Elden Ring: Millicent Side Quest Guide & Walkthrough (2024)

Like many FromSoftware games, Elden Ring is filled with optional side quests introduced rather obtusely. Most RPGs have the player speak to an NPC, prompting the player to accept the quest with a menu and placing a marker on the player map for the quest destination. FromSoftware's games have always handled side quests differently. In games like Dark Souls, it is a regular occurrence to encounter an NPC and finish the dialogue without necessarily knowing how to continue the side quest or even if the character has a side quest. Elden Ring is no exception to this.

Due to the sheer size and scope of Elden Ring, it is possible to get lost in trying to complete certain characters' questlines—or miss them entirely. Several characters with side quests are attached to them that the player may never even encounter. Because of this, one of the longest side quests in Elden Ring is also one the easiest to miss. Millicent has an extended side quest that can yield interesting rewards and reveal new pieces of lore. However, she is tough to find, and her quest is even harder to complete.

Updated on June 1, 2024 by Antonio Samson: Elden Ring has a plethora of side quests that players can tackle on their journey. However, some are much more difficult than others. Milicent's Quest starts off rather easy. However, it ends with one of the hardest boss fights in the entire game. This article was updated to meet CBR's editorial and formatting standards.

How to Start Millicent's Quest and Getting the Unalloyed Golden Needle

Gowry Will Reveal Where Milicent is

Step One: Talking to Gowry

It is very easy to miss Millicent's location. She is located deep in Caelid, which is infamously one of the harder areas of Elden Ring. To start the quest, the player must find a character named Gowry. He is located in a shack just south of Sellia. There should also be a site of grace just outside Sellia as well. That will be helpful because the player must return to Sellia soon. When the player talks to Gowry, he will tell the player that Millicent is near death and plead with the player to help him try to save her life. If the player agrees, he will ask the player to get an Unalloyed Golden Needle. It can be found just West of Sellia in a scarlet rot swamp called Aeonia. The player must fight a challenging boss named Commander O'Neil.

Step Two: Defeat Commander O'Neil

Fighting Commander O'Neil can be quite difficult, especially if the players fight him earlier in the game. Fortunately, if the player has already spoken to Gowry, the player can summon an NPC character named Pollyanna to assist. She isn't incredibly useful at dealing damage to O'Neill, but she can distract him while the player attacks him from behind. Some archers will appear and fire arrows at the player. It is better to try to dodge the arrows because the archers will respawn if the player kills them all. It also helps to attack O'Neill at a distance and brace the player to deal with his scarlet rot attacks.

How to Find Millicent and Light the Beacons to Sellia

Return the Golden Needle to Gowry

Step Three: Talk to Gowry

After getting the Unalloyed Golden Needle, the player can take it back to Gowry, who will give the player a piece of paper. When inspected, it reveals that the player has to light three beacons in Sellia. The three beacons are located in three separate towers around the town. Lighting all the beacons will remove a magical barrier that prevents the player from journeying up the hill behind Sellia.

After all the beacons are lit, the player can return to Gowry, who will return the Golden Needle and send the player to find Millicent. It is important to note that the player can light the beacons before talking to Gowry, and the pathway will open. However, the player will still have to speak to Gowry to get the Golden Needle fixed before the player can continue the quest to help Millicent.

Step Four: Find and Help Millicent

Once the player has lit the beacons and talked to Gowry, the player can head through the barrier and climb the hill to Millicent. Beware of the magical, giant Ball Bearings that will appear and roll towards the player. They are easy enough to dodge, but they can deal a lot of damage if the player is hit. Atop the hill, the player will find the Church of Plague guarded by two Lesser Kindred of Rot outside.

Once the player has defeated them, run inside, then the player can present the needle to Millicent. After that, rest at the site of grace and talk to her again. Then, she will give the player the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom. There is a lot of back and forth after that. Return to Gowry's shack, and Millicent will be there. Speak to her until her dialogue is exhausted, and the player will learn she is slowly regaining her memory. Then, travel away and return to the site of grace at Gowry's shack, and then talk to Gowry. He will now sell the player some sorceries if the player wishes.

Journey to the Altus Plateau

Find Valkyrie's Prostehisis in the Shaded Castle

Step Five: Search the Shaded Castle

The player must reach the Altus Plateau before continuing Millicent's quest. After venturing into the Altus Plateau, the player can find Millicent at the Erdtree-Gazing Hill site of grace. From there, the player must reach the Shaded Castle to retrieve the Valkyrie's Prosthesis. Following the valley between Mt. Gelmir (which Volcano Manor lies atop) and the Altus Plateau will lead the player to the castle.

From there, the player must make their way to the northeast corner of the castle. The castle is filled with poison areas but can be navigated easily enough if the player watches their footing. After defeating the Cleanrot Knight and entering its guarding room, the player will find the Valkyrie's Prosthesis. Return to Millicent and give her the Prosthesis. Then, she exhausts her dialogue to move to the next step of the quest.

Step Six: Head to the Windmill Village

Millicent will appear at Dominula, the Windmill Village, next. It is located in the northeast of the Altus Plateau, just outside the wall of the capital. In the Windmill Village, the player will have to fight through several enemies and defeat a more challenging enemy in a Godskin Apostle at the end of it. Fortunately, a new site of grace will appear after defeating the Apostle. Rest at the site of grace, and then Millicent will appear. Then, the player must talk to her and exhaust her dialogue to continue her quest.

Journey to Miquella's Haligtree

Solve the Liturgical Tower Puzzle to Reach the Haligtree

Step Seven: Continue the Game and Get to Miquella's Haligtree

The next leg of Millicent's quest can potentially have a large gap. The player can only continue Millicent's quest once the player gets to Miquella's Haligtree, and that could take a while, depending on how far into the game the player is when starting Millicent's quest. To get to the Haligtree, the player must fight through the Leyndell Royal Capital in the Altus Plateau and defeat the boss. The player must also find both halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion in Liurnia.

They can be found in Lakeside Crystal Cave and Albinauric Village. Then, go through Castle Sol, fight Commander Niall, and solve the Liturgical Town puzzle to make it to the Haligtree. Once the player has done all this, they still have to fight through the Haligtree to reach the Elphael Prayer Room in the Haligtree. After doing all that, the player will find Millicent in the room and can then exhaust her dialogue to continue the quest.​​​​​​​

Step Eight: Find the Drainage Channel

After the player leaves the Prayer Room, they must work down to a drainage room near the eastern part of the Inner Wall. Once the player makes it to the drainage room, the player will find it is filled with plague pests and scarlet rot swamp areas. The player will want to stock up on Preserving Boluses if they can. After the player clears out the room or dashes through, they will find the Drainage Channel site of grace. From there, the player must defeat the Ulcerated Tree Spirit, and then, the player needs to rest at the site of grace and return to the room in which they fought the Tree Spirit.​​​​​​​

Players Must Make a Choice

Players can Fight or Help Milicent

Step Nine: Choose Which Millicent to Summon

When the player returns to where the player fought the Tree Spirit, the player will find two summon signs. The signs are red and gold, respectively, and the player has to choose which one to activate. Millicent will be summoned if the player chooses the red one, and the player will have to fight and kill her. When the player kills her, the quest will end there. However, the gold summons sign will bring the player to Millicent's world, and the player must help her fight invaders known as Millicent's Sisters. Successfully defeating Millicent's Sisters will allow the player to progress to the final part of Millicent's quest.​​​​​​​

Step Ten: Reload and Receive Your Reward

If the player kills Millicent, the player will be rewarded with Millicent's Prosthesis talisman, which raises dexterity and attack power with successive strikes. On the other hand, helping Millicent will give the player the Rotten Ring Sword Insignia, a talisman that "greatly" boosts attack power with successive strikes.

After claiming the rewards, however, the player must rest at a site of grace and reload the area. When the player does this, they will find Millicent succumbing to scarlet rot. If the player still wants Millicent's Prosthesis, the player can kill her here and claim it. This will also end the quest. Conversely, if the player reloads the area again, they will find Millicent dead. The player may claim the Golden Needle from her and continue to the last part of her quest.

The Final Challenge is the Hardest

Malenia is the Most Difficult Boss in the Game

Step Eleven: Fight Malenia

This is easily the hardest part of Millicent's quest and the hardest part of Elden Ring. After claiming the Golden Needle, the player must journey to the final boss of the Haligtree and fight Malenia. Malenia is widely regarded as the most difficult boss of Elden Ring. Fortunately, there are several different tips to beat Malenia, and many resources in and outside the game assist the player in the battle. She is weak against Frost and Bleed effects, and the Mimic Tear is a useful Spirit Ash to use in the fight.

After defeating Malenia, the player can use the Golden Needle on the scarlet blossom in her boss room to gain Miquella's Needle. This officially marks the end of Millicent's quest. There is another side quest involving Miquella's Needle that would warrant an entire guide of its own. Ending Millicent's quest does give the player some decent talisman rewards, and defeating Malenia comes with its own rewards. Despite that, it is undoubtedly one of the hardest questlines in Elden Ring.

Elden Ring

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S

Released

February 25, 2022

Developer(s)

FromSoftware

Publisher(s)

Bandai Namco Entertainment

Genre(s)

Action-Adventure , RPG

Multiplayer

Online Co-Op

ESRB

M

How Long To Beat

44+ hrs