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The Shaded Castle is a small fort-like dungeon in Elden Ring that's tucked away from public view. It's located within the Atlus Plateau — right at the border with Mt. Gelmir. All you have to do is follow the shallow ravine in front of the Atlus Plateau Site of Grace. It's easier to get down there by passing through the campsite with a Mad Pumpkin Head inside it, a bit up the road.
This dungeon is full of poisonous ground and enemies. It's a tarnished castle, which means there's no set path to take, and you must instead parkour and climb your way through the rubble to meet the boss at the end. This guide will detail where exactly you need to go to complete the castle.
How To Get Inside The Shaded Castle
The best way to get inside is by jumping on top of the rocks against the outskirts of the castle. It's the closest to the main Site of Grace. As soon as you get over the wall, a skeleton will try to attack you.
You cannot use Torrent in The Shaded Castle.
Turning right and then left will lead you to the Shaded Castle Ramparts Grace. From here, turn back and head left. There will be a depraved perfumer at the end of the way. To the left of this perfumer is a rock that you can walk down into a little pond of a swamp.
Minor enemies will spawn once you go down. There's a hidden painting here. To reach the painting, walk under the rock and crouch under the wooden beams, so you can reach the visible stairs. This leads you to the Champion's Song Painting. Now head back to the Site of Grace.
Poisonous Swamp
Use the ladder to the left to drop down into the poisonous swamp below. There will be multiple wraith callers, but their attacks are slow, and they are spread apart enough for you to deal with them easily. Continue down the swamp where you'll see rooftops in the distance. To your very right will be an enemy waiting to pounce on you. The enemy is guarding a ladder that leads to the next area.
To your very left, going up the ruins will be some frog-like enemies and a couple of minor loot like grease and Smithing Stones. Ahead, on the roof, you'll bump into another depraved perfumer who will heal itself if you let them.
The other rooftop in this swamp will have a Somber Smithing Stone (5) on the ground behind it. Be careful, as a tough wraith enemy will spawn as soon as you get too close. Jumping to the West ramparts of the castle leads to dead ends, so you'll want to head up the ladder now.
Cleanrot Knight
Once you climb up the ladder, there will be multiple ways to go. To your left are some poisonous skeletons. You'll notice one passive skeleton seemingly trying to reach for an item high up that you also cannot reach. We'll show you how to get there in a bit.
Go to the right instead. You'll pass an opening where a giant Miranda flower and rooftops will be down below. The Miranda will be guarding a Smithing Stone (5). Continue walking, and you'll find an elite enemy, a Cleanrot Knight. Behind the knight is a treasure chest with the key item Valkyrie's Prosthesis.
Sunken Rooftops
Go back to where you came from the ladder. To continue through the castle, jump down onto the rooftops at the rampart opening. If you look to your right, there's a ladder in the far distance. Taking this ladder up will lead you to the purple item the previous skeleton was clawing at. There are up to five depraved perfumers up there, though.
The swamp here slows you down if you step on it, so you cannot run or dodge.
To get to the next Site of Grace, you can either jump down and walk up the center steps then use a short ladder to your left. You could also stay above ground and away from all enemies by using the ruins to make your way across to the Shaded Castle Inner Gate Site of Grace.
Inside The Castle
Past the Grace, to your right will be a ghost and a dog. To your left will be a ladder to continue. You'll enter a room where there'll be three Wandering Noblemen and one assassin. Before going out the next doorway, turn right and notice a ladder leading up. There will be a Perfumer's Cookbook (2) on the roof here.
Leaving this room, go left and a Cleanrot Knight will be on the other side of the bridge. Once they're dealt with, look down from the bridge. If you have ranged weapons, you should eliminate the enemy below with ease, so that you can go back and collect any items you want. Otherwise, continue through the castle.
Take it very slow in this next room otherwise you will get overwhelmed by fast enemies. There will be an archer above the stairs and a hidden dog. Up the stairs and just outside will be another dog and a Cleanrot Knight that will both easily spot you if you get too close to the doorway.
Once these enemies are dealt with, you're almost there. All you have to do is enter the doorway the knight was blocking. A wooden lift will be here, which will take you directly to the end of the castle and to the boss.
Elemer Of The Briar
Elemer is a tough knight that drops the Marais Executioner's Sword and Briar Greatshield upon defeat. When eliminated, you can purchase his armor from Enia at the Roundtable Hold. We have a guide that details fighting Elemer of The Briar and how to best defeat him if you're having trouble.
