The most intense scenes of fighting after the shattering of the Elden Ring took place on the Altus Plateau. This massive landscape encompasses Leyndell, the capital of The Lands Between, and the home of the Erdtree. Mt. Gelmir, which houses Volcano Manor and the fields and valleys that bridge the two.These areas are brimming with a variety of challenges and stunning views, whether they be the size of a legacy dungeon or lore-filled churches. Exploring the rich history of this section of The Lands Between will yield several Great Runes and several NPC questlines which will certainly help prep the Tarnished for the final boss.
10 Leyndell, Royal Capital
Delivering Melina to the foot of the Erdtree is one of the main motivators of the Tarnished following the Guiding Grace in The Lands Between, and the final hurdle is Leyndell, Royal Capital. A majestic city vandalized by time and peppered by powerful creatures, it serves as a final test for those who would become the Elden Lord.
The city is covered in the ruins of an ancient battle, with the corpse of a massive dragon frozen in time covering a large part of the area. Traversing this area is easily one of the most immersive parts of Elden Ring.
9 Subterranean Shunning Grounds
The sheer density of the Capital's level design leads to many branching pathways and interesting NPCs. One such pathway leads into the Subterranean Shunning Grounds, a massive sewer system beneath Leyndell.
Along with horrific slugs and giant crabs, the Tarnished can also find the vile Dung Eater, one of the community's favorite characters. But if you explore deeper and deeper into the Shunning Grounds you will find unholy creatures that will lead to a secret ending of the game.
8 Volcano Manor
The western side of the Altus Plateau is full of enough fire and ash that would put Bowser's Castle to shame. Within Mt. Gelmir is the other Legacy dungeon, Volcano Manor, where a band of heretics wishes to uproot the power of the Erdtree and are led by the Shardbearer, Praetor Rykard.
The Volcano Manor is home to many side quests to kill those against Lady Tanith who side with the Two Fingers. The small streets molded around the flow of lava are teeming with powerful enemies and precarious platforming sections in the leadup to the Rykard Boss and are worth visiting.
7 Woodfolk Ruins
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The forest in the surrounding area of the Woodfolk ruins may appear peaceful and reminiscent of something pulled out of Breath of the Wild. Unfortunately, FromSoftware has filled this otherwise lovely area with vassals of horror called Wormface.
Lesser Wormface can inflict Deathblight by projectile vomiting at you, which will kill the Tarnished instantly if they are fully afflicted with it. However, if the player can kill or avoid these monsters near the Woodfolk ruins and open the chest inside it will contain the Wrath of Gold incantation.
6 The Shaded Castle
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In the area approaching Mt. Gelmir, Tarnished may find a small castle nestled in between the sheer cliffs surrounding the area. The Shaded Castle is covered in a FromSoftware favorite: a poisonous bog. This environment is an additional challenge to the many Royal Revenants and Cleanrot Knights prowling the area.
The boss of the area is Elemer of the Briar who has an incredibly aggressive fighting style. He assassinates traveling merchants which has earned him the title of 'The Bell Bearing Hunter.'
5 Dominula Windmill Village
Located at the northernmost point of the Altus Plateau, the Dominula Windmill Village contains multiple bizarre creatures. Upon approaching the village, the Tarnished may hear the sound of Festive Dancers who populate the village in the middle of some kind of Festival.
These festive dancers aren't usually hostile but the boss of the area, a Godskin Apostle, certainly is. Once it is defeated the Tarnished will have the opportunity to further Millicent's questline depending on whether the player has completed the previous steps in addition to being able to loot many festive items.
4 Divine Tower Of West Altus
The Divine Tower of West Altus is one of the hardest Divine Towers to reach, let alone unlock. To reach the tower, the Tarnished have to make their way through the Sealed Tunnel, which has several illusory walls and an Oynx Lord boss and is located very close to the Divine Tower.
To unlock the tower, the Tarnished must travel to the other side of the Altus Plateau into the depths of the Volcano Manor and defeat Shardbearer Rykard. Once the player has defeated him they'll be able to activate his Great Rune at the corresponding tower.
3 Minor Erdtree Church
This church will be especially interesting to Tarnished who are interested in the lore of The Lands Between. Tarnished will be able to access this church just before making their way into the capital city and here they can also obtain the Golden Order Seal.
Melina will impart wisdom about the Golden Order at the Site of Grace inside the church. Specifically, the lore given implies that Queen Marika has become distrustful of The Greater Will, and by extension, the Golden Order, which would explain why she is now imprisoned inside the Erdtree.
2 Hermit Village
Located southeast of Mt. Gelmir, the Hermit Village contains many useful items for Tarnished, which makes the arduous journey to get there worth it. To get there, the Tarnished need to circle Mt. Gelmir to reach the high cliffs the village sits on.
One of the best items that you can get in the village is the powerful Comet Azur spell by interacting with a sorcerer there. Other than that, the village is populated with Demi-Humans, their Queen as a boss, that will also drop a memory stone on defeat, making this location excellent for intelligence builds.
1 The Erdtree
The main driving point of Elden Ring is to become the Elden Lord by reaching the Erdtree. The beautiful final confrontation with Radagon of the Golden Order takes place after the Tarnished has set the Erdtree aflame, allowing you to pass through the final barrier.
This area contains many incredible boss fights starting with Shardbearer Morgott and truly feels like a final test of your skills. The sacred atmosphere that comes with visiting the Erdtree is a testament to FromStoftware's incredible level design and craftsmanship in the boss's attacks.
Elden Ring is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.