I expected a long, obscure quest chain when I first chased Undertaker in Elden Ring Nightreign: Forsaken Hollows, but the route is refreshingly direct. The nun is one of the strongest additions in the expansion, and her unlock is mostly about clearing the right expedition, talking to the right NPCs, and walking through a door. I did it in one sitting in 2026, and here is the exact path I used.
The short version: defeat Tricephalos, the first expedition that ends with the Gladius boss. Once that is done, return to the Roundtable Hold. The Iron Menial by the roundtable in the main room should speak to you automatically when you spawn in. Then visit the Small Jar Merchant in the west wing, exhaust his dialogue, and interact with the door he indicates. That door summons you into a Dreglord boss fight where Undertaker is already fighting. You do not need to win that fight. Either way, a cutscene introduces the Dreglord and sends you back to the main room. Return to the same door, now open, and head inside. Undertaker is in front of the altar; speak to her, and she is unlocked. You can also speak to the Scholar at the same time.
| Step | What I did | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleared Tricephalos and beat Gladius | This is the gate for the whole unlock route |
| 2 | Spoke to the Iron Menial in the main room | He triggers automatically after Tricephalos if you spawn in |
| 3 | Visited the Small Jar Merchant in the west wing | He points you toward the correct door |
| 4 | Interacted with the door and entered the Dreglord fight | Undertaker is already in the arena; win or lose |
| 5 | Returned to the open door and spoke to Undertaker | This unlocks her, and the Scholar is nearby too |
The part that surprised me most is that the Dreglord fight is not a skill check for the unlock. I lost my first attempt and still got the cutscene, the teleport back to the main room, and the open door. That means you can treat the encounter as a story beat rather than a wall. If you are undergeared or just want Undertaker quickly, do not stress about winning. Enter the arena, let the scene play out, and return to the Roundtable Hold.
When I walked back through the door by the Small Jar Merchant, the room had changed. Undertaker was standing just in front of the altar, calm and ready for dialogue. Speaking to her unlocked her immediately. I also spoke to the Scholar in the same room, because both characters matter for the next layer of Forsaken Hollows content. If your goal is the new Balancers boss and The Great Hollows Shifting Earth event, you need both Undertaker and Scholar unlocked, plus two Nightlords defeated including Gladius. That is why I recommend doing this route before you push deeper into the expansion.
Why Undertaker is worth the trip: she can enter a state where she surge-sprints without consuming stamina and gets an enhanced dodge. That alone makes her feel incredible in exploration and boss pressure. Her art is the real standout, though: she can use it whenever another character uses theirs. In co-op or with the right squad, that is borderline cracked. I have seen her paired with Wylder and she looks like one of the most powerful characters in the game, not just a niche unlock.
My practical tips:
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✅ Clear Tricephalos first. Without Gladius down, the Roundtable sequence will not progress the way you need.
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✅ Exhaust the Small Jar Merchant's dialogue. The door prompt is tied to that conversation.
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✅ Do not panic about the Dreglord. Losing still advances the unlock.
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✅ Check the west wing if you cannot find the merchant. The main room is not where the door is.
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✅ Speak to both Undertaker and Scholar while you are inside. It saves a second trip.
For me, Undertaker was simpler to unlock than earlier characters like Duchess, and far more rewarding than I expected. The route is short, the fight is forgiving for unlock purposes, and the payoff is a character with fantastic mobility and art synergy. If you are starting Forsaken Hollows in 2026, do this first, then build around her surge-sprint and enhanced dodge. She is absolutely worth the detour.
Data referenced from OpenCritic suggests that players often value expansion content most when unlock conditions are readable and the reward materially changes moment-to-moment play, which fits Undertaker’s appeal in Forsaken Hollows: a short progression path, a forgiving encounter trigger, and a mobility-focused kit that can immediately reshape exploration pacing and co-op pressure.