How to obtain Elden Ring’s Mending Rune of the Death-Prince from Fia

Bandai Namco’s Elden Ring has been a hit since its release on 25 February 2022. Part of its popularity stems from its narrative structure: a player’s actions and choices throughout the game lead to different endings – one such involves obtaining the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince from the NPC deathbed companion Fia. Here’s what you need to know.

**Warning: This article contains spoilers for Elden Ring**

What happens when you let Fia ‘hold you’ in Elden Ring?

You will first come across Fia at the Roundtable Hold, a special location in Elden Ring. She’s a deathbed companion and she’ll address you as “great champion”.

She will then ask if you would allow her to “hold you, but briefly.”

“Perhaps”, she continues, “you might share with me some of your lifely vigour, and your stout-heartedness. Doing so will grant me the warmth of a champion. And you, I am sure, will bear a baldachin’s blessing. Do you think it vulgar, perhaps? Where I come from, it is a sacred act.”

If and when you do – it’s optional, but doing so will trigger a quest that leads, ultimately, to the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince – you will receive Baldachin’s Blessing. It’s a consumable that boosts your Poise and reduces your health by 5%. You can repeat this process as many times as you like.

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How to get from Fia to the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince in Elden Ring 

After hugging Fia, find D, Hunter of the Dead, near Summonwater Village, and defeat the Tibia Mariner boss. Note: you don’t actually need to defeat the Tibia Mariner, but doing so will yield useful items including the Elden Ring Deathroot.

Return to Fia and keep talking to her until she gives you the Weathered Dagger. She’d like to see it returned to its original owner which is D. Find him in the main room and return it to him.

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Now, the next time you return to the Roundtable Hold, you will find – and, look away if you want to discover this for yourself – Fia has murdered D. 

Loot his body and go to the Divine Tower. Hand over D’s armour to his brother; defeat Fia’s goons in the Deeproot Depths and, finally, interact with Fia to gain entry to the Deathbed Dream.

For more detail on the above, read PCGamer’s walkthrough here.

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You will still need to defeat the four-winged black Lichdragon Fortissax

Again, Lichdragon Fortissax is technically an optional boss, but defeating it will unlock the Age of Duskborn ending. Once you’ve taken out Fortissax, you’ll have the option to loot Fia for the Mending Rune of the Death Prince.

Possession of the Mending Rune unlocks Fia’s ending, Age of Duskborn. According to the Elden Ring Wiki, in this alternative version of the default ending of the game, the Lands Between has “lost its accursed immortality”.

It is one of the game’s several possible endings.

Bruno Cooke

Bruno Cooke has been a freelance journalist since 2019, primarily with GRV Media. He was an early contributor to The Focus, and has written for HITC, Groundviews and the Sheffield University newspaper – he earned his MA in Global Journalism there in 2021. He’s the Spoken Word Poetry Editor for The Friday Poem, and self-published his debut novel Reveries in 2019, which his mum called both a “fine read” and “excellent Christmas present”. Bruno has lived in China, Sri Lanka and the Philippines and likes, among other things: bicycle touring, black and white Japanese films, pub quizzes, fermentation and baklava. In 2023, Bruno will set off with his partner on a round-the-world cycle.