The Summoner's Gift side quest is one of the more puzzle-heavy missions in the Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned DLC, and the symbol-matching section in particular trips up a lot of players. This guide walks every objective from start to finish so you can get through it cleanly and collect your rewards.
What are the requirements to start Summoner's Gift?
Before the quest becomes available, you need to have completed Main Quest 4: What Lies Dreaming. The quest giver is Belle, and you pick it up in the Crooked Teeth area of The Whispering Glacier zone on Kairos. The DLC itself is required, so this is exclusive to Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned.
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The closest fast travel point to the tomb is the Edge of the World. Unlock it first to save time on the approach.
Quest start in Crooked Teeth
How to reach the tomb and retrieve the ancient egg
After talking to Belle (the leader standing in front of you at the start), follow the quest marker north to the tomb in the Crooked Teeth region. Scav enemies guard the cave entrance outside, so clear them before heading in.
The path down is blocked by wooden planks. Jump and ground slam through them to drop into the cavern below. Swim through the freezing water and emerge in the chamber beyond.
The ancient egg sits behind a glowing red and orange force field. You cannot grab it directly. Here is what to do:
- Use the grapple points around the room to climb to the highest point in the cave.
- Look down at the egg and the summoning circle below.
- Double jump off the ledge and slam straight into the center of the circle.
The force field breaks on a successful ground slam into the circle, and you can then pick up the egg.
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If the force field does not break, you were not high enough or missed the circle center. Climb back up and try again from the highest available point.
Ancient egg force field chamber
Find the heart and solve the symbol puzzle
Head south from the tomb following the quest marker to reach the heart location, still within Crooked Teeth. More enemies are guarding the area, so kill them all before interacting with anything.
Once the area is clear, interact with the heart and then activate the device nearby. This triggers the symbol puzzle, which is the trickiest part of the quest.
How does the symbol puzzle work?
Above the heart, you will see a master symbol. Around the perimeter of the room, there are several matching symbols, each with a lever next to it. Each perimeter symbol needs to match the orientation of the master symbol above the heart.
Pulling a lever rotates or flips the symbol beside it. The goal is to cycle through orientations until each perimeter symbol faces the same direction as the master symbol.
There are three formation stages to complete in sequence:
After completing all three formations, the force field around the heart drops and you can pick it up.
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Look at each symbol from the correct viewing angle before pulling its lever. The orientation can look different depending on where you are standing. Position yourself directly in front of each symbol to read it accurately.
Complete the summoning ritual
With both the ancient egg and the heart in hand, return to the summoning site where you started the quest. Place both items at the ritual site when prompted, then step outside the summoning circle.
The summoners perform the ritual and successfully call forth a demon named Greg. Almost immediately, a character named Mancubus jumps on the line claiming Greg owes him a debt and asks you to bring Greg to the Speakeasy.
Here is where things get hostile: the summoners realize you know Greg's name, decide that makes you evil by association, and attack. Kill all the summoners, then talk to Greg to wrap up the quest. Greg heads off to the Speakeasy on his own, and the mission ends.
What rewards do you get from Summoner's Gift?
Completing the quest earns the following, as documented in both the PowerPyx and IGN walkthroughs for this mission:
- XP
- Money
- Eridium
- SMG (Green or Blue rarity, per PowerPyx; IGN notes Rare/Uncommon)
- Cosmetic: Vault Hunter Head
The Vault Hunter Head cosmetic is the standout reward here. The SMG rarity can vary, so do not be surprised if yours comes out at a different tier than expected.
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This quest is part of the Mad Ellie and the Vault of the Damned DLC side mission pool. Finishing it does not gate any main story progress, but completionists will want it done for the cosmetic alone.For more Borderlands 4 content across the full game and DLC, browse more guides on GAMES.GG.