Nokstella, Eternal City, is a massive underground palace complex along the Ainsel River. The river also connects Uhl Palace Ruins with Nokstella as it flows through them. Nokstella is a crucial location to traverse if you are undertaking Ranni’s quest line.
The first time you gaze at the mystifyingly blue-lit palace city of Nokstella, you’ll see the complex composed of buildings with an arcade of arches that end with pointed spires at the edges.
Nokstella’s visually stunning in-game architecture will surely strike you with awe at first sight. Regardless, as it’s a Souls-game location, you’ll find dangerous enemies lurking in all of its beautifully sculpted corners.
You can reach Nokstella through Ainsel River Main, which can be either accessed by a teleporter waygate atop Renna’s Rise or by using a transporter coffin at Deeproot Depths.
Let’s discuss both paths in detail.
Reach Nokstella Through Ranni’s Questline
Progressing through Ranni’s questline is the Standard path to reach Nokstella. However, this path is far from being straightforward.
You must activate the Waygate in Renna’s Rise that teleports you to Ainsel River Main from where you reach Nokstella. Here’s how,
- Meet Ranni and start her questline so you don’t miss out on stories.
- Get to Starscourge Radahn and defeat him.
- Reach Nokron, obtain the Fingerslayer Blade, and deliver it to Ranni. This unlocks the teleporter waygate at Renna’s Rise, and Ranni also gives you a Carian Inverted Statue.
- Go to the top floor of Renna’s Rise and use the waygate to reach Ainsel River Main.
Note: If you haven’t obtained the map of the Ainsel River area, go down from the Ainsel River Well at Eastern Liurnia. The map fragment is inside the structure guarded by a Malformed Star, you will also find an NPC Merchant inside. - Once at the Ainsel River Main, there is a Site of Grace here. Follow the path south from here to Uhl Palace Ruins.
- You need to cross Uhl Palace Ruins, the entrance here is guarded by a Malformed Star(the giant magic purple ant). Enter from just below it, and reach a dark tunnel.
- Cross the tunnel avoiding or fighting off giant ants while heading South West till you reach the dimly blue Lit wall, these are the walls of Nokstella.
- Enter from a gateway, and you will be graced with the grand view of Nokstella, Eternal City. The Site of Grace is down below, directly in front of you.
Reach Nokstella Using a Coffin at Deeproot Depths
You’ll first have to reach the Deeproot Depths by defeating the duo of Gargoyle bosses at the end of the Siofra Aqueduct. Once they are defeated, you unlock the Great Waterfall Basin Site of Grace.
Find a stone coffin near the waterfall basin that magically takes you all the way up to the Deeproot Depths.
Once you are in the Deeproot Depths, follow these steps to reach another stone coffin that will take you to Ansel River Main, outside of Nokstella.
- Once you exit the transporting stone coffin, there is the Great Waterfall Crest Site of Grace exactly in the front, activate the Site before moving on.
- From the Site of Grace, head west towards a deep gap where roots are acting as a bridge across the gap. Most of the roots are dead ends, except for one on the left(south end) that will take you all the way across.
- You will reach an open area where some giant flying ants are patrolling. Keep heading west till you reach the cliff with Deeproot Depths Site of Grace.
Note: Along the way, if you explore, you can find a Legendary Incantation, Elden Stars. - From the Deeproot Depths Site of Grace, look directly north, and you will see a coffin-shaped object, and that’s where you need to go. Simply travel along the edges of the waterfall till you reach the stone coffin.
- The coffin will drop at Ainsel River Main.
- From here, follow the steps mentioned above starting from step 5 to step 8. Get through the arched entrance blocked by Malformed Star(Purple Magic Ant)while heading southwest into Uhl Ruins, through the Ant Tunnel, and reach the Eternal City of Nokstella.
Here’s a complete video guide covering both the paths.
