Elden Ring’s Lands Between are littered with items to find and secret areas to explore. One of the more intriguing dungeons is accessible early in the game. Here’s our guide to completing Road’s End Catacombs and obtaining some unique loot!
Limgrave is one of gaming’s best starting areas, offering a considerable challenge whilst still teaching you the basics. In reality, Limgrave is just the tip of the Elden Ring iceberg.
The game doesn’t really get going until you defeat the fearsome Margit, the Fell Omen and the godlike Godrick the Grafted. Check out our guides if they’re stalling your progress!
Once you’re through Stormveil Castle, you’ll enter a new area called Liurnia of the Lakes. This is where you’ll find Road’s End Catacombs.
Can’t beat Margit and Godrick. Here’s how you can skip Stormveil Castle and get to Road’s End Catacombs whilst they’re still alive!
Finding the Dungeon
First things first, you’ll need to find the dungeon. As the name might suggest, it’s tucked away on the far-western edge of Liurnia. If you find the Rose Church, keep going. You’re on the right track.
On approach, you’ll see a Dungeon Guidance Statue, a large stone figure of a long-necked creature. Interact with this and the blue beam emanating from it will show you the way.
However, the path isn’t clear. Avoid the jellyfish, but be wary of bats. They’ll drop from the rocks above in two bunches and can easily swarm you.
A useful weapon is Edgar the Revenger’s Banished Knight’s Halberd+8, which can be obtained from the Revenger’s Shack a little further north. The special skill with this weapon can clear tight spaces effectively.
Once inside, active the Site of Grace and rest up. The dungeon ahead is challenging, but not in the way you’re used to…
And here’s every Site of Grace in Elden Ring to make your traversal of the Lands Between more efficient!
Inside the Dungeon
Head down the stairs and you’ll be immediately greeted by an oversized imp. His attack will be instant, so be ready! Killing him can reward you with the Imp Head (Cat) headgear. If you’re still not far into Elden Ring, it may well be better than what you’ve got, despite weighing 8.1.
Next, proceed onwards and you’ll enter a large room. This should give you your first clue that something about this dungeon isn’t quite right.
Typically, the locked Boss door would be in front of you. Instead, you’re met with the lever to open the door. The problem is, the door is nowhere to be seen.
Head down the stairs and continue through the dungeon. Imps will be hiding in wait, so be sure to check your corners.
Watch out for the pressure plate in the tunnel, or you’ll be facing down some arrows. Beyond that corridor is a wall. A dead-end… or is it?
Well, this is actually one of FromSoftware’s infamous Illusionary Walls and the first of many in the Road’s End Catacombs.
Simply attack the wall to dispel the magic and reveal a treasure chest! Don’t worry, it’s not a trap… even if it does seem too easy.
Proceed, being aware of the two Imps hiding either side of the entrance, and the one in plain sight ahead. Inside the chest is the Spirit Ash of Raya Lucaria Soldiers. This Spirit requires 59 FP to be summoned.
Here’s how you can increase your FP capacity to use the best Spirit Ashes that Elden Ring has to offer!
But Wait… There’s More
The truth is, that was too easy. You’re not quite done in the Road’s End Catacombs yet. You didn’t think FromSoftware would skip a boss fight, did you?
Turn around and head back. Once you’re back into the large room with the lever, don’t go back upstairs just yet.
The two walls ahead of you, with stone arches built into them, are also Illusionary. Attack these as well to reveal a secret area. Watch out for the Imp inside!
In here you can grab a Human Bone Shard item but more importantly, the Watchdog’s Staff! The Staff is a Colossal Weapon requiring 34 Strength!
If this staff is too heavy for you to wield, check our list of the best staffs in Elden Ring!
Climb the stairs to the next level and attack the arch walls once again. Two of the four are Illusionary, and as before, this new secret area has an Imp ready to attack.
Kill it and collect the Grave Glovewort, followed by the Rune Arc.
Rune Arcs are one of the most sought-after items in Elden Ring, used in conjunction with a Great Rune to give your character a major stat boost! Find out what they can do and where to find more!
Or if you’ve got more Rune Arcs than you need, here’s where you can find every Great Rune and put those Arcs to good use!
Look a little to the right of the Rune Arc and you’ll spot a narrow passageway that leads deeper underground.
Descend and claim the Root Resin from the corpse, then slash the Illusionary Wall right in front of you. Go down deeper and attack the next wall, too.
Finally, you’re almost ready to battle the boss. Notice the Stake of Marika beside you, offering a closer respawn point if you die.
Road’s End Catacombs Boss Guide: Spirit-Caller Snail
Your first thought upon traversing the fog-wall will be “How tough can a snail be?”
Your second thought, upon seeing the boss, will be to question what kind of snails they have around the FromSoftware offices…
What actually marches towards you is a towering warrior in spirit form, capable of massive damage and agile attacks. He is surprisingly powerful, but there’s a catch.
He’s not the boss, but rather the Spirit called by the Snail to fight you. You can battle him directly if you wish, but he is very strong. Here’s how you can efficiently hit max level to give you a better chance against him!
The real way to defeat this boss is to avoid the warrior’s attacks (or use a summon to keep him busy) and check the edges of the arena for a white glow. Run to it and swing your weapon.
It may seem like you’re swiping at thin air, but you’re in fact attacking the boss Snail, which is invisible.
The Snail’s HP and Defence are both very poor, so repeat the process a handful of times to kill it. A moment later, the Snail’s death will also vanquish the warrior.
Defeating the Spirit-Calling Snail will reward you with the Glinstone Sorcerers Ashes, requiring 49 FP to join you in your next battle.
Want to upgrade your Spirit Ashes into formidable allies? Here’s how you can upgrade them to keep on fighting through to the end-game.
Or perhaps you’re looking for the best Spirit Ash in the entire game? This is how you can summon the spectral assassin Black Knife Tiche!
