Embarking on the journey to become the Elden Lord in Elden Ring can be an epic undertaking. While the Lands Between offer vast exploration and countless side quests, focusing on the main story path allows you to experience the core narrative and reach the game’s conclusion efficiently. This comprehensive Elden Ring Main Quest Guide provides a spoiler-heavy walkthrough, meticulously crafted to direct you through the essential steps, boss encounters, and key locations necessary to complete the main storyline.
Keep in mind that this guide is designed for players who wish to prioritize the main quest. Elden Ring is renowned for its intricate world and hidden secrets, and deviating from this path to explore side dungeons, complete NPC questlines like Ranni the Witch’s questline, and gather powerful items is highly encouraged for a richer experience. Additionally, remember to level up your character and farm Smithing Stones to upgrade your weapons, as these are crucial for overcoming the challenges ahead.
Stranded Graveyard: The Beginning of Your Journey
Your adventure in Elden Ring begins in the Stranded Graveyard. After character creation and the opening cinematic, you’ll find yourself in the Chapel of Anticipation. Here, you’ll encounter the Grafted Scion. Whether you manage to defeat this formidable foe or fall in battle (which is expected for most players), you will awaken in the Stranded Graveyard, the true starting point of your quest.
Upon arriving, you will receive your crucial Sacred Flasks: the Crimson Flask for healing HP and the Cerulean Flask for restoring Focus Points (FP), essential for magic, skills, and summoning Spirit Ashes.
Descend into the cave to the right for the tutorial area, or ascend the stairs to proceed directly. The tutorial cave, marked by a ghostly figure sitting in a chair, provides valuable lessons on game mechanics and controls. Familiarize yourself with the Elden Ring controls and keybindings to master combat and navigation.
Once you’ve navigated the Stranded Graveyard, take the elevator upwards to emerge into the vast open world of the Lands Between, specifically the region of Limgrave.
Limgrave and Gatefront Ruins: Entering the Lands Between
Upon exiting the Stranded Graveyard, you’ll find yourself in Limgrave. Speak to White Mask Varre, the NPC directly in front of you, and rest at the nearby Site of Grace. Your immediate objective is to reach the Gatefront Ruins, located to the northeast. This area, as the name suggests, features ruined structures and is heavily guarded by soldiers.
Resting at the Site of Grace within the Gatefront Ruins will trigger a crucial encounter with Melina. Accept her accord, and she will grant you Torrent, your spectral steed, allowing for faster traversal across the expansive world.
Optional but Recommended: For an early advantage, visit the Church of Elleh at night and speak to Renna (the Witch) to receive the Spirit Calling Bell. This allows you to summon Spirit Ashes, invaluable allies in combat. The Church of Elleh is situated in western Limgrave, north of the Stranded Graveyard and past the Tree Sentinel boss.
Gathering the Dectus Medallion: Path to Altus Plateau
Your next significant destination is the Altus Plateau, a higher-level region. Accessing it quickly involves using the Grand Lift of Dectus, which requires assembling the Dectus Medallion. Alternatively, a more challenging, hidden path up the cliffs also exists. For the main quest, the Grand Lift is the faster route.
Locate the two halves of the Dectus Medallion:
- Left Half of the Dectus Medallion: Found at Fort Haight in eastern Limgrave, within the Mistwoods.
- Right Half of the Dectus Medallion: Located at Fort Faroth in Caelid’s Dragonbarrow region.
To acquire the Left Half, journey to Fort Haight in the Mistwoods of eastern Limgrave. The fort is positioned on the southern edge of this area. Navigate through the fort, defeat the guards, and ascend to the top to find a chest containing the medallion piece.
For the Right Half, venture into Caelid, a region east of Limgrave known for its scarlet rot and challenging enemies, and head to Dragonbarrow in the northeast. Fort Faroth overlooks the beach area and a sorcerer’s tower in the east. Be prepared for tougher enemies in this region.
Obtaining the Academy Glintstone Key: Accessing Raya Lucaria Academy
To progress further into Liurnia of the Lakes and eventually reach the Altus Plateau, you’ll need to gain access to the Raya Lucaria Academy. This requires the Academy Glintstone Key to bypass the magical seals guarding the academy’s entrance.
Return to Limgrave and instead of heading towards Stormveil Castle (the legacy dungeon and home to Godrick), follow the cliff edge east of the castle northward. This bypasses the Margit, the Fell Omen, and Godrick the Grafted boss fights, granting early access to Liurnia of the Lakes.
Once in Liurnia, follow the road west and then north as it descends into a ravine. From there, traverse the swampy lake towards the imposing castle on the central hill – Raya Lucaria Royal Academy. Activate Sites of Grace along your path for convenient fast travel.
The Academy Glintstone Key is located northwest of the Academy, within a rocky islet on the map. Set a waypoint and head towards it. The key rests on a corpse guarded by a Glintstone Dragon Smarag. You can attempt to stealthily grab the key and escape, though the dragon poses a significant threat. Speaking to NPC Thops is not required to make the key appear.
With the key in hand, approach the Raya Lucaria Academy. Navigate through the sunken village south of the Academy, fighting or evading enemies. The path leads across a bridge to a blue magical seal. Interact with the seal, using the Academy Glintstone Key to teleport inside the Academy’s perimeter.
You’ll be teleported to a bridge junction with a Site of Grace. Activate it and interact with the seal to the northeast to be transported across the broken bridge and onto the Bellum Highway.
Reaching Altus Plateau: Grand Lift of Dectus or Ravine-Veiled Village
From the Bellum Church in Bellum Highway, your next major step is reaching the Altus Plateau. You have two primary options: the Grand Lift of Dectus or the Ravine-Veiled Village.
Grand Lift of Dectus: The Direct Path
If you’ve collected both halves of the Dectus Medallion as described earlier, the Grand Lift of Dectus offers a direct and relatively quick ascent to the Altus Plateau.
Reaching the Grand Lift itself involves following the road north from the Bellum Church Site of Grace. Once at the lift, approach the two statues and use the Dectus Medallion to activate the lift and ascend to the Altus Plateau.
Ravine-Veiled Village: The Challenging Ascent
For those who haven’t collected the Dectus Medallion or prefer a more challenging route, the Ravine-Veiled Village provides an alternate path. Starting from the Bellum Church, locate a hole in the ground on the northwest side, leading down to the water level.
Descend into the ravine, follow the cliffside path and the water deeper into the ravine. Beware of poison pods along the way. Stick to the right side to find a Site of Grace on a wooden platform near a ladder. This marks the starting point of your ascent.
From here, the path is linear but demanding, involving climbing ladders, navigating caverns, traversing narrow ledges, and using elevators. It culminates in a boss fight against the Magma Wyrm. Defeating this boss grants access to an elevator that leads to the Abandoned Coffin area in the Altus Plateau.
Entering Leyndell, Royal Capital: The Heart of the Lands Between
Having reached the Altus Plateau, your next major destination is Leyndell, Royal Capital, the central hub of Elden Ring and the seat of power for the ruling demigods. From the Grand Lift of Dectus or the Abandoned Coffin, travel northeast and then east, ascending the grand staircase towards the center of the map.
The steps leading to Leyndell’s imposing walls are heavily guarded. It’s often best to ride past the enemies, focusing on reaching the Site of Grace just beyond the city walls.
From the inner Site of Grace, navigate around the moat of the inner wall to the northeast. A bridge here connects to Leyndell, Royal Capital, but it is defended by the Draconic Tree Sentinel, a formidable boss encounter.
Defeating the Draconic Tree Sentinel is essential to cross the bridge. However, upon reaching the city gates, you may encounter a golden fog barrier. This signifies that you must defeat at least two bosses who possess Great Runes to proceed. Four primary options are available:
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Godrick the Grafted: Located in Stormveil Castle in Limgrave. You must defeat Margit, the Fell Omen, to enter the castle.
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Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon: Found within Raya Lucaria Academy in Liurnia of the Lakes. Defeat the Red Wolf of Radagon to reach her. Rennala drops a Memory Stone.
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Starscourge Radahn: Accessible via Redmane Castle in southern Caelid. Reaching Redmane Castle after arriving at Altus Plateau triggers the Radahn Festival, where friendly NPCs will assist you in the boss fight.
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Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy: Located in Mt. Gelmir, a high-level area in northwestern Altus Plateau. Access Mt. Gelmir via Altus Plateau or by following Rya’s questline in Liurnia of the Lakes. Rykard is arguably the most challenging of these four at this stage.
Godrick and Rennala are generally recommended as they are encountered earlier in the game’s progression. Defeating Starscourge Radahn unlocks the Mimic Tear Ashes, a powerful summon.
After defeating two of these bosses and activating their Great Runes at their respective Divine Towers (check the Great Rune’s description for the correct Divine Tower location), the golden fog barrier blocking Leyndell’s entrance will dissipate, allowing you to enter the Royal Capital.
Navigating Leyndell and Reaching the Mountaintops of the Giants
Gaining entry to Leyndell is just the beginning. Navigating this sprawling city to reach your next objective requires careful exploration. Your goal is the southwestern part of the city, where you can ascend the petrified dragon and then climb the Erdtree branches. FightinCowboy’s video walkthrough provides a detailed guide for navigating Leyndell’s complex layout.
Ascending the Erdtree branches leads to a boss encounter with Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Golden Shade). This fight is a phantom encounter without a fog gate, so be prepared. After defeating Godfrey, proceed to find another Site of Grace and then ascend the grand staircase to face Morgott, the Omen King.
Defeating Morgott is crucial for accessing the Mountaintops of the Giants, the next major region. From the Avenue Balcony Site of Grace in Leyndell, head east through the city. Pass through the large doors and take the curving stairs upwards. Ride the large elevator up to the Forbidden Lands.
Mountaintops of the Giants: Towards the Forge of the Giants
The elevator from Leyndell deposits you in the Forbidden Lands, a snowy, linear path leading to the Grand Lift of Rold. Ascend this new elevator to reach the Zamor Ruins in the Mountaintops of the Giants. The path forward is relatively straightforward, but perilous.
You’ll need to traverse an extremely narrow wall while evading projectiles from a giant. Utilize the alcoves along the wall for cover. Continue through the area, following the frozen river eastward towards the Freezing Lake. Head south across the lake, contend with the enemy encampment, and cross another precarious bridge – this time made of chains.
The path through the Mountaintops of the Giants progresses from west to east, culminating at the highest point. Rest at the Giant’s Gravepost Site of Grace and follow the main path southwest. Your destination is the central area with a massive chasm. Use the chains to cross into the southern section of the Mountaintops, where you’ll find the Fire Giant boss.
Defeat the Fire Giant and once more, traverse chains to reach the Forge of the Giants. Circumnavigate the edge of the forge clockwise to find another Site of Grace. Resting here will summon Melina for a critical conversation.
Melina will present you with a choice, potentially influenced by your actions throughout the game. This conversation marks a point of no return. Proceeding will advance you to the game’s endgame and alter Leyndell, Royal Capital. Ensure you have completed everything you wish to do in Leyndell before proceeding (sewer access remains available).
When ready, speak with Melina, make your choice aligning with your desired ending, and you will be transported to Crumbling Farum Azula.
Crumbling Farum Azula: The Final Legacy Dungeon
Starting at the Crumbling Beast Grave Site of Grace in Crumbling Farum Azula, navigate clockwise around the area towards the circular arena. Crumbling Farum Azula is a challenging legacy dungeon filled with formidable enemies, including dragons. It’s also an excellent location to gather Smithing Stones for weapon upgrades.
This area contains two mandatory boss encounters: the Godskin Duo and Maliketh, the Black Blade. Both must be defeated to progress through Crumbling Farum Azula and complete the area.
Upon defeating Maliketh, you will be automatically transported back to Leyndell, now the Ashen Capital, for the final confrontation.
Leyndell, Ashen Capital and The Erdtree: The Final Battles
Your return to Leyndell, now the Ashen Capital, marks the final stretch towards becoming Elden Lord. Navigate through the transformed city back towards the Elden Throne, the location where you fought Morgott previously. Along the way, you will face Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing.
After defeating Gideon, continue onward to confront Godfrey, First Elden Lord (Hoarah-Loux, Warrior). Defeating Godfrey (in his true warrior form this time) opens the path to the Erdtree. Interact with the fog gate at the Erdtree to initiate the final boss encounters of Elden Ring.
You must overcome two consecutive boss fights: Radagon of the Golden Order and the Elden Beast.
Upon vanquishing both final bosses, you have reached the culmination of the main story. You can choose to finish the game immediately or explore further before concluding your journey. Rest at the Site of Grace in the Elden Throne arena to unlock it as a fast travel point, allowing you to return when you are ready to choose your ending.
To trigger the game’s ending, interact with the statue of Marika or one of the summon signs on the ground. The available endings depend on your choices and actions throughout your playthrough. Interacting with the statue or a summon sign will officially conclude Elden Ring and initiate New Game Plus.
While the Elden Ring main story can be completed by focusing on a select number of key bosses and locations, the critical path still demands significant time and skill. Should you encounter roadblocks, remember to explore side areas, level up, and enhance your equipment. The Lands Between are brimming with content beyond the main quest, and further exploration is highly recommended. For more in-depth guides on various aspects of the game, consult our Elden Ring strategy guide.
By Sam Chandler
Head of Guides
