In the mystical realm of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, a silent yet formidable figure emerges: Dryleaf Dane. This enigmatic monk challenges players to a wordless duel, offering a unique questline that rewards bravery with powerful martial arts and exclusive gear. Dive into our comprehensive guide to uncover the secrets of Dryleaf Dane’s quest, from the Highroad Cross to the final showdown in Enir-Ilim.
Dryleaf Dane is a monk specializing in martial arts and one of the new NPCs introduced in the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion. Dane is one of the pilgrims following in the footsteps of Miquella, and is part of the main quest – this means that his quest can be canceled if you haven’t managed to complete it before burning the small Scadutree in Church of the Bud. On this page of our guide, you can find a walkthrough for Dane’s quest and his locations.
Where to meet with Dane for the first time?
Where to first meet Dryleaf Dane is near the Moorth Ruins Site of Grace in Scadu Altus, east of the Highroad Cross Site of Grace. While you can summon him for the Rellana, Twin Moon Knight boss fight, your first proper meeting with him is at the ruins. To initiate the encounter, acquire the Monk’s Missive and the ‘May the Best Win’ gesture from the Highroad Cross Site of Grace, then use the gesture in front of him at Moorth Ruins to begin a fight.
Dryleaf Dane’s quest is very brief. You can start it after completing Castle Ensis and defeating Rellana, Twin Moon Knight. Leave the castle grounds and travel to the Highroad Cross site of grace. Aside from Leda, you’ll find the Monk’s Missive item and May the Best Win gesture. The missive is a duel challenge, pointing you east.
Directly east from Highroad Cross site of grace, you’ll find another site – Moorth Ruins. Here is where Dryleaf Dane is found – to continue, you need to approach him and perform the May the Best Win gesture. This will start a duel against the monk.
Dane fights with his bare hands, attacking with long chains of attacks and putting pressure on you constantly. His attacks may seriously deplete your stamina if you try to block all of them – be careful and retreat if needed. The lack of armour and shield means Dane’s attacks are easily interrupted with your own strikes. Additionally, there is a good window to attack right after his special move, air projectile, which you can recognize thanks to the wind gathering around his clenched fists.
After you emerge victorious, make sure to collect all the items left by Dane. You will get Dane’s Hat and Dryleaf Arts – a hand-to-hand weapon that allows you to fight barehanded, just like Dane. He will also leave a message in which he recommends further honing of your fighting skills. This will end the quest.
Final meeting with Dane
Your final encounter with Dryleaf Dane occurs in the Enir-Ilim area, where you will face him alongside Needle Knight Leda and possibly other NPCs, depending on your previous choices. This fight marks the culmination of his questline, and upon defeating him, you will find his body in the battle arena. Interacting with his body rewards you with additional items, including the Dryleaf Robe, Dryleaf Arm Wraps, Dryleaf Cuissardes, and Dane’s Footwork. This concludes Dryleaf Dane’s questline, setting you up for the game’s final challenges.
Regardless of whether you’ve gone with Dane’s task to its end, you’ll encounter the monk again in the final dungeon of the expansion – Enir-Illim – which you’ll have to enter after burning the Scadutree in Church of the Bud. Dane will be one of the participants of a large battle ensuing at the end of the dungeon. Regardless of your choices, Dane will always be hostile and you have to kill him to progress to the final boss of the expansion.
What are the key challenges in the Dryleaf Dane questline
The Dryleaf Dane questline in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree presents several key challenges:
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Finding Dryleaf Dane: Initially, players must locate Dryleaf Dane at Miquella’s Cross in the Moorth Ruins. This involves picking up the Monk’s Missive and using the May the Best Win gesture to initiate a fight.
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Combat Against Dryleaf Dane: The fight against Dryleaf Dane is challenging due to his rapid melee attacks and use of Ring of Light Incantations. He also employs a powerful “Palm Blast” attack, which requires players to maintain distance and timing to avoid significant damage.
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Final Encounter: The final encounter involves fighting Dryleaf Dane alongside Needle Knight Leda and possibly other NPCs, depending on previous choices. This battle requires strategic planning and execution to overcome the combined forces.
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Collecting Rewards: After defeating Dryleaf Dane in the final encounter, players must locate his body to collect additional rewards, including parts of his armor set.
What are the main choices players face in Dryleaf Dane’s questline
In Dryleaf Dane’s questline in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, players face a few key choices and interactions, though these are more about progression than branching narratives:
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Initiating the Quest: Players must use the May the Best Win gesture in front of Dryleaf Dane at Moorth Ruins to initiate the first fight. This choice is necessary to progress the questline.
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Returning to Needle Knight Leda: After defeating Dryleaf Dane in the first encounter, players can return to Leda and ask about the silent monk. This conversation does not offer branching choices but provides context and allows further progression.
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Final Encounter Decisions: The final encounter involves fighting Dryleaf Dane alongside Needle Knight Leda and possibly other NPCs, depending on previous choices in their respective questlines. However, the primary decision here is not a choice but rather a consequence of how other questlines have been completed.
Overall, the questline is more linear, with the main “choices” being about how to engage with Dryleaf Dane and other NPCs rather than making decisions that significantly alter the storyline.
