Elden Ring is full of secrets, some small and some large. It may be months, if not years before players are able to discover all the surprises that developer FromSoftware filled Elden Ring's open world with. It's no surprise then that another such secret has been discovered and shared among Elden Ring's community. the secret has to do with the Latenna the Albinauric spirit summon and ties into the archer's lore in a touching and heartrending way.
Up until the discovery, the Latenna the Albinauric spirit summon in Elden Ring has been a niche choice for players. The spirit summon requires players to complete a short quest in order to acquire, so not every Elden Ring player will earn it. Additionally, when summoned Latenna the Albinauric doesn't move. It's a "turret"-style spirit, so it simply stands still and fires its arrows from where it's summoned. This style of spirit summon doesn't suit many playstyles but does have its uses.
However, a new mechanic has been discovered for Latenna the Albinauric. It's rare enough that it's unlikely to change her typical use, but it's nevertheless very interesting. If Latenna the Albinauric is summoned near a Direwolf unit, a type of large wolf found within the Caria Manor area and sparsely through other specific areas, she'll mount it and ride it around as an ally while still firing arrows. The Direwolf can still bite and harm the player, as well as take damage but is otherwise claimed until the spirit summon's duration ends.
The discovery was recorded by a user on Reddit. They were in an encounter with an immense Troll Knight enemy, which pulled in a handful of other enemies. A Direwolf was one enemy that joined the fight. At first, the Direwolf attacked Latenna like normal. After a few attacks, however, Latenna performed what appeared to be a scripted animation where she dodged an attack and climbed on the wolf's back.
As for why this unique interaction between a spirit summon and an enemy is emotionally gripping, it has to do with Latenna's story. Latenna doesn't start as a spirit summon. She's an NPC found in Elden Ring's world. When players find her, she's laying next to her Direwolf companion. It was unfortunately killed, however. Latenna then later willingly gives herself up as a spirit summon to the player.
The story of Latenna is one of tragedy, not uncommon in Elden Ring. To see Latenna's spirit summon give up its unmoving attacks, leap atop the back of a Direwolf, and dance around the battlefield is both beautiful and heartrending. It's a feeling Elden Ring delivers so uniquely. And to think it's so rare that players may have never discovered it without this recording.
Elden Ring is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
