In Elden Ring, players are given a near-infinite amount of choices when it comes to character progression.
The world of the Lands Between is full of options that can influence the player’s entire experience. Whether they’re deciding which dungeons to traverse, bosses to slay, NPCs to associate with, or simply what weapon to use, players are forced to make decisions with little to no context on what lies ahead.
Luckily, not all is lost when it comes to progressing one’s character in Elden Ring. Stormveil Castle is the first legacy dungeon that players will naturally encounter on their journey. Here, they’ll face two challenging bosses in Margit, the Fell Omen and Godrick the Grafted. Overcoming these two bosses is no small feat at the level players stumble into this area at. But it’s what to do after defeating Godrick that is stumping many Tarnished around the Lands Between.
Where to go post-Godrick
While there are near-endless choices in how to progress one’s character, many decide to progress the main story of Elden Ring. This can be a challenge since the game is not very clear on what the objective is or how to even go about solving the world’s problem.
After exiting Stormveil Castle, players will find themselves in Liurnia of the Lakes, a massive area that takes up most of the western side of the Lands Between. After hitting the bonfire close to the castle exit, players have a few options available to them.
The next legacy dungeon
Those wishing to tackle every legacy dungeon that Elden Ring has to offer should head toward the Academy of Raya Lucaria. The Academy can be found in the middle of Liurnia. It will look like another large castle that is suspended upon rocks in the middle of the shallow lake.
Players that arrive at the Academy entrance will find out that they need a Glintstone Key to gain access. At the lower entrance of the Academy, players can loot a map off of a corpse that will show them where the Glintstone Key is.
The key can be found to the west rather close to the entrance of the Academy. Players will stumble into the Glintstone Dragon Smarag who is guarding the key. Once players obtain the key, either by slipping past Smarag or besting the beast in combat, they can return to enter the Academy and progress through the legacy dungeon.
The Caria Manor
Another option for players is to investigate the Caria Manor on the northwest side of Liurnia. This is a medium-sized dungeon that unlocks an important questline for those looking to gain every Great Rune in the game.
There are no requirements to enter the Caria Manor. Those who wish to traverse this Manor should proceed with caution since it’s protected by Carian sorceries, creepy-crawly hands, and other fun things to be found inside.
The Altus Plateau
One final option is to skip the Liurnia area and progress toward the Altus Plateau and the Royal Capital, Leyndell. Getting to Leyndell is no small task. Competing the Royal Capital legacy dungeon will continue the main story of Elden Ring and open up more options for the player.
To get to Altus Plateau, and eventually Leyndell, players have two options.
The first is to use the Grand Lift of Dectus. This lift can be found on the north side of Liurnia and is guarded by a lot of enemies. To operate the lift, players must have the two halves of the Dectus Medallion in their inventory. These two halves are found in Limgrave and Caelid. The first is found in a chest at Fort Haight, just south of the Minor Erdtree on the east side of Lake Agheel. The other half is found on the far east side of Caelid in a chest in Fort Faroth. Players can return to the Grand Lift and hoist up the medallion to operate it.
Those who do not have the Dectus Medallion can venture through the hidden mountain tunnel. The Ruin-Strewn Precipice is found on the north side of Liurnia, close to the Grand Lift but on a lower level. Players can progress through the series of caves and tunnels, progressing upward to the top of the chasm. They will have to defeat a boss at the end to gain access to the Altus Plateau.
What is the right way?
The beauty of Elden Ring is that every direction is positive progression. There are many ways to progress the main story and unlock the secrets of the Lands Between. Alternatively, some legacy dungeons are not required to beat the game but provide valuable insight into the lore of the world, as well as a plethora of Runes to level up.
So at the end of the day, every direction is progression and players should not stress about whether the direction they chose was the most optimal or correct. There is so much to do and unpack in Elden Ring.
