until her dialogue is exhausted. She gives the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes during this early interaction.
• Recover the Chrysalids' Memento Search the interior of Stormveil Castle for the Chrysalids' Memento, then return it to Roderika. The item is in a dangerous corpse-filled section away from the simplest route to the castle's boss.
• Use both Roundtable Hold dialogue routes After Roderika reaches Roundtable Hold, speak to her and Smithing Master Hewg repeatedly. Their linked dialogue is what advances Roderika into the Spirit Tuning role.
• The service is the main reward Spirit Tuning upgrades Spirit Ashes, increasing their usefulness in later encounters. Roderika's personal reward also includes the Crimson Hood after the relevant progression.
• There is no faction choice Roderika's Quest does not ask the player to betray another character or select an exclusive ending. The main risk is overlooking dialogue or delaying the Stormveil exploration.

Roderika's Quest overview

Roderika's Quest is an optional Elden Ring character quest about a survivor of the failed expedition to Stormveil Castle. Its practical value is substantial: completing the conversation sequence turns Roderika into the game's Spirit Tuner at Roundtable Hold, allowing Spirit Ashes to be upgraded.

Roderika is first encountered at Stormhill Shack, a ruined roadside shelter on the approach to Stormveil Castle. She is frightened by what happened to the other members of her group and asks the Tarnished to investigate the Chrysalids' Memento, an item connected to the bodies left inside the castle. Speaking with her repeatedly is important because the quest advances through dialogue rather than a conventional quest marker or objective list.

The central task takes the player into Stormveil Castle to recover the Chrysalids' Memento. The item is found in an interior area associated with the castle's grafted corpses, rather than on the main route toward the castle's lord. The safest way to approach it is to treat the area as an exploration detour: clear or bypass the surrounding enemies, take the item, and return to Roderika before assuming that defeating the area boss alone has completed her story.

After the memento is delivered, Roderika eventually relocates to Roundtable Hold. Her progression there depends on speaking to both Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg and exhausting their available dialogue. Once their conversation is resolved, Roderika takes up Spirit Tuning beside Hewg. This unlocks a permanent service for improving Spirit Ashes, so the quest matters even to players who are not interested in Roderika's personal story.

The quest is distinctive because its reward is partly a system unlock rather than only a weapon, spell, or consumable. It also connects Roderika's survivor story with Hewg's imprisonment and guilt, while the Chrysalids' Memento and Crimson Hood provide tangible reminders of the tragedy at Stormveil Castle. The basic route is short, but the dialogue checks at Stormhill Shack and Roundtable Hold are easy to overlook because the game does not announce each transition with a formal quest update.

The quest can be completed without choosing between competing endings or factions. Its major practical decision is whether to explore Stormveil Castle for the memento and whether to continue the Roderika-Hewg dialogue sequence immediately. Players who postpone the quest can still usually find Roderika in Roundtable Hold later, but the exact timing of her relocation and some intermediate dialogue are progression-sensitive and should not be treated as universally fixed.

Where this sits

Requirements

No combat level, weapon, or faction allegiance is required. The quest is gated mainly by access to Stormhill Shack, Stormveil Castle, and the relevant Roundtable Hold dialogue.

• RequiredReach Stormhill ShackFind Roderika at the ruined shack on the approach to Stormveil Castle and speak with her.
• RequiredAccess Stormveil CastleThe Chrysalids' Memento is inside the castle, so the player must be able to enter and explore Stormveil Castle.
• RequiredSpeak with Roderika more than onceQuest dialogue is not advanced by a single interaction; continue until she repeats herself or no new dialogue is available.
• RequiredVisit Roundtable HoldThe later part of the quest takes place at Roundtable Hold after Roderika relocates there.
• RequiredSpeak with Smithing Master HewgThe Spirit Tuning unlock depends on the linked conversation between Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg.

Objectives

1. Meet Roderika at Stormhill ShackBegin the quest by finding the survivor on the road toward Stormveil Castle.
2. Learn what happened to the ChrysalidsContinue Roderika's dialogue to receive the context and task connected to her fallen companions.
3. Find the Chrysalids' MementoSearch the dangerous interior of Stormveil Castle for the named quest item.
4. Return the memento or follow Roderika to Roundtable HoldGive Roderika the item when she is still at Stormhill Shack, or continue the dialogue sequence after she has relocated.
5. Unlock Spirit TuningResolve the conversations between Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg at Roundtable Hold.
6. Upgrade Spirit AshesUse Roderika's newly unlocked service to improve summonable Spirit Ashes.

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Meet Roderika and begin her quest.

   Find Roderika at Stormhill Shack

   Travel along the road toward Stormveil Castle and enter Stormhill Shack, where Roderika is sitting inside the ruined shelter. Speak with her and continue the conversation until she explains the fate of the people who travelled with her.

   Location: Stormhill Shack

   TipDo not leave after the first line of dialogue; speak again until Roderika has no new conversation.

   Watch outIf you miss the shack while travelling toward Stormveil Castle, the quest does not announce itself elsewhere with a map marker.

2. 02

   Obtain the first tangible reward from Roderika.

   Receive the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes

   After the initial conversation, Roderika gives the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes. This is a Spirit Ash item that can be equipped in the quick-use or pouch interface and summoned when the normal Spirit Ash conditions are met.

   Location: Stormhill Shack

   TipThe Spirit Jellyfish Ashes are a summon, not a weapon; look for them in the Spirit Ashes section of the inventory rather than among ordinary consumables.

3. 03

   Locate the Chrysalids' Memento.

   Enter Stormveil Castle and search beyond the direct route

   Proceed into Stormveil Castle and explore its interior paths for the Chrysalids' Memento. The item is associated with a corpse-filled section and is easy to miss if you follow only the most direct route toward the castle's lord.

   Location: Stormveil Castle

   TipUse the castle's side paths, rooms, ledges, and ladders methodically; the memento is an exploration pickup rather than a reward presented at the end of a required boss encounter.

   Watch outStormveil's enclosed areas contain ambushes and strong enemies. If the approach becomes unsafe, activate nearby Sites of Grace and return with a route in mind rather than repeatedly crossing the same room blindly.

4. 04

   Recover the item tied to Roderika's companions.

   Collect the Chrysalids' Memento

   Pick up the Chrysalids' Memento in the corpse-filled interior area of Stormveil Castle. Once it is in the inventory, the quest objective is satisfied even if other parts of the castle remain unexplored.

   Location: Stormveil Castle

   TipCheck the item name before leaving the room so that a different loot pickup is not mistaken for the quest item.

   Watch outThe memento is an exploration item and is not automatically granted for defeating a castle boss; do not assume the quest has advanced simply because Stormveil's main encounter is complete.

5. 05

   Deliver the Chrysalids' Memento.

   Return the memento to Roderika if she remains at the shack

   Travel back to Stormhill Shack and speak with Roderika while she is still there. Presenting the Chrysalids' Memento advances her story and changes the available dialogue.

   Location: Stormhill Shack

   TipIf Roderika is no longer at the shack, do not discard the memento or search for a second copy; continue by checking Roundtable Hold.

   Watch outThe quest's location changes with broader progression, so repeatedly searching the empty shack can waste time after Roderika has moved.

6. 06

   Advance the linked Roderika and Hewg conversations.

   Find Roderika at Roundtable Hold

   After the relevant progression, Roderika relocates to Roundtable Hold. Speak with her there and exhaust her new dialogue, then speak with Smithing Master Hewg and exhaust his dialogue about Roderika and her potential.

   Location: Roundtable Hold

   TipAlternate between the two characters whenever a new conversation appears; the quest does not finish through Roderika's dialogue alone.

   Watch outLeaving Roundtable Hold after speaking to only one of them can make the unlock appear stalled. Return and check both characters again before concluding that the quest has failed.

7. 07

   Make Spirit Tuning available.

   Resolve the conversation between Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg

   Continue speaking to Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg until their dialogue reaches the point where Hewg accepts Roderika's role and the game recognizes her Spirit Tuning potential. This is the key transition from character story to service unlock.

   Location: Roundtable Hold

   TipThe important sign of progress is not a boss victory but a new service associated with Roderika near Hewg's smithing area.

   Watch outDo not treat the first Roundtable Hold visit as completion if Spirit Tuning is not available yet; exhaust both characters' dialogue and revisit them after additional main progression if necessary.

8. 08

   Complete Roderika's practical reward route.

   Use Spirit Tuning and collect the later hood reward

   Once Roderika becomes a Spirit Tuner, use her menu at Roundtable Hold to upgrade Spirit Ashes with the materials and runes required by the normal Spirit Tuning system. The quest also leads to the Crimson Hood as a later tangible reward connected with the Chrysalids' tragedy.

   Location: Roundtable Hold

   TipSpirit Tuning is separate from weapon reinforcement, so take Spirit Ash upgrade materials to Roderika rather than to Hewg.

   Watch outThe exact timing and placement of the Crimson Hood can vary with the state of the related Stormveil progression; check the relevant corpse pile or later quest location if it is not immediately available.

Mission mechanics

Roderika's Quest uses dialogue and world-state progression instead of a conventional mission interface. The player must identify the next action by listening for Roderika's request, locating the named item, and then checking both Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg after reaching Roundtable Hold. Exhausting dialogue is therefore an actual quest mechanic, not optional flavour text.

The Chrysalids' Memento is the quest's exploration gate. Stormveil Castle offers several routes, and the memento is placed away from the cleanest critical path, so players following only the castle's main objective can finish substantial story progress without seeing it. Searching corpse-filled rooms and checking side routes is more reliable than expecting the main boss reward to advance Roderika's story.

Spirit Tuning is the functional endpoint. Roderika upgrades Spirit Ashes, while Smithing Master Hewg remains associated with weapon improvement. The distinction matters when choosing where to spend upgrade materials: a weapon reinforcement request goes to Hewg, but a summon upgrade request goes to Roderika once her service is unlocked.

The quest is forgiving in broad terms but not in presentation. Roderika can relocate, dialogue can change after Stormveil progression, and the game may not restate the full objective when her location changes. If the route appears interrupted, the practical recovery method is to check Stormhill Shack, then Roundtable Hold, and speak with both Roderika and Hewg until their dialogue repeats.

What works and what does not

Phases

1. 1

   Stormhill Shack approach

   Starts: Entering Stormhill Shack and speaking with Roderika.

   This is a conversation encounter rather than a combat phase. Roderika explains her fear and the fate of her companions, then provides the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes after the relevant dialogue.

   • Speak to Roderika repeatedly until she stops adding new lines.
   • There is no quest boss or required duel at the shack.
2. 2

   Stormveil Castle search

   Starts: Entering the castle to look for the Chrysalids' Memento.

   The danger comes from Stormveil Castle's ordinary enemies, ambushes, vertical routes, and corpse-filled interior areas. The quest does not prescribe a single combat strategy because the item can be approached through exploration and route choice.

   • Use Sites of Grace as route anchors and clear one room at a time.
   • The memento is an item pickup, so stealth or bypassing enemies can be preferable to a full clear.
3. 3

   Roundtable Hold dialogue transition

   Starts: Roderika appears at Roundtable Hold and new dialogue becomes available from her or Smithing Master Hewg.

   The final phase is a dialogue-state puzzle. Alternating between Roderika and Hewg until their conversations are exhausted changes Roderika into a Spirit Tuner.

   • Check both characters after each new conversation.
   • The appearance of Spirit Tuning is the reliable completion signal; a mere relocation is not.

Boss encounter

• Location
  No boss is exclusive to Roderika's Quest.

Do not search for a dedicated quest boss. The required danger is the exploration of Stormveil Castle while retrieving the Chrysalids' Memento; the player may fight, evade, or use stealth against the enemies encountered along the route.

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Return the Chrysalids' Memento to Roderika before she relocates.

  Her Stormhill Shack dialogue advances directly and makes the transition to her Roundtable Hold role easier to follow.

• Leave the memento uncollected while progressing through Stormveil Castle.

  The quest is delayed, and Roderika's later location and dialogue can make the missing objective less obvious. The player should return to Stormveil Castle and collect the item.

• Speak to only Roderika or only Smithing Master Hewg at Roundtable Hold.

  The Spirit Tuning service may not appear until the player speaks to both characters and exhausts their linked dialogue.

• Continue the quest and accept Roderika's Spirit Tuning role.

  Roderika becomes the Spirit Tuner at Roundtable Hold, while Hewg continues to serve as the blacksmith. This does not lock the player into a faction or ending.

Checklist

• Speak with Roderika at Stormhill Shack until her dialogue repeats.This starts the quest and leads to the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes.
• Confirm that the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes are in the inventory.They are Spirit Ashes, not ordinary consumables.
• Search Stormveil Castle for the Chrysalids' Memento.Look through the corpse-filled interior area away from the simplest main route.
• Return to Stormhill Shack if Roderika is still there.Give her the memento and exhaust the new dialogue.
• Check Roundtable Hold after major Stormveil progression.Roderika may have relocated there.
• Speak with Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg.Alternate between them until no new dialogue remains.
• Confirm that Spirit Tuning is available.Roderika's service is the principal quest completion signal.
• Collect or verify the Crimson Hood reward.Its availability is tied to the later state of Roderika's story and the related Stormveil location.
• Upgrade at least one Spirit Ash if you intend to use summons.Spirit Tuning is separate from weapon reinforcement.

Collectibles and secretsSpoilers

• 01
  Chrysalids' Memento

  Where: Stormveil Castle, in a corpse-filled interior section away from the direct main route.

  Quest item connected to Roderika's companions. Return it to Roderika to advance her story.

• 02
  Spirit Jellyfish Ashes

  Where: Received from Roderika at Stormhill Shack after the introductory dialogue.

  A Spirit Ash summon that can be equipped and called when Spirit Ash summoning is available.

• 03
  Crimson Hood

  Where: Associated with the later Roderika quest state and the relevant corpse pile in Stormveil Castle.

  A head armor reward that serves as the tangible follow-up to the Chrysalids' story.

Failure conditions

• Leaving Stormhill Shack without exhausting Roderika's dialogueThe quest may appear not to have started, and the Spirit Jellyfish Ashes or next objective can be overlooked. Return to the shack and speak with her again.
• Searching only the main Stormveil routeThe Chrysalids' Memento is an exploration pickup in a side area, not an automatic main-route reward.
• Checking only one Roundtable Hold characterRoderika's Spirit Tuning transition depends on linked dialogue with both Roderika and Smithing Master Hewg.
• Assuming Roderika disappeared permanentlyHer relocation from Stormhill Shack to Roundtable Hold is part of the quest's progression. Check Roundtable Hold before treating the quest as broken.
• Advancing without checking the Crimson Hood locationThe later hood reward is tied to the quest's progression and may not appear at the moment the player first reaches Roundtable Hold.

RewardsSpoilers

• Spirit Jellyfish Ashes
  A Spirit Ash summon received from Roderika at Stormhill Shack. It can be equipped as a summon and called in eligible areas.
• Spirit Tuning
  Roderika's Roundtable Hold service for upgrading Spirit Ashes. It is the most important practical reward because it improves summons throughout the rest of the game.
• Crimson Hood
  A head armor reward connected to the later resolution of Roderika's story and the Chrysalids' remains at Stormveil Castle.

Characters in this mission

• RoderikaThe quest giver, survivor of the Stormveil expedition, and future Spirit Tuner.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• Roderika's Quest is one of Elden Ring's clearest examples of a character's role changing from story survivor to a permanent hub service provider.
• The quest links two apparently separate Roundtable Hold functions: Smithing Master Hewg's weapon work and Roderika's Spirit Tuning.
• The Chrysalids' Memento is both a quest objective and a physical reminder of the bodies and transformation imagery associated with Stormveil Castle.
• Roderika's Spirit Jellyfish Ashes are received before Spirit Tuning is unlocked, allowing the quest to introduce the player to summon rewards before explaining the full upgrade service.

Relationships