Elden Ring players will meet some interesting NPC’s, but Thops quest and his redemption will stick out from the rest.
Well, maybe it’s not really about redemption. For most players, it will be about getting the Erudition Gesture which can be used for some puzzles in Elden Ring.
Many of the questlines in Elden Ring can be a little overwhelming, especially if you’re not familiar with how to keep track of them.
The Thops questline isn’t anything like the Ranni questline, which can completely alter the game-ending. It’s a more straightforward story about a professor and his desire to teach again.
But true to Elden Ring, this simple quest will still manage to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions.
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How to Find Thops in Elden Ring
Players will find Thops at the Church of Irith near the entrance of Liurnia of the Lakes.
There are two ways players can get here if they are traveling from Limgrave.
- 1. Use the Liurnia of the Lakes shortcut to skip Stormveil Castle and find the Church of Lilith.
- 2. Defeat Godrick the Grafted and open the back gates of Stormveil Castle to reveal Liurnia of the Lakes.
Either way, you’ll find the Church of Irith to the left of the beautiful view that first showcase Liurnia of the Lakes.
Thops will be inside sitting on a bench looking dejected.
How to Complete the Thops Quest in Elden Ring
To begin his quest, you will need to speak to Thops at the Church of Irith.
He will tell you how he used to be a professor at the Raya Lucaria Academy but has since lost his key to bypass the magical seal guarding the Academy.
While he remains on the bench, you will be able to learn a few new Sorceries from him.
We recommend doing the Sorceress Sellen questline if you’re looking to get some of the best Sorcereries in Elden Ring.
Once you learn his story, your quest will begin. You’ll need to find a second Academy Glinstone Key to help Thops return to his beloved Raya Lucaria Academy.
Unfortunately, you will not be able to give him the one you find for yourself. You’ll need to find a second key which takes a bit of platforming.
Here’s what you need to do.
How to Obtain Second Academy Glinstone Key – Location + Map
Here is the map and the steps you will need to take to find the second Acamdey Glinstone Key.
- Essentially you will need to make your way to the Church of Cuckoo’s rooftop and land on one of the chandiliers here to obtain the second Academy Glinstone Key.
- To do that head to the Debate Parlor Site of Grace location inside the Raya Lucaria Academy.
- Make your way through the doors that lead to the courtyard.
- Keep left and make your way up the stairs, past the two sorcerers throwing glinstone pebbles at you.
- Look to your left over the balcony. You should see another set of stairs. Jump to them.
- You’ll need to avoid the sorceres while doing so or take care of them.
- Make your way up these stairs and follow them until you reach a corpse on the railing. Jump over this railing. To land on the roofs below you.
While you’re here, you should also pick up the Night & Flame Sword, one of the best weapons in Elden Ring.
- Navigate the roofs, avoiding enemies, until you see a ladder. Go up the ladder and you should see a small stone pathway with a sorcerer and some flying enemies. Make your way past them.
- Keep right when you reach the other side.
- Now you’ll find a series of roofs that you can keep jumping down to.
- Make your way down until you see a roof with an archer on it. Kill the archer and look below. You should see a small ledge that you can jump on.
- From here follow the ledge until you see another roof and jump down. From here you should be able to see the Church of Cuckoo’s roof.
- Make your way there and enter through one of the windows. Use the beams to land on the chandilier with the purple item glow on it.
- This is the second Academy Glinstone Key.
Need a weapon to help you get through Raya Lucaria Academy? The Moonveil Katana can decimate most early-game enemies.
How to Obtain the Erudition Gesture
Now that you have the second Academy Glinstone Key, you will be able to return to Thops and give him the key.
Return to the Church of Irith, where you can now give him the Academy Glinstone Key and complete his quest. He’ll thank you and tell you that he will be making his return to the Academy to be with his peers.
You will be rewarded with the Erudition Gesture, which you can use alongside the Karolos Glinstone Crown to unlock the Converted Tower and Converted Fringe Tower.
Technically this marks the end of the Thops quest in Elden Ring, but there are still more rewards that players can obtain.
Make your way to the Schoolhouse Site of Grace. You’ll now find a corpse sitting on a chair with some items to pick up. They’ll be Thops Bell Bearing and the Academy Glintstone Staff.
Guess his return to the Academy was not successful.
Need help with some of the other Rises in Elden Ring? Check out our guides to find some great magical gear!
And if you’re looking to upgrade your mage build, then make sure you have the best staff in Elden Ring.
Or if you’re later in the endgame and need help with some of the more difficult bosses, then the Frostbite Mage Build might be what you need.
