Bilawal Bashir 
The Iris of Occultation and Iris of Grace are new consumables that determine the questlines of certain NPCs in the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, but where can players find them, which should they use, and what’s the difference between them?
Shadow of the Erdtree continues the tradition of FromSoftware games by having incredibly complex quests with no hand-holding. Players will find items like the Iris of Occultation and Grace and won’t have any way to extract the best out of them.
The Iris of Occultation and Grace are unique consumables that, when given to certain NPCs, will yield valuable rewards. Both items can affect rewards at the end of two questlines: Count Ymir and Fire Knight Queelign. Here’s where to find the items and how to use them.
What do the Iris of Grace and Iris of Occultation do in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC?
Players can give players the Iris of Grace or Iris of Occultation to certain NPCs that appear as invaders, with players receiving different rewards based on which one they give.
Giving the Iris of Grace will transform the NPC into Spirit Ash, allowing players to summon them for help from that point on. The Iris of Occultation will give the Tarnished their weapon.
The player can give these items to Fire Knight Queelign and Swordhand of Night Jolan after defeating them as invaders. Fire Knight Queelign needs to be defeated twice in order to reach him. He can be first encountered in the quad area on the right from the Small Altar site of grace in Belurat Village. Another invasion happens in the Church of the Crusade northwest of the Highroad Cross site of grace, where they meet Needle Knight Leda. Players can give one of the irises to Jolan after completing Count Ymir’s questline.
Alternatively, players can use them in place of a Rune Arc. This generally isn’t recommended, as there are only two of each of these items in an Elden Ring game cycle, while players can farm Rune Arcs through invasions and helping players against bosses.
All Iris of Occultation locations
There are two Iris of Occultation locations in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, with one in the basement of the Fort of Reprimand and the other dropped by an Ulcerated Tree Spirit in Shadow Keep.
Because Shadow of the Erdtree gives players a great deal of freedom when it comes to navigating the new area, these can be found early or late in a playthrough. Generally speaking though, they are mid-game finds. Here’s the breakdown of where to get them.
In the basement of Fort of Reprimand
- Travel south from the Moorth Ruins site of grace
- Find the Moorth Highway, South site of grace and enter the Fort of Reprimand
- Keep to the left wall until there’s a square opening on the floor
- Take out the Omenkiller
- Defeat the Omen Killer to receive the first Iris of Occultation
Ulcerated Tree Spirit in Church District
- Drain the water from the Shadow Keep Church District
- After drainage, start from the site of grace near the Church District Entrance
- Now, go down the stairs in the sound and pull the lever to bring the elevator up
- Use the elevator to go down and move northwest until an Ulcerated Tree Spirit appears
- Defeat it, and it drops an Iris of Occultation
All Iris of Grace locations
The Iris of Grace is an item exclusive to Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree that can be found in different parts of Shadow Keep
As with its counterpart, the Iris of Grace is likely to be found in the mid-game, though mileage may vary for the player. Both items are found in some of the more distinctive areas of Shadow Keep
In the Shadow Keep Infirmary
- Travel to Storehouse, the first-floor site of grace in the Shadow Keep
- From there, move towards the north and enter the room on the left
- Take the elevator to the lower level
- Now, take the right into the corridor and enter the doorway on the left
- Below, there will be a jar innard enemy with a unique AOE slow, surrounded by small warrior jars
- The Iris of Grace can be found on the ground behind them
Near Tree-Worship Passage statue of Marika
- Getting to this Iris of Grace also requires lowering the water level in the Church District
- Once the water level is reduced, go to the lower level and activate the Sunken Chapel site of grace
- Now, move northwest and enter the building there; keep moving forward until you find the Statue of Marika
- From there, head to the path leading northeast until you reach another Statue of Marika
- The second Iris of Grace will be in front of the statue
Should I use the Iris of Grace or Iris of Occultation on Fire Knight Queelign?
Elden Ring players should give Fire Knight Queelign the Iris of Occultation.
Doing this bestows the player Queelign’s Greatsword, a heavy thrusting sword with the Impaling Thrust weapon art. Heavy thrusting swords are hard to come by and Queelign’s Greatsword is the only one that has the potential to scale on faith.
While players might be excited over the idea of getting a new Spirit Ash item, there’s no shortage of great options available both in and out of Elden Ring; Shadow of the Erdtree. Ultimately, players who use summons are doing something wrong if they’re not just using the Mimic Tear every time.
Should I use the Iris of Grace or Iris of Occultation on Swordhand of Night Jolan?
Players should use the Iris of Occultation on Swordhand of Night Jolan, not the Iris of Grace.
The Iris of Occultation will give the player the Sword of Night weapon, an incredibly powerful katana with a unique ability. Alongside the standard bleed buildup passive effect, it has a unique ability; Witching Hour Slash. The ability is similar to Malenia’s Waterfowl Dance but with greater precision at the cost of decreased range.
While Queelign’s Greatsword is a solid weapon that fills a niche within its weapon type, the Sword of Night is a roundly great dexterity weapon. Even if an Iris of Grace offered something other than a Spirit Ash, the Sword of Night would likely be the best choice.
