Elden Ring’s got plenty of NPCs for players to meet, and while not all of them have the player’s best interest in mind, many of them are quite useful so long as you find them and interact at the right moments. There’s one NPC, however, who you should make sure you talk to if you’re just starting out or want to modify some of your equipment, and that’s Knight Bernahl. He’s located over at the Warmaster’s Shack in the Stormhill section of the map, and he’s your go-to source for Ash of War purchases.
Fortunately for those starting out, you’ll be able to find Knight Bernahl rather quickly from the starting point. You can find him at the location shown in the map below with a Site of Grace there, too, for you to quickly travel to if you’re in need of some new Ash of War purchases.
While it’s easy enough to just drop a pin and head that way, you’ll know you’re in the right area if you start to see wolves falling from trees. That’s a strange landmark, but it’s the only area in the game where this happens, so you’ll know for sure you’re on the right path once you see that.
After meeting Knight Bernahl and chatting for a bit, he’ll allow you to purchase Ash of War abilities for a variety of weapons. These will soon become overshadowed by other options, but for those who are just starting out or those who want to save an Ash of War just in case they find a suitable weapon in the future, see him as soon as you can.
But why the urgency if you can find unique weapons and Ashes of War all over the Lands Between? That’s because Knight Bernahl, like the other NPCs in the game, has his own storyline which will eventually make him move from this spot. If you progress far enough in the game to an area known as the Volcano Manor and defeat its boss, Knight Bernahl will disappear from this location and the one he moves to next. He’s got a unique Ash of War or two such as “Parry” and “No Skill” which you won’t be finding anywhere else, so even if you think you won’t ever need them, it’s best to buy them anyway in the event that changes.
