From Software games are filled with death and despair, and rarely do you get to see some friendly faces that are welcoming and, best of all, do not speak in cryptic mumbo jumbo. There is always a sense of dread when speaking to an NPC, wondering whether they will turn against you, and we have to swallow our sympathy and finish them off.
After hitting War Counselor Iji, he won’t die or can be fought with; he will disappear, and along with that, your chance of starting or progressing Ranni’s questline.
Some players deliberately do not form these bonds, and their tongue gets replaced by the blade they hold in their hands, and every NPC they come across gets smacked in the head. The best thing about Elden Ring or any other From Soft game is that the developers have thought of these circumstances and programmed reactions to cater to these aggressive freaks!
Iji’s Location
To meet this humble giant first, you will have to make your way north from the western side of the Liurnia of the Lakes region. You will come across the Kingsrealm Ruins, which will have a giant wall at the far end of it, this is an illusory wall, and hitting it will dissipate it revealing the northern side of this region, and right in front of you will be Iji.
War Counselor Iji – Interaction
If you have already progressed through Blaidd’s storyline, he mentions that if you come across Iji the giant smith, then mention him. Once you find Iji, he will be friendly and welcoming and even help you strengthen your weapons. Along with that, he will sell you Somber Smithing Stone 1 to 4, and if Blaidd is mentioned, he will sell one of the best talismans in the game Carian Filigreed Crest.
If you have started Ranni’s questline, then Iji will guide you along each step, so don’t forget to keep visiting him after you have completed each objective. He is an integral part of the quest from start to end.
Now let’s talk about the dark side, what happens if you attack him when you meet him? Some twisted players just want to know whether these friendly NPCs are fightable and their flip reactions.
In the case of Iji, when you strike him once, he will tell you to stop and exclaim that there is no need for this as he is not a foe. And striking him again will make him insult your behavior and disappear from this location.
Iji’s dialogues for attacking him are:
Initial attack reaction
"Enough of that. Tarnished"
"There is no fight without a foe"Continuing attack reaction
"If that's the cloth you're cut from"
"Don't ever show your face again"
"Not to me. And not to my liege"These dialogues hurt, even more, when they are uttered in his sweet sophisticated voice. The liege he is referring to is Ranni meaning that doing this heinous act will get you shunned from progressing Ranni’s quest, which is a very important quest to follow to unlock a secret ending and access some of the best weapons and items in the game.
If you are hell-bound on seeing the dead face of this friendly giant, then you just have to complete Ranni’s arc and deal with Blaidd afterward at Ranni’s Rise. Doing so will trigger Iji to be killed by an assassin, and you can see his body burn perpetually. Are you happy?