Elden Ring Nightreign: How to Unlock the Scholar in Forsaken Hollows

In the ever-shifting calculus of Elden Ring Nightreign, the Scholar has emerged as one of the more intriguing support Nightfarers in the Forsaken Hollows DLC. Unlike the Duchess, whose unlock conditions once felt like a riddle wrapped in a FromSoftware mood swing, the Scholar's recruitment path is comparatively straightforward—though it still requires a brief detour through a boss arena and a conversation with a jar. As of 2026, players who want to add this learned gentleman to their roster will need to clear the first expedition and follow a short chain of interactions in the Roundtable Hold.

The Scholar is less a frontline bruiser than a wandering apothecary who turns a belt of throwables into a movable feast of ailments. He debuffs enemies, chains them together so damage is shared, and connects allies so they heal one another. His talent focuses on consumable items: the more he uses them, the more he levels them up, increasing their overall effectiveness. Finally, someone who might actually get a use out of the Companion Jar talisman.

But before players can start experimenting with that consumable-focused kit, they need to unlock him. The process begins with beating Tricephalos, the first expedition in the game, and defeating its boss, Gladius. Once that is done, the rest of the steps unfold in the Roundtable Hold.

Step-by-step: From Iron Menial to Scholar

1. Speak to the Iron Menial in the main room of the Roundtable Hold. If players have completed Tricephalos, this interaction happens automatically when they spawn in.

2. Visit the Small Jar Merchant in the west wing and speak to him.

3. Interact with the door he indicates next to him. This opens a boss fight with the Dreglord, where the Scholar and Undertaker are already fighting.

4. Win or lose the Dreglord fight—it does not matter. Either way, a cutscene plays and players return to the main room of the Roundtable Hold.

5. Return to the Small Jar Merchant. The door will now be open.

6. Speak to the Scholar inside to unlock him as a playable Nightfarer. The Undertaker will also be near the altar, so speak to her as well to recruit her.

That last point is important: unlocking both Undertaker and Scholar is required to access the new Balancers boss and The Great Hollows shifting earth event. Players must also defeat two Nightlords, including Gladius, to open that content. In other words, the Scholar is not just a collectible—he is a key that turns in a lock made of jars, ashes, and shared damage.

Why the Scholar Matters

The Scholar's kit is a curious thing. He is like a sommelier of disposable trinkets, coaxing more flavor out of every pot and perfumed bottle. Where other Nightfarers rely on raw stats or flashy weapon arts, the Scholar rewards preparation and inventory management. His ability to chain enemies together creates a web of shared suffering—a spider's trick that turns a cluster of foes into a single problem. His ally-connecting heal, meanwhile, makes him a quiet anchor in co-op play.

That consumable talent is the real draw. Players who enjoy hoarding throwables and buffs will find that the Scholar turns clutter into a scaling resource. The more he uses an item, the more effective it becomes, which means a player's early-game stockpile can mature into a late-game arsenal. It is a rare design that makes the humble jar a centerpiece rather than an afterthought.

For anyone who has been waiting for a support class with a bit of bookish weirdness, the Scholar delivers. He is not the flashiest Nightfarer in the Forsaken Hollows DLC, but he may be one of the most rewarding to master. And with the Balancers boss and The Great Hollows event waiting behind his unlock, there is plenty of reason to make the trip to the Roundtable Hold and speak to a jar.

🧪 Quick tip: The Dreglord encounter is not a gate. Players can lose and still progress, so there is no need to stress about the outcome. The only true requirements are the Tricephalos clear and the conversation chain in the Roundtable Hold.

🏺 Why it works: The Scholar's consumable-scaling talent gives new life to items that many players ignore. In a game where every slot matters, he makes the humble jar feel like a strategic asset rather than inventory clutter.

🕷️ The support angle: Chaining enemies for shared damage and connecting allies for mutual healing gives the Scholar a distinct identity. He is not a healer in the traditional sense, but a facilitator who turns the party into a single, more resilient organism.

With the Forsaken Hollows DLC now firmly part of the Nightreign landscape in 2026, the Scholar stands out as a rewarding unlock—one that asks players to slow down, speak to the right NPCs, and embrace the strange power of a well-stocked belt.