Throughout the course of the Tarnished's journey through Elden Ring's Lands Between, the player can hear several references to the enigmatic Three Fingers, but a meeting with this mysterious entity will change the player's journey forever. Players will come to the Roundtable Hold early on in their adventures and go on to meet the Two Fingers there, a mysterious entity that claims to serve the Greater Will. However, as the player continues their journey and explores more of the Lands Between, they will soon become aware of the existence of the Three Fingers, and the effects they have on their followers can be seen in places such as Elden Ring's mysterious Frenzied Flame Village, located in the Liurnia of the Lakes region.
The Two Fingers are commonly associated with the Golden Order and the will of the Gods, and openly declare their service to the Greater Will, a mysterious Outer God responsible for the sites of grace around the Lands Between, as well as the being responsible behind the creation of the titular Elden Ring. By contrast, very little is revealed to the player about the Three Fingers, and few NPCs even seem aware of their existence. One such NPC who can actually end up leading the player to the Three Fingers themselves can be encountered fairly early on, the blind maiden Hyetta appears throughout Elden Ring and her questline culminates at the door to the Three Fingers sanctuary.
Upon entering the Three Fingers sanctuary, the player will be thrust into a cutscene which will see the fingers curl around the Tarnished, grasping them and appearing to burn them before dissolving into the air, leaving the player behind, although badly burned and sporting eerily glowing eyes. At first glance, it may not be apparent just what the effect of this action is, but this is actually one of the biggest decisions to take in Elden Ring. From this moment on, the player will be locked out of all endings except Elden Ring's Lord of Frenzied Flame ending, as the Tarnished has become the new host for this mysterious power.
The Three Fingers Lock The Player Into One of Elden Ring's Darker Endings
The ramifications of siding with the Three Fingers will quickly be made apparent to the player, as the most immediate effect is that their faithful companion Melina will abandon them, even going so far as to swear to deliver him "Destined Death" should the player take the mantel of Elden Lord. Although the player retains the ability to level up, and the companionship of Torrent, Melina's departure will be a blow to some, especially given the tidbits of lore she offers up at graces around the map. There is a way to remove the Frenzied Flame from the Tarnished, and allow them to access the other endings once more, although it does involve beating arguably Elden Ring's hardest boss Malenia, and also completing Millicent's questline that originates in Caelid.
Players can then gain the Unalloyed Gold Needle, which can, in turn, be transformed into Miquella's Needle, an item which as stated in its description is "Capable of subduing the flame of frenzy if inherited, allowing one to cheat fate and avoid becoming Lord of Frenzied Flame." However, just collecting this needle is not enough, as it must be used in one specific area in one of the game's final areas, Faram Azula. Players must then defeat another powerful boss, finally allowing them to access Elden Ring's other endings.