Continuing FromSoftware's knack for obscure storytelling, Elden Ring Nightreign does actually feature a story—one for each Nightfarer, in fact, as well as the main narrative—despite being a multiplayer experience first and foremost. These stories primarily unfold through the journal in the Roundtable Hold, though it's not immediately apparent how to progress them. It turns out, you need to get memory fragments.
These items unlock new journal entries for your currently selected character. At certain chapters in the journal, characters can begin remembrances, which either give you a unique objective during an expedition, or a quick boss fight in return for some lore. Here's what you need to do to progress them.
How to get memory fragments in Elden Ring Nightreign
Memory fragments are earned randomly after completing expeditions, successfully or otherwise, and are given to you at the end of the run. However, later chapters require you to beat a Nightlord with your chosen character. If you're not progressing through a Nightfarer's journal after a few failed runs, then it means you need to win to unlock the next stage in their story.
Visit the journal often to track your progress, as the reward message for this item is very easy to miss—it pops up in the bottom right once you're back in the Roundtable Hold, not in the end-of-match reward overview screen.
The in-game explainer for the journal is, unsurprisingly, very vague, noting that "persistence in battle will yield memory fragments" and that occasionally someone in the Roundtable Hold might help. As for what that means exactly, that's anyone's guess, but I've been rewarded several memory fragments just by doing expeditions early on. Once reaching around the fifth chapter for characters, I then had to beat a Nightlord before earning a new memory fragment.
In my experience, memory fragments are automatically used to unlock a new journal chapter for the character you're currently playing as. So if you want to learn more about a particular character, you'll need to play as them.
Elden Ring Nightreign remembrances explained
Once you've beaten the Tricephalos expedition for the first time, you'll unlock character missions. At certain points in the journal for each character, you can begin a remembrance mission to restore the past experiences of your Nightfarer. These are different for every character, but are vital to increase your power with them, as you'll be rewarded with a unique and powerful relic. For example, Guardian's first remembrance is at chapter four of their journal entries, while Recluse has one at chapter two.
These remembrances take you to the aptly named Realm of Remembrance—the only difference is a white vignette, really. Certain characters will be in different locations in the Roundtable Hold, or you might be transported to a small area for a quick objective, as with Raider's tournament battles. Generally, though, you just need to chat to an NPC.
Some remembrances will give you what's called a personal objective. These are actual tasks you'll need to complete while on an expedition, but you'll need to launch the match from inside the Realm of Remembrance—again, the white vignette makes it easy to figure out. Importantly, you can only complete one per run.
Additionally, if you have a character remembrance active, matchmaking will not put you with other players currently looking to do a remembrance event as well, unless you invite them directly. In this case, the leader of the lobby takes priority and will have their objective active—the other players won't be able to progress their personal objectives until the host has finished theirs.
You can pause a character's remembrance at any time in the Roundtable Hold by returning to the journal; just keep in mind that you won't be able to progress their story until you've beaten the chapter.
