Elden Ring Nightreign – How to unlock the Duchess

In FromSoftware’s latest release, Elden Ring Nightreign, instead of creating custom silent protagonists to play as, players will choose from eight possible Nightfarers, each with their own sets of unique abilities. Out of those eight, only six are initially available, with the remaining two, the Duchass and Revenant, requiring you to unlock them. The Duchess, you can acquire first, and this guide will show you the short and relatively painless process to do so.

How to Unlock

To unlock the Duchess, you will first need to obtain the Old Pocket Watch relic by completing expeditions against the first Nightlord, Gladius, Beast of the Night. You don’t necessarily have to beat Gladius, as there is a chance you will earn the relic even should you fail, so long as you at least make it to the boss. 

With the relic in your possession, speak to the hooded Priestess in the Roundtable Hold with you, and ask her about the pocket watch. When she asks you to give it to her, agree to do so. Don’t worry, though, as you won’t lose the relic and will still be able to equip it to your characters!

After giving the lady the watch, she will reveal herself as the Duchess, and she will be a selectable character going forward, complete with her own set of Remembrances to read in the Journal in the Roundtable Hold. 

Playing as the Duchess

The Duchess is a fast and nimble character and is great at getting in close and then quickly getting out of the way. 

Passive Ability: Magnificent Post

Reduces the amount of stamina used by attacking or evading, while also allowing her to perform two consecutive evades.

Character Skill:  Restage

After dealing some damage to an enemy, activating this skill will cause a ghostly image of the enemy you have attacked to appear moments earlier, and take a portion of the damage you inflicted on them, all over again. This can lead to some really punishing damage combos, considering that Restage can be triggered almost at any time, and isn’t limited to only the damage you have done, but also includes the damage your team has done too!

Ultimate Art: Finale

The Duchess’s ultimate ability is more of a support ability rather than something that dishes out a lot of damage. When you use it, the entire party will temporarily become invisible, allowing players to reposition themselves as needed, remove aggro, or, most importantly, revive any fallen teammates during boss fights. Be sure to have it ready before tackling any of the Nightlords!