ER Shadow of the Erdtree Swordhand of Night Jolan quest guide
Give Jolan the Iris of Grace or Iris of Occultation?
Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree has quite a few different NPCs for you to meet, and some of the more mysterious folk are to be found in the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. Here, you’ll find Count Ymir and Swordhand of Night Jolan, who are tied to the same questline for the most part.
Though, the pair meet slightly different endings, and on this page, we’ll be focusing on Jolan. Below, we run you through what you need to do and where you need to go during Jolan’s quest in Shadow of the Erdtree, and whether to give her the Iris of Grace or Iris of Occultation.
Warning! There are spoilers ahead for Count Ymir’s quest and Jolan’s ending.
ER Shadow of the Erdtree Swordhand of Night Jolan quest guide
Swordhand of Night Jolan is first found at the Cathedral of Manus Metyr in Shadow of the Erdtree. While she doesn’t initially have much to say, she ends up being a pretty important part of the Count Ymir quest.
After arriving at the Cathedral of Manus Metyr (which we explain how to get to in our Count Ymir quest guide), speak with Count Ymir on the throne, and Jolan standing by one of the pillars in front of him. Count Ymir will hand over a map and a Hole Laden Necklace, telling you to the sound the bell of a hallowed ruin.
The first map he gives you will reveal the Finger Ruins of Rhia in the south of the map.
After having grabbed the southern Map Fragment, you’ll want to make your way here via the Dragon’s Pit east of Castle Ensis’ Front Gate Site of Grace. Following the dungeon, you can head right - past the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion - to reach the Finger Ruins.
Interact with the bell here to receive the Crimson Seed Talisman+2, and return to Count Ymir, speaking with Jolan again. After this point, you should be able to summon Jolan for some of the fights around the Lands of Shadow, but I’m yet to fully confirm this. Let us know if you run into her anywhere!
Anyways, Count Ymir will hand over another map that shows you the Finger Ruins of Dheo in the north. To get there, you’ll need to gain passage to the Hinterlands at Shadow Keep Back Gate, and go across the northeastern bridge.
After interacting with the bell here, you’ll receive the Cerulean Seed Talisman+2. Now, visit Count Ymir and Jolan once more. You’ll be given a third map that looks a lot like the Cathedral of Manus Metyr itself…
Rest at the Site of Grace and Count Ymir will have vanished. You’ll now be able to interact with the throne and enter the third, final Finger Ruins of Miyr. After vanquishing Invader, Swordhand of Night Anna, interact with the bell here to be taken to a boss fight with Metyr, Mother of Fingers.
After beating the Metyr, Mother of Fingers, the fighting is not quite over. Return to the Cathedral and rest, then interact with the throne again. You’ll be invaded by Swordhand of Night Anna, and after defeating her, will have to fight with Count Ymir, Mother of Fingers.
Once that’s all done, you can take a moment to breathe and rest at the Grace again. Jolan will be in her usual spot, although, she is injured now. When you speak to her, you’ll have the option to give her either a Iris of Grace or Iris of Occultation.
Give Jolan the Grace of Iris or Iris of Occultation in Shadow of the Erdtree?
If you give Jolan either consumable, you’ll receive a different item. These are as follows:
- Give Jolan the Iris of Grace - receive Swordhand of Night Jolan’s Spirit Ashes.
- Give Jolan the Iris of Occultation - receive Sword of Night weapon. A katana with the Witching Hour Slash Skill.
Doing the latter and giving Jolan the Grace of Occultation is what we perceive as the ‘good’ ending for Jolan. Her final line of dialogue, “No light… Anywhere at all. This is the night I know. Our Night…” definitely implies she's into having been inflicted with the grace of darkness.
You can also use these items on Fire Knight Queelign as a part of their quest.
Where to get the Grace or Iris and Grace of Occultation in Shadow of the Erdtree?
If you need to track down either Iris, here’s where you’ll find them in Shadow of the Erdtree.
It’s also worth first noting that when you give the Iris to another character, it is not consumed. If you choose to use it yourself, however, it is consumed. On top of that, we’ve only been able to track down one Iris of Grace so far, while there appear to be multiple Iris of Occultation available.
The one Iris of Grace we found was accessible from Shadow Keep’s Storehouse. From the first floor, you can take an elevator into an area full of Living Jars. Where you find the stairs downwards (that are beside a hidden path!), the Iris can be found on a corpse at the end of the following room.
As for Iris of Occultation, you can find one in front of the statue after crossing the bridge at Tree-Worship Passage. This is also accessible via Shadow Keep.
For more on Shadow of the Erdtree, take a look at Thiollier's quest, as well as our recommended boss order guide, and where you can find more Scadutree Fragments if you need them!