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In typical Soulslike fashion, FromSoftware’sElden Ringdoesn’t give players much to go on at the outset; after more than likely being pummeled by theGrafted Scion (Chapel of Anticipation)during the game’s opening moments,Melinainstructs players to follow the guidance of grace to the foot of the Erdtree. Of course, things aren’t quite so simple, as standing in the way are the game’s many shard bearing demigods, key bosses crucial to the overarching plot ofElden Ring.
Though they can theoretically be fought in any order,Godrick the Grafted, the final boss of the Stormveil Castle legacy dungeon, is likely to be most players’ first brush with a shardbearer Demigod. While undoubtedly tough,Godrick is certainly beatable should the proper tactics be employed, though he’s still no slouch and will require even those familiar with FromSoftware’s Soulsborne games to prove their worth. The thrill of besting him makes for one of the most satisfying moments in the early game, but triumphant players may be confused about where to go next.
Updated on June 13, 2025, by Nahda Nabiilah:Although it’s possible to skip Godrick the Grafted andhead straight to Liurnia of the Lakes, it will highly benefit players to defeat him as they will receive various items. As a legendary boss, Godrick will drop decent Runes for early-game players as well as other valuables, such as the Remembrance of the Grafted and Godrick’s Great Rune. The latter can be obtained at his tower to get activated by consuming a Rune Arc. Since he is the first major boss, many things will change in the Lands Between.
Activate Godrick’s Great Rune
New players may be confused by theRune Arcitems discovered in the game’s overworld. When used, they don’t seem to impart any effect, yet their rarity implies some incredible application.Elden Ring’s Rune Arcs are powerful buffs that can only be used after felling a demigodand activating its corresponding Great Rune.
Each Great Rune inElden Ringrequires some questing to activate, but, fortunately, theactivation process for Godrick’s Great Rune is fairly straightforward.
From Godrick’s boss room, follow the path south past the giant troll and through a courtyard swarmed with soldiers. There, head south down a long, treacherous flight of stairs that lead to another courtyard. Once there, head east through a short hall and discover the Limgrave Tower Bridge Site of Grace. This is the entrance to the grand bridge which serves as a distant focal point throughout much of the early game.
Once on the bridge, Guardian Golems will awaken. While diligent players can take them down, they are best avoided for now. At the end of the bridge is a Waygate which takes players to theDivine Tower of Limgrave.
Ascend to the very top and interact with the item found there to activateGodrick’s Great Rune. To use it, the player must sit at a site of grace, select the new Great Runes menu option, and equip the Rune. When that’s done, using a Rune Arc will impart the effect of Godrick’s Great Rune, which temporarily buffs all attributes.
Use Godrick’s Remembrance
DefeatingGodrick the Graftedin Stormveil Castle rewards players with 20,000 Runes and theRemembrance of the Grafted. Players can use the Remembrance to earn even more Runes. However, upon defeating Godrick, who is a demigod boss, for the first time, a previously locked door will open at the Roundtable Hold.
If you go inside, you will find the Two Fingers as well asEnia, the Finger Reader. As the name suggests, she listens to the Fingers and translates their words. Speak to her to unlock the ability toexchange boss remembrances with other items. As for Godrick’s Remembrance, Tarnished can either get theAxe of Godrickor theGrafted Dragon.
Progress Some NPCs Quests
While heading towards Stormveil Castle, you can seeRoderikainside a shack,who gives you a Spirit Ash. Additionally,Sorcerer Rogiercan help Tarnished with Margit’s fight and the NPC can be interacted with inside of Stormveil Castle. There is alsoNepheli Loux, who is mourning a dead knight in a small storage room just across Godrick boss’s area.
After beatingGodrick the Grafted, all the previously mentioned characters will move to theRoundtable Hold. Roderika will be standing next to the fireplace, looking lost. You can complete her questline to unlock Spirit Tuning. Sorcerer Rogier is sitting on the balcony but seems sick and unable to move because he was exploring the lower levels of Stormveil Castle. If Tarnished heads to Gideon Ofnir’s chamber, they will find Nepheli who reveals that she’s actually his adoptive daughter. Nepheli’s quest is related to Kenneth Haight’s, so keep that in mind.
Continue To Liurnia of the Lakes
Once Godrick the Grafted has been defeated, players may opt to follow the obvious path through his throne room and out to a grand vista at the rear end of Stormveil Castle. There, players will immediately encounter an NPC namedHyetta, a blind woman asking forShabriri Grapes—one of which can be found near a ghostly NPC in the room players just passed through. To the west, they’ll encounter another NPC in an abandoned church namedSorcerer Thops, along with aSacred Tear.
Further down the road, players will enter a shallow swamp and eventually come across a Waypoint in Laskyar Ruins. This transports them to the entrance toRaya Lucaria Academy, where they can loot a map from a corpse thatdetails how to gain access to theElden RingLegacy Dungeon.
Explore Stormveil Castle
Stormveil Castleis utterly massive. It’s so huge that most players aren’t likely to uncover all of its secrets in a single playthrough. Aside from the areasrequiring the rare stonesword key items to access, there’s an entire underground area with its own boss fight that most first-time players are likely to miss.
To access this, players must open the door in the Liftside Chamber. Instead of finding a key, however, players are expected to follow a dangerous platforming path that begins on the upper level of the nearby room with the group of pot enemies.
Following this path to its conclusion leads players to the depths of Stormveil Castle, where they will encounterUlcerated Tree Spirit (Stormveil Castle)boss, which can also be encountered deep beneath theFringefolk Hero’s Gravein Limgrave. This effortearns players the Prince of Death Pustule talisman, which raises vitality.
