Yeah, I've been there. This whole thing is a pain because the game never actually hands you a quest called “Nokron City Entrance Quest.” All you get are rumors about an Eternal City under Limgrave, and by the time you figure out where Nokron is, you're probably already lost. The good news? You only need a few important steps, one brutal boss fight, and a big falling meteor.
Here's the real route to Nokron, Eternal City — including the Ranni-friendly version and the mistakes that'll ruin a clean run.
What Exactly Is the Nokron City Entrance Quest?
It's not a normal NPC quest with dialogs and rewards. It's a chain of events: trigger the hidden Radahn festival, kill the demigod Starscourge Radahn, and then find the fresh crater in Limgrave that his death opens up.
That meteor drop is the key. Without it, you'll never see Nokron's entrance.
Nokron City Entrance Quest Step-by-Step
Step 1: Reach Altus Plateau to Trigger Radahn's Festival
Radahn's Festival at Redmane Castle doesn't start just because you show up. You need a trigger, and the easiest one is reaching Altus Plateau. Do that by either using the Grand Lift of Dectus with both halves of the Dectus Medallion, or taking the hill path behind Ruin-Strewn Precipice.
Once you set foot on Altus Plateau and see that Site of Grace name appear, Redmane Castle switches to festival mode. Radahn is ready for you.
If you've already started Ranni's questline, you can also trigger the festival later by talking to Blaidd in the Siofra River area. But honestly, the Altus Plateau route is the simplest.
Step 2: Start Ranni's Questline if You Want Her Full Reward
For most players, the real reason to enter Nokron is Ranni's quest. Without her questline, you can still enter Nokron, but you'll miss the Fingerslayer Blade — one of the most important Ranni-quest items in Elden Ring.
Start Ranni's quest before you finish Radahn. Here's what to do:
- Go to Caria Manor in northwest Liurnia.
- Fight through the royal guards and living hands.
- Beat Royal Knight Loretta.
- Head into the Three Sisters area.
- Enter Ranni's Rise and talk to Ranni at the top.
Exhaust all her dialog, then talk to her allies, especially Blaidd. Ranni won't give you a simple map marker. She'll just push you toward the stars and the underground city. Do this before Radahn if you want the cleanest experience.
And don't forget: killing Radahn is still required. There's no skip.
Step 3: Head to Redmane Castle and Start the Radahn Festival
Once the festival is active, travel to Redmane Castle in southern Caelid.
You'll see the castle with all the banners up. A guy named Jerren will be near the courtyard talking about the festival. That's your sign that Radahn is waiting.
Don't try to fight every Redmane Castle soldier forever. The point is to get to the teleporter or boss gate that sends you into Radahn's arena. If the festival is active, you should be able to reach the portal fast.
Also, use the NPC summon signs on the ground before the fight. That's not cheating. Elden Ring wants you to use them.
New player warning: don't waste time clearing out the castle. If Radahn won't spawn, you haven't hit the festival trigger yet, not because you missed some hidden switch.
Step 4: Defeat Starscourge Radahn
Radahn is one of the hardest roadblocks in the Nokron City Entrance Quest.
You fight him in a giant open area called the Wailing Dunes. He uses two massive curved swords, gravity magic, and one of the scariest arrow attacks in the game. Early on, he'll shoot those huge arrows at you while you're still riding toward him on Torrent.
Here are tips that actually work:
- Use Torrent to close the distance during the arrow phase.
- Once you're in melee range, stay close but watch for his gravity slam.
- Summon every NPC you can. Your own Spirit Ash helps too, but the NPC summons are almost necessary to survive.
- Keep attacking after his phase transition.
In phase two, Radahn turns into a meteor and crashes back down. That gives you a clean window to hit him.
New player warning: when he disappears in phase two, don't just panic and run. Wait for the meteor crash, then punish him.
When Radahn finally dies, you get a cutscene. It's not just for flavor. That's the exact moment a meteor flies across the sky and opens the Nokron City Entrance in Limgrave.
Rest at the grace, grab your Remembrance, and head back to Limgrave.
Step 5: Find the Meteor Crater in Mistwood
Now for the part where a lot of players get lost. Where is the Nokron City Entrance after Radahn?
Travel back to the Mistwood area in eastern Limgrave and open your map. Look for a new circular hole. It's usually close to the area where you originally went down to Siofra River. A Site of Grace called Mistwood Crater will appear near the hole.
If you can't find it, start from the Mistwood Outskirts Site of Grace and explore eastern Mistwood. The crater is a giant sinkhole with glowing roots and broken rock around the edges.
From there, carefully drop down through the collapsed caves and chambers. It's not a huge jumping puzzle, but you can mess it up if you rush. Take the drops slowly, and soon enough you'll reach the entrance to Nokron, Eternal City.
New player warning: don't go exploring Siofra River thinking it's Nokron. Siofra is a different underground zone. The crater is a fresh hole on your map — use that.
Step 6: Grab the Fingerslayer Blade for Ranni's Questline
Once you're inside Nokron, you can explore the whole Eternal City. But if you're following Ranni's quest, your main target is the Fingerslayer Blade.
Move through Nokron until you reach the Night's Sacred Ground. The path is fairly linear if you follow the rooftops and ledges. Eventually, you'll find the Fingerslayer Blade on a body in the lower sacred area.
Pick it up, then take it back to Ranni at Ranni's Rise. She'll be waiting for it, and that unlocks the next stage of her questline.
Even if you don't care about Ranni, exploring Nokron gives you valuable Ghost Glovewort, ghost-type enemies, and several armor sets. Trust me, it's worth doing.
Common Mistakes That Mess Up the Nokron City Entrance Quest
Trying to force the Redmane Castle Festival too early
I've seen too many players rush to Redmane Castle early, clear some enemies, then wonder why Radahn won't spawn.
If you haven't reached Altus Plateau and haven't progressed Ranni's questline, the festival stays inactive. You can fight regular castle enemies, but the Nokron entrance won't unlock.
Confusing Siofra River with Nokron
Siofra River and Nokron are different underground zones.
Siofra is accessible earlier through the Mistwood Well. It's gorgeous and full of glowing ruins, but it is not Nokron. People reach Siofra, think they found the Eternal City, and then get stuck when they can't go further.
No amount of exploring Siofra will change that. You need Radahn's meteor to physically open the path into Nokron itself.
Forgetting to talk to Ranni before grabbing the Fingerslayer Blade
If you kill Radahn very early and jump straight into Nokron, you can grab the Fingerslayer Blade before ever talking to Ranni.
That's not the end of the world, but it makes the questline feel confusing. Start Ranni's quest first, talk to Blaidd, then beat Radahn. Otherwise, Ranni will still accept the item later, but you'll miss some nice dialog and context.
Missing the crater because you left Caelid too fast
After Radahn dies, you can fast travel away. No problem. The crater stays there forever.
But if you come back and only check the normal Mistwood spots, you might miss the new Site of Grace. Always check your map for the newly named grace. That makes this quest way less painful.
Nokron City Entrance Quest FAQ
Is the Nokron City Entrance Quest required for Ranni's questline?
Yes. Ranni asks you to retrieve the Fingerslayer Blade from Nokron, Eternal City. You can't get into Nokron without defeating Radahn because his meteor creates the entrance. Even if you avoid Ranni early, you'll need this exact same route eventually.
Can I skip defeating Radahn and still enter Nokron?
No. The Nokron City Entrance only opens when Radahn's meteor crashes into Limgrave. There's no hidden cellar door, no alternate key, and no secret path through Siofra that lets you bypass Radahn. If you want to enter Nokron, you have to fight the Starscourge.
What level should I be for the Nokron City Entrance Quest?
Most players complete the Radahn fight between level 65 and level 80. You'll also want a weapon upgraded to around +15 if you're on the standard smithing stone path. Radahn is a monster, but he's very vulnerable to the NPC summons in his arena. Don't feel bad about summoning every single one.
Does the Radahn Festival ever disappear?
No. Once the Radahn Festival is active, it stays active until you defeat Radahn. You can leave Caelid, level up, fight other bosses, and come back later. You won't lose your chance to finish the Nokron City Entrance Quest.
So that's the real path to the Eternal City: beat Radahn, watch the sky, find the Mistwood crater, and finally get inside Nokron. This quest is way easier when you know exactly what's waiting for you.
Now go grab that Fingerslayer Blade and finish Ranni's story.