Starting the Quest
Your first encounter with Alexander will be in Saintsbridge. You will see him stuck on the ground. Talk to him and he will ask that you help him out by hitting him in the rear. Go behind him and melee attack Alexander until he gets unstuck, and you will get the triumphant delight gesture as a reward. Talk to him again and he will give you 1 Exalted Flesh.
Talk to him after Radahn
After defeating Starscourge Radahn, you will see Alexander right next to his body and this will be your first encounter with him. You will also need to craft some Oil Pots. If you do not have the recipe for the Cracked Pot yet, you need to go to Nokron City first.
How to get the Oil Pot Cookbook
To get the cookbook for the Oil Pots, you need to go to the Siofra River, and to get there, you will need to head to Nokron City first. Start by going to the area on the map above, you can use the Grace in Fort Haight West and go south until you reach the area. Head north until you see a hole that leads to the underground. Follow this path until you get to Nokron City. Once you are in Nokron City, start going northeast until you reach the Mimic Tear boss. We recommend unequipping your armor before facing the boss so you will face the unarmored version of yourself.
How to find the Abandoned Merchant
After defeating the Mimic, head north and past the stone arch path as seen in the photo above. You will see a broken path on your left, jump down from here and head north. When you reach the edge of the cliff, jump down again to your right and you should land on a platform with multiple broken pillars. Keep heading north, descending into the ruins. Be careful of falling! Use the small ledges on the building to jump down safely. Keep heading north, descending as you go, until you reach a huge building on your left. From here, go east, using the stone bridge to cross to the other side. Once you cross to the other side, head south until you reach the river. Keep heading south until you see the ruins. From here, head west and you should find a lost grace. You can also collect the Melted Mushrooms in this area, which is a necessary ingredient for crafting the Oil Pots. From the Grace, head northeast until you see a small hut with stairs beside it. Climb the stairs and when you reach the top platform, jump down on the wooden platform to your left. Follow this path to the west until you enter a cave. When you get to the cave, head west and jump down to the lower area and you should find the Abandoned Merchant sitting on the ground. Purchase the Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook[17] from him and craft the Oil Pots using the Melted Mushrooms.
Rescue Alexander from the Hole
Now go to the Artist Shack Grace or any Grace around the Carian Study Hall and you will see Alexander stuck on the ground. Choose to help him out and start throwing Oil Pots behind him. Hit him once or twice and he should come right out, rewarding you with the Triumphant Delight gesture. Talk to him afterward and that will end the second encounter you have with Alexander.
How to go to the Volcano Manor
The next encounter with Alexander will be to the west of the Volcano Manor. To get here, use your Dectus Medallion to unlock the Lift as seen on the map above. From here, you need to circle into the western Volcano area and defeat the Magma Wyrm boss. Start in the Grand Lift of Dectus and just keep heading north, climbing up the mountains until you encounter the Tibia Mariner in Wyndham Ruins. Go into Mt. Gelmir, and head west, making sure to avoid the geysers on the ground. When you reach the broken wooden fences, head south and you will see Alexander stuck again inside the lava pool.
Talk to Alexander
Make sure to talk to Alexander as quickly as possible because your health will drain due to the lava. Once you speak to him, you can now progress further into his quest. The next, and last, encounter you will have with Alexander will be at the Dragon Temple.
Find Alexander in the Dragon Temple
You will need to get to the end game part of Elden Ring to get access to the Dragon Temple. Start from the Dragon Temple Lift on the west and use it to get to the upper floor. Get out of the building and head southeast until you see a huge path leading to the west. Head west and use the pillars to jump across the next area. Use the fallen buildings as your foothold and keep heading west until you see Alexander at the edge of the platform. Alexander’s exact location is marked on the map above. Talk to Alexander here and he will challenge you to a duel. Accept his challenge and defeat him to get Alexander’s Innards, Warrior Jar Shard, and the Shard of Alexander talisman.
Shard of Alexander Talisman
One of the many reasons players want to complete Alexander’s quest is because he gives you the Shard of Alexander item. This item is a talisman that will greatly boost the attack power of your skills, making it one of the most sought-after talismans in the game. To be precise, equipping this talisman will increase your damage by a whopping 15%.
What to do with Alexander’s Innards
Another item that you will receive after defeating Alexander is Alexander’s Innards. Alexander’s Innards is a key item that acts as a keepsake from Alexander. You need to complete another NPC’s questline, Jar Bairn, and give Alexander’s Innards to him. Reset to reload the area and you will get the Companion Jar talisman, which can increase the potency of throwable jars.
Summary
Alexander is a mighty warrior living inside a Jar’s body. His quest to become a great warrior and seek adventure always ends up with him getting stuck in different places. Help him throughout his questline and he will ask you to a duel in the end. Once you defeat him, you will get one of the most powerful talismans in the game, which is the Shard of Alexander.
