The NPC called Hornsent has a secret side questline in Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC. This walkthrough shows the full solution. Completing this questline rewards you with Hornsent’s full equipment set, consisting of all his armor and his sword “Falx”. There are two ways to get the reward, in either case you’ll have to fight Hornsent. We’ll first go over the short one-step option, then the longer “real” questline. Basically: regardless of which way you do this questline, you always get the same reward, so it doesn’t matter how you do it.
For the similarly named Hornsent Grandam (Hornsent’s Grandmother) refer to Hornsent Grandam Questline.
Option 1: Short Hornsent Questline
If you completely ignore Hornsent’s “real” questline, you will always have to fight him near the end of the story. When you fight Leda and her allies in Enir-Ilim (unmissable story boss), Hornsent will spawn as one of your enemies. After the fight he drops his full armor set and his sword “Falx”. Simply collect it form his corpse after the fight.
Option 2: Long Hornsent Questline
MISSABLE WARNING: Steps 1-6 have to be completed before fighting the main boss “Messmer” at the top of Shadow Keep Storehouse.
Step 1: Talk to Hornsent at “Highroad Cross” site of grace. This can only be reached after defeating the main boss “Rellana, Twin Moon Knight” in Castle Ensis. He will give you two items: “Cross Map” + “New Cross Map”. Exhaust all dialogue with him!
Step 2: Enter Shadow Keep, defeat the boss “Golden Hippopotamus”. You can’t miss this, it’s a mandatory story boss at the entrance to Shadow Keep.
Step 3: Return to Hornsent at “Highroad Cross”. He has some new dialogue now, exhaust all dialogue with him again.
Step 4: Rest at the site of grace or fast travel away and come back – Hornsent will have disappeared from “Highroad Cross”.
Step 5: Talk to Needle Knight Leda at “Highroad Cross” > choose “Suggest the hornsent”. Exhaust all dialogue until she repeats the same line, then rest at the site of grace and exhaust all dialogue with her again (she gets some new dialogue after resting).
Step 6: Return to Shadow Keep. From the room where you defeated the boss “Golden Hippopotamus” (Main Gate Plaza site of grace), exit through the left, go upstairs, go through the room with an archer, you will reach some burning boats. On the right side of the burning boats (next to stairs leading down), there are two summoning signs: Red to assist Needle Knight Leda / Golden to assist Hornsent. Pick the Golden summoning sign to assist Hornsent! You will now join him in a fight against Leda. Defeat Leda before she kills Hornsent. Afterward you get “Ash of War: Swift Slash” + “Leda’s Rune”.
Step 7: Reach the “Messmer” main boss at the top of Shadow Keep Storehouse. He is a mandatory story boss (refer to Full Walkthrough if you need help reaching him). During the fight, there will now be a golden summoning sign for Hornsent inside the boss arena (while the fight is going on, not before). Summon him and defeat Messmer. The golden sign is only there if you followed Hornsent’s full questline thus far, otherwise it won’t be there. Hornsent will help you in the fight against Messmer which can make it easier.
Step 8: After defeating Messmer, interact with the site of grace in the boss room. Then Hornsent will spawn next to the site of grace. Talk to him, exhaust all dialogue.
Step 9: On your way to the next main boss “Romnia” at Church of the Bud, you will encounter Invader Hornsent. He will be a red ghost enemy that attacks you on the last staircase just before Church of the Bud. Defeat him to get his full equipment set consisting of his armor and “Falx” sword. The path is outlined below but if you have trouble finding the way refer to the Full Walkthrough.
This finishes Hornsent’s questline. If you ignored the long questline you will fight Hornsent and Leda just before the main boss, he will drop his full equipment set regardless.
For all other quests check out Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree All Side Quests.
Tom says
Just want to clarify “otherwise there won’t be anyone to summon against Messmer”
If you won’t complete Ymir & Jolán questline then she will be able to be summoned to fight mesmer.
PowerPyx says
I hadn’t finished Ymir/Jolan questline and couldn’t summon either of them.
Or do you mean if you DO complete their questline?