Caelid is one of the hardest areas in Elden Ring. Because it's connected to the beginning portion of the map, many new players will accidentally stumble upon this Hell in the Lands Between. In truth, players should begin exploring Caelid a little after getting into Liurnia of The Lakes.
These scarlet rot-infested lands have dangerous and tough enemies at every corner. Completing Caelid is not necessary for finishing the story. Everything inside is optional but worth your while as you can get many strong weapons and a great number of runes.
How To Enter Caelid
There are two ways to enter Caelid. Neither option are entirely safe, as Caelid is a deathtrap, but one is easier than the other, depending on your skill level and preference.
Smoldering Church
Entering from the Smoldering Church means casually strolling into Caelid on foot from Limgrave. You can simply walk into Caelid from Limgrave from the Summonwater Village. The catch is that entering this way triggers an NPC invasion once you leave the threshold of Limgrave and enter Caelid. This invasion can be very tough if you're not prepared and well-leveled. You cannot escape the invasion once it starts, so you either beat the NPC or die and start again. The good thing is that the Smoldering Church Site of Grace is right there, so you can grab it and respawn there if necessary.
Bestial Sanctum
The other way to get into Caelid is by using a waygate portal. This portal can be found after speaking to the NPC known as D. He is found in Summonwater Village after defeating the Tibia Mariner. If you've missed him, he should be found at Roundtable Hold anyhow. Exhausting his dialogue leads you to find the Bestial Sanctum, which he shares is accessible through a portal near the Third Church of Marika. This portal is hidden in the corner of the small stream, behind many bushes.
You'll be teleported to the Bestial Sanctum, where there will be a Site of Grace and a menacing NPC you dare not anger. Just outside the sanctum is a mini-boss and various tough enemies onwards. From the Bestial Sanctum, you'd want to make a run for every next Grace and get to the location you desire while ignoring the tough enemies.
Map Fragment Locations
The first map fragment can be found near Dragonbarrow West Site of Grace. From the Bestial Sanctum, you must go down the road to your right. From Smoldering Church, you must head from Rotview Balcony to Caelum Ruins and then continue East. Use Torrent to jump onto the other side of the rocks where you'll reach Dragonbarrow West Grace.
The second fragment is in South Caelid. It's just below the scarlet rot Swamp of Aeonia, near a merchant. From the Smoldering Church, you want to just keep heading down the road South. From Bestial Sanctum, you can use Torrent to jump across the ravine North-West of Dragonbarrow West Site of Grace, then follow the general road South.
Points Of Interest
Swamp of Aeonia
This swamp contains a lot of crucial items and enemies. To the North-West is Street of Sages Ruin, where players can find a strong S-scaling staff for mages, as well as a gravity spell. You can also find a boss fight here for Commander O'Neil, who will prove trouble due to his many summons. Just east of the swamp is Sellia, Town of Sorcery. This is a key area where you can find spells, a boss, and continue Sellen's questline. South of Sellia can be found Gowry's Shack, where another quest can be started regarding Millicent.
Dragonborrow
Dragonbarrow is a very important location for rune farming. This area is, as you guessed it, riddled with dragons. Many minor dragons can be found walking about, ready for a fight. There is one ginormous, sleeping mother dragon near Fort Faroth. This dragon does not wake up, ever. You can farm this sleeping dragon for a hefty amount of runes, granted its babies don't come for you first. Fort Faroth, just behind the mother dragon Greyoll, is important. Atop the fort is the right side of the Dectus Medallion, which allows you to enter the Atlus Plateau using the Grand Lift of Dectus.
Redmane Castle
This castle will harbor an optional shardbearer. Starscourge Radahn can be fought here, but only after events are triggered. Until then, the castle will be full of other enemies and a different set of bosses, the Crucible Knight and Misbegotten Warrior. Redmane Castle will be full of important items like whetblades and weapons. If the Starscourge Radahn festival is triggered and you haven't defeated the Crucible Knight and Misbegotten Warrior, they will return to the castle naturally once Radahn is defeated. Defeating Radahn will continue questlines for Ranni, Blaidd, and Alexander Iron Fist.
The Great Jar
You may have been able to see a giant jar NPC in front of a building on your travels through Caelid. While this looks like a long and interesting quest or dungeon, it's fairly simple and short. You can only reach this jar by using an elevator inside Siofra River. If you've already visited Siofra River, all you have to do is activate the elevator very North-East of the river map next to the Below The Well Site of Grace. Then you'll be transported to the previously unreachable ravine the Great Jar is located in. The jar is guarded by two golem archers and requires you to defeat three NPC invasions one by one. Upon completion, you'll get the Great-Jar's Arsenal Talisman.
Bestial Sanctum
The Bestial Sanctum holds a very crucial NPC. Each time you defeat a Tibia Mariner or happen to loot a Deathroot somewhere else, Gurranq the beastman will gladly feast upon the plant and reward you with multiple useful items and powers each time. You can receive incantations, weapons, and more by feeding him Deathroot.
Divine Tower of Caelid
Once Radahn is defeated, you can bring his Great Rune to the divine tower just North-East of the Dragonbarrow West Site of Grace. The tower is difficult to get into. You must parkour off some roots and onto the outer ledges of the tower until you reach an opening to go inside. Once inside, there will be a Grace. Turning right from the Grace leads to a door that can be hard to see, which leads to the two fingers that activate Radahn's rune. To the left of the Grace is the start of the difficult Divine Tower of Caelid dungeon.
These are all of the larger, important areas in Caelid that contain most of what you'll be after whether it be completing questlines or when searching for powerful loot. Riddled around Caelid are many dungeons and more optional bosses for you to discover if you are a completionist. Below are listed all notable field bosses, loot, dungeons, and NPCs within Caelid.
Field Bosses
| Boss | Location |
|---|---|
| Erdtree Avatar | North-East of Smoldering Church Grace |
| Crucible Knight & Misbegotten Warrior | Inside Redmane Castle, granted the Radahn festival isn't triggered. |
| Night Cavalry | Can be found at night near the South of Swamp of Aeonia and South-East of Farum Greatbridge Grace. |
| Decaying Ekzykes | In front of Caelid Highway South Grace. |
| Death Rite Bird | East of Southern Aeonia Swamp Bank Grace. |
| Commander O'Neil | Inside Swamp of Aeonia, to the most East. |
| Greyll | On the Farum Greatbridge just past Bestial Sanctum. |
| Greyoll | Sleeping giant dragon within Dragonbarrow. In front of Fort Faroth. |
All Dungeons
| Dungeon | Location |
|---|---|
| Gael Tunnel | South-West of Rotview Balcony, below cliffs. |
| Minor Erdtree Catacombs | South of the Minor Erdtree that is North-East of Smoldering Church Grace. |
| Gaol Cave | North-West of Caelid Highway South Grace, off the beaten path. |
| Caelid Waypoint Ruins | Inside the ruins North-West of Caelid Highway South Grace. |
| Abandoned Cave | From Smoldering Wall Site of Grace, walk across some trees across the ravine. |
| Sellia Crystal Tunnel | Can teleport inside from a trap chest in Dragon-Burnt Ruins in Limgrave. |
| Caelid Catacombs | East of Cathedral of Dragon Communion, against the cliffside. |
| Sellia Hideaway | Against the cliffside, South of and just under Fort Faroth. |
| Dragonborrow Cave | Accessible by going West of Lenne's Rise Site of Grace, against the cliffside. |
| War-Dead Catacombs | Accessible from the Starscourge Radahn Grace on the battlefield, North-East inside the cliffside. |
Important NPC's
| NPC | Location |
|---|---|
| Alexander Iron Fist | Can be found at the end of Gael Tunnel or on the Radahn battlefield after defeating the boss. |
| Witch Hunter Jerren | Can be found inside Redmane Castle, past the boss room and inside the church, after defeating Starscourge Radahn. |
| Millicent | Found in Church of Plague, East of Sellia, Town of Sorcery atop the hill. |
| Great Jar | Found at the end of the ravine in North Caelid. |
Notable Loot
| Loot | Location |
|---|---|
| Golden Seed x3 | There is one near the magical barrier in Sellia, Town of Sorcery, and another behind the merchant South of Swamp of Aeonia. Last, a third can be found just outside Bestial Sanctum. |
| Sacred Tear | Inside the Church of Plague above Sellia, Town of Sorcery. |
| Larval Tear | One can be found in Caelid, after defeating an enemy that turns into a troll at the very South-West edge of the map. South of Caelid Highway South Grace. |
| Dragon Incantations | Dragon breath spells that can be bought from the Cathedral of Dragon Communion altar, located South of Caelid Highway South Grace. |
| Rock Sling (Sorcery) | Looted from a chest below ruins in Street of Sage Ruins in Swamp of Aeonia. |
| Stars of Ruin (Sorcery) | Looted from Master Lusat's body in Sellia Hideaway cave. |
| Night Comet (Sorcery) | In a chest found within Sellia, Town of Sorcery after lighting all braziers. |
| Moonveil | Dropped upon the defeat of a Magma Wyrm inside Gael Tunnel. |
| Lusat's Glintstone Staff | Inside a chest behind duo bosses Nox Swordstress and Nox Priest, North-West of Sellia, Town of Sorcery. |
| Meteorite Staff | Looted from tall ruins inside Street of Sage Ruins in Swamp of Aeonia. |
| Great-Jar's Arsenal (Talisman) | Rewarded from the Great Jar after defeating the three NPC invasions. |
| Lusat's Set (Armor) | Looted from Master Lusat in Sellia Hideaway after completing Sorceress Sellen's quest. |
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