Fire Knight Queelign questline walkthrough and steps in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (2024)

Fire Knight Queelign is an NPC in Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC — a hostile fellow who will give you some grief while wielding a flaming spear. As is the case with almost all NPCs in the Elden Ring DLC, this chap who is infatuated with Messmer has a side quest with multiple steps, as long as you know where to find him.

He can be relentless, as he attacks repeatedly, barely giving you room to breathe, but following his quest all the way to the end nets you one of two very decent rewards.

In this Elden Ring DLC guide, we’ll show you every step of how to complete the Fire Knight Queelign quest, including all Fire Knight Queelign locations and an explainer on whether you should give him the Iris of Grace or the Iris of Occultation.

Fire Knight Queelign first location in Elden Ring DLC

The first time you’ll encounter Fire Knight Queelign is in Belurat, though he is completely missable if you don’t go down the correct path.

From the Small Private Altar Site of Grace, either kill or wait for the ridiculously tough knight with a sword in each hand to walk past, then go up the stairs and take a right-hand turn past some rubble. There’ll be a few shadow folk to kill — these are ones that aggro once they see you, rather than the passive mumbling-in-the-corner-and-happy-to-be-stabbed-in-the-back ones — then you’ll enter an area with an enormous tree in the middle.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Fire Knight Queelign will invade after a few seconds, chatting about how “thou shalt not evade the flame of Messmer.” His attacks include a ranged homing fireball, a standard thrust with his spear, a jumping thrust, and an upswing that culminates in a fiery explosion. If you get hit once, though, just make sure to put some distance between you so you can get a heal off. Plus, if you have a ranged attack, he is easily staggered.

Killing him rewards you with the Ash of War: Flame Skewer, plus the Prayer Room Key, which is essential for the last part of the quest. Next though, you must find him again.

Fire Knight Queelign second location in Elden Ring DLC

The second time you’ll find Fire Knight Queelign is at the Church of the Crusade in Scadu Altus, which — if you didn’t find him on your initial trip through Belurat — may actually be your first time.

(Of note: Fire Knight Queelign will show up at the Church of the Crusade, even if you haven’t already fought him once. This is the order I encountered him in. It will come after you’ve beaten Rellana, Twin Moon Knight, or taken the side path around Castle Ensis to skip that fight.)

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

The quickest way to the Church of the Crusade is from the Highroad Cross Site of Grace, on the other side of Castle Ensis.

Follow the road then peel off left to the enormous church on the edge of the cliff. Head inside and Queelign will invade again, stating “those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death.” This fight is pretty much identical to the other, and killing him this time rewards you with the Crusade Insignia, along with a Scadutree Fragment at the foot of the statue and a Rune Arc on the corpse to the left.

Fire Knight Queelign third location in Elden Ring DLC

While you need to find Fire Knight Queelign one more time to finish the quest, you don’t need to fight him again, thankfully. He can be found in the flooded area of Shadow Keep.

If you haven’t fully explored that area yet, the quickest way there is to head through Moorth Ruins, clear Bonny Village (where you can get the “O Mother” gesture), then ride on Torrent all the way through the Church District. If you have made it to the Specimen Storeroom, though, you can also find your way to the flooded section through there, although I wouldn’t recommend it because those enemies in red hoods are a dime a dozen, and immensely frustrating to fight.

You’re looking for the Church District Entrance Site of Grace, which is where you’ll end up if you follow the road all the way through, riding past packs of wolves and a surprise Furnace Golem. Keep riding and you’ll get there unscathed.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

From the site of grace, you need to make your way across the rooftops. Jump over to the section in front of you — the one with the courtyard in the middle — then make your way to the other side and leap to the next building. Beware on this rooftop and the following ledge, because those exploding zombie-like enemies that litter the path up to Mohg, Lord of Blood in the base game will appear out of the ground.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

On the third rooftop, one of those cloaked red chaps that proved to be a huge pain in the Specimen Storeroom will start advancing towards you. If you have a ranged attack, I suggest swiftly hopping back on the ledge from whence you came, firing from afar, then hiding behind the column coming out of the wall when the fireballs come your way.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

In the southeast corner of this building, leap onto the diagonal beam, and don’t get scared by the enormous tree monster moving beneath you. It won’t attack if you don’t draw its attention. Climb up to the top — be careful with the jump at the end, as it can be finicky, coming from someone who fell off the first time — then proceed to the hole in the roof.

In here, drop down onto the roof beams, and again onto the floor. Don’t go through the doorway near the two crabs as this will start the patrol of another cloaked red chap; instead, go to the opposite corner to find a locked door. Use the Prayer Room Key and head in to find Fire Knight Queelign.

Should you give Fire Knight Queelign the Iris of Grace or Occultation?

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

You’ll find Queelign curled up in a ball, begging Queen Marika to grant him grace. Speak to him and, provided you’ve acquired one of each, you can give him either the Iris of Grace or the Iris of Occultation. Giving him the Iris of Grace essentially lets him ascend, while the Iris of Occultation kills him.

More importantly, however, are the rewards.

• Giving him the Iris of Grace will reward you with the Fire Knight Queelign Spirit Ashes, so you can summon him in battle.
• Giving him the Iris of Occultation gives you Fire Knight Queelign’s Greatsword, complete with its unique Ash of War. (However, you can also give it to Jolan at the end of Count Ymir’s questline in the Church of Metyr Manus. That will reward you with his spirit ashes, so pick wisely.)

If you’re in need of either resource, our guide on where to find Iris of Grace and Iris of Occultation locations can help.

Looking for more Shadow of the Erdtree guides? Check out our guides on the Dryleaf Dane, Hornsent, Hornsent Grandam, Redmane Freyja, and Sir Ansbach NPC quests, or peruse our interactive Elden Ring DLC map.