What happens if you give Gurranq all the Deathroot? An in-depth guide for Elden Ring players - 33rd Square (2024)

Hey there fellow Tarnished! Terry here, back with another deep dive into the fascinating world of Elden Ring. Today I‘ll be sharing my expert tips and research on what happens when you track down all 9 Deathroot and offer them to Gurranq, the mysterious Beast Clergyman found in the remote Bestial Sanctum.

As a long-time Soulsborne fanatic, uncovering Gurranq‘s true identity and motives has been one of the most exciting parts of exploring the Lands Between. I‘ll provide detailed guidance on finding all the Deathroot, evaluating the rewards, handling Gurranq‘s sudden hostility, and leveraging this NPC questline to uncover key parts of Elden Ring‘s tragic lore. Let‘s get into it!

What are Deathroot and what is their significance?

Before we discuss Gurranq and how to find all the Deathroot, it‘s important to understand what these sacred relics actually are and why they matter in the world of Elden Ring.

Deathroot sprouted as a direct result of Godwyn the Golden‘s death during the Night of the Black Knives. Godwyn was the first demigod to perish, assassinated through unknown means, and his spirit was confined to wander the roots of the Erdtree unable to return to the Erdtree. This caused Deathroot to spring up from his lifeless corpse beneath the Erdtree.

Here are some key facts about Deathroot:

• There are 9 total Deathroot scattered across the Lands Between
• Each Deathroot is a black, claw-like sacrum protruding from the earth
• They contain traces of destined death which seeped into the world when Godwyn died
• Deathroot are sacred relics intrinsically tied to the primal Crucible and those who served it

Now let‘s discuss why Gurranq so ravenously craves these Deathroot, and the rewards you can gain for collecting them all.

Gurranq, the Deathroot devouring Beast Clergyman

Deep in the remote Bestial Sanctum of Dragonbarrow in Caelid, you‘ll meet the NPC known as Gurranq, Beast Clergyman. This towering, wolflike beast will offer to trade items in exchange for any Deathroot you discover.

Gurranq has an almost frenzied hunger for Deathroot – he will rapidly consume any you provide and give you a reward such as Smithing Stones or Incantations Ashes. But why? What drives his obsessive craving?

It turns out Gurranq is actually Maliketh, the Black Blade, once the loyal beast shadow of Queen Marika the Eternal herself. When Marika removed the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring and hid it away, she sealed a sliver of the rune‘s power and the concept of "destined death" within Maliketh‘s black blade. This curse is the root cause (pun intended!) of Maliketh‘s endless hunger for Deathroot.

Consuming the sacred traces of destined death found in Deathroot provides momentary relief for Maliketh, though he will never be fully satiated. Now let‘s get into the nitty gritty of finding all 9 Deathroot and what happens when you deliver them to the Beast Clergyman.

All Deathroot locations and recommended order

Tracking down all 9 Deathroot to feed Gurranq takes some work, as they are well hidden. Here are the locations, recommended sequence, and bosses guarding them:

I‘d recommend handling them in the order above – the early ones are easier to reach at lower levels. The Deathroot bosses range from minor challenges to intense battles, but the rewards are well worth it!

Rewards for each Deathroot given to Gurranq

Every time you return to Gurranq with a new Deathroot, he will thank you ecstatically and provide you with a gift. Here are the rewards you‘ll get as you gradually feed him all 9 Deathroot:

• Deathroot #1: Bestial Vitality Sorcery
• Deathroot #2: Bestial Constitution Sorcery
• Deathroot #3: Beast Claw Greathammer Ash of War
• Deathroot #4: Gurranq becomes hostile, must defeat him to proceed
• Deathroot #5: Beast Claw Incantation
• Deathroot #6: Bestial Sling Sorcery
• Deathroot #7: Bestial Vitality Incantation
• Deathroot #8: Bestial Constitution Incantation
• Deathroot #9: Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone

As you can see, these rewards include some incredibly useful Sorceries, Incantations, and Smithing Stones for your journey. And after feeding Gurranq the 6th and 9th Deathroot, you‘ll unlock some dramatic boss encounters!

Handling Gurranq‘s sudden hostility after the 4th Deathroot

Once you return to Gurranq with the 4th Deathroot, prepare yourself – he will become aggressively hostile and attack you!

Gurranq has a massive health pool, so you must carefully whittle down his health without killing him. I recommend summoning your trusty Spirit Ashes to distract him while you chip away with jump attacks and guard counters.

Once you‘ve dealt about 15-20% of Gurranq‘s max HP in damage, he will calm down and become non-hostile again. This allows you to safely deliver the remaining Deathroot.

No one knows for sure why he turns on you, but my theory is that the 4th Deathroot momentarily pushes his frenzy over the edge, overwhelming him with the power of destined death. Stay patient and careful, and you‘ll be able to continue his quest.

Epic showdown after giving the final 9th Deathroot

Once you‘ve presented the last Deathroot, Gurranq will sadly inform you that even your heroic efforts weren‘t enough to sate his endless hunger. As a reward, he bequeaths an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone to you. But your time together isn‘t over just yet!

Gurranq then disappears, going off alone to hunt for more Deathroot in a futile attempt to end his suffering. But if you return to the Bestial Sanctum later, you can now challenge Gurranq as an intense optional bossfight.

This is a peak Soulsborne moment – a fitting culmination to your entire quest together. I strongly recommend returning here after you‘ve become a battle-hardened Elden Lord to duel the mighty Beast Clergyman.

Strategies for defeating Gurranq as a boss

Gurranq wields the sacerdotal beast regalia of his office, along with his massive Rune of Death empowered greatsword. Here are some tips for overcoming him in this epic showdown:

• Recommended level is around 115 with a +20 weapon
• Strike damage and Bloodloss work very well against him
• Avoid using Holy and Bleed damage types since he resists them
• Summon your Spirit Ashes to distract him and draw aggro
• Learn his attack moveset and watch for delayed swings on combos
• Use a 100% physical damage reduction shield to block his devastating strikes
• Frost consumables can help slow him down for critical hits

While still a formidable foe, defeating the Deathroot devouring clergyman grants you the Remembrance of the Regal Ancestor – which can be traded for Maliketh‘s Black Blade or his Rune of Death sorcery. More on that amazing weapon next!

Lore significance and tragic tale of Gurranq/Maliketh

Feeding all the Deathroot to Gurranq and revealing his true identity as Maliketh unveils a critical part of Elden Ring‘s shattering history.

As Queen Marika‘s loyal shadowbound beast, Maliketh was intrinsically tied to the Rune of Death – a fundamental force within the Elden Ring. But when Godwyn was assassinated, Marika decided to remove the Rune of Death from the Elden Ring to protect her family from further harm.

She sealed the rune into Maliketh‘s black blades, cursing him with never ending hunger from being separated from a part of his own soul. This event also caused "destined death" to vanish from the world, making the demigods unable to die.

Maliketh‘s unbearable suffering and Marika‘s betrayal of the Golden Order led to the Shattering and war we now see playing out across the Lands Between. Uncovering their full history helps explain how the world of Elden Ring became so fractured and chaotic.

Roderika‘s questline – guide to becoming a Spirit Tuner

(Pro tip: always help out poor NPCs in need – their questlines often reward you with cool items and lore!)

Speaking of tragic backstories, let‘s discuss how to help Roderika become a Spirit Tuner. This poor Tarnished was kidnapped by a Deathbird and stripped of her own spirit tuning powers. You can help restore her purpose.

Here are the steps:

1. Rescue Roderika from Stormhill Shack in Limgrave
2. Bring her back to Roundtable Hold
3. Speak with Smithing Master Hewg and ask him about Roderika
4. Inform Roderika of Hewg‘s offer to train her
5. Speak with Hewg again and tell him Roderika accepted

This convinces Hewg to take Roderika on as an apprentice. She then gains the ability to upgrade your Spirit Ashes, super handy for tougher boss fights!

Always look out for oppressed NPCs like Roderika. Lending a hand builds good karma for your quest to become Elden Lord.

Maliketh‘s Black Blade – one of the best boss weapons

Defeating the end game version of Gurranq/Maliketh awards you his epic greatsword. Let‘s evaluate the pros and cons of this outstanding weapon:

Pros:

• Deals physical, Holy and Fire damage
• Destabilizing War Art shaves HP and deals stacking damage
• Short recovery time on War Art makes it very spammable
• Excellent scaling with Strength, Dexterity, and Faith

Cons:

• Extremely high stat requirements
• Low durability means frequent repairs needed
• Holy damage portion less effective against many end game bosses

Overall, Maliketh‘s Black Blade is arguably one of the best weapons available in Elden Ring. It takes some investment to wield properly, but delivers absolutely massive damage potential. The weapon skill can decimate even the mightiest foes.

Well, that covers everything I‘ve learned so far about Gurranq, the Deathroot, and the fascinating NPC questline that unfolds. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to provide more guidance to fellow Tarnished.

Until next time, may the good grace guide your way!

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