This article is part of a directory: Complete Guide To Elden Ring: Weapons, Items, Tips, Tricks, Bosses, & Builds
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It's no secret that beloved developer From Software loves the idea of making these absurdly hazardous 'swamp' areas. Iterations of this concept have been shown in all the SoulsBorne and Soulslike games, such as the Swamp of Sorrow in Demon's Souls, Blight Town in Dark Souls, Black Gulch Dark Souls 2, Farron Keep in Dark Souls 3, The Nightmare Frontier in Bloodborne, and even the Ashina Depths in Sekiro. Sadly, Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon doesn't seem to follow this tradition, but it is technically a separate IP. In any case, these types of areas are typically seen as a massive challenge for those who aren't the most 'cautious' of players. Elden Ring is no exception in this regard as multiple locations in this absurdly long open-world game will kill the player if they linger for too long.

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The largest example of this in Elden Ring is the Lake of Rot, the place where allegedly (according to the in-game worldbuilding) the 'Outer God' of Scarlet Rot connected to Malenia is sealed deep beneath. This massive hazardous site will infect the Tarnished with Rot, a truly horrific status ailment, after stepping in it for more than a couple of seconds. Thankfully, there are a few tips and tricks to get through this area alive, and it's time to go through them all, step by step.

Updated December 30th, 2023 by Jacob Buchalter: The long and arduous wait for Elden Ring's first major DLC, Shadow of the Erdtree, has been painful. Granted, everyone wants From Software to take their time and make the best possible product they can, but the wait is still pretty tough. Thankfully, there's an absurd amount of stuff to explore and do in the base game, even for players who have beaten the game once (or even a couple of times). The Lake of Rot, for example, has a lot more going on in it than most players give it credit for. So, let's take a wide look at the region as a whole, what to bring to get through it, and what the Tarnished should expect to find there.

Step One: Reach The Lake Of Rot

Hint, It's A Lot Deeper Underground Than You Might Think

Elden Ring - Walking Into The Lake Of Rot

The Lake of Rot can be found on the main Ainsel River. To get here, players simply need to move southwest from the Nokstella Waterfall Basin Site of Grace. Along this path will be a lift that will take the Tarnished all the way down to the starting point of the Lake of Rot (don't even bother thinking about how that works geographically).

In any case, once the Tarnished rests at the Lake of Rot Shoreside Site of Grace, they will be able to loot the Map Fragment of the area from a nearby corpse on the shore. Funnily enough, after actually reaching this point, the next step involves warping out of here to go gather all the necessary supplies first.

Step Two: Bring The Right Items To Traverse The Lake Of Rot

The Scarlet Rot Status Effect Is No Joke

Lake Of Rot Getting The Immunizing Horn Charm

Exploration in this lethally disgusting (and somehow also beautiful) area of the Lands Between is tricky and you'll find that just surviving here will burn through your stockpile of resources rather quickly. Therefore, a great, low-risk way of collecting items while exploring this site is the old 'tried and true' method of using 'Death Runs'. Basically, players make sure to use all their resources first, then they bash their heads against this area over and over, not worrying about using curative items and dying repeatedly until they manage to make it to the next Site of Grace through pure grit. Since every newly activated SoG is technically 'permanent progress', this is usually the best method to use since it allows players to retroactively explore the area more carefully without worrying about progression.

But, for players (in single-player or co-op) who don't want to use the, albeit a bit cheap, 'Death Run' method, the Preserving Boluses are by far the most vital curative tool for staving off the Scarlet Rot. However, the player should be aware that this status effect will begin climbing again the second that the buildup has been neutralized, so typically they're meant to be used in situations where dying is a real setback, such as during a boss fight.

How To Craft Preserving Boluses Instead Of Having To Buy Them With Runes

Elden Ring - Grabbing The Armorers Cookbook 6

Preserving Boluses are one of the harder Boluses to stock up on, even with all the Merchants in the Lands Between players can buy from, so it's absolutely worth it to take the time and obtain the item that allows players to craft these Boluses themselves. To get the 'recipe' for Preserving Boluses, the Tarnished will need to take a trip to the Siofra River to get the Armorer's Cookbook 6. To find the book precisely, simply head to the Siofra River Well, take the long elevator down, then progress forward until there's a long elevator up leading to to Siofra River Bank.

Head to the Hallowhorn Grounds (AKA where the corpse of the Ancestor Spirit is placed) and face the stairs. Turn entirely around from facing the stairs and head directly to the other side of the riverbank to a small bit of raised terrain. Follow this terrain around to the player's lefthand side and the Armorer's Cookbook 6 should be sitting right there, right behind an Ancestral Follower scrounging around in the nearby shrubbery.

All The Other Items (Of Every Type) That Help In The Lake Of Rot

Elden Ring - Obtaining The Ant Skull Plate Greatshield

Besides using the Preserving Boluses, there are also several different items that the player can equip to make this area dramatically easier. Here's all of the gear (some of which is even found i the Lake of Rot) in Elden Ring that increases the odds of survival in the Lake of Rot, what it does, and where to find it:

Name

Appearance

Item Type

Location

Effect

Mushroom Set

Elden Ring - Mushroom Set

Armor Set

The Mushroom Crown is found on a corpse that has been strewn over a pillar in the southeastern corner of the Lake of Rot. The remaining pieces of the set are all found in Seethewater Cave.

Each Armor Piece has the highest immunity stat compared to all the other armor pieces in the game. The full set gives +243 Immunity.

Flame, Cleanse Me

Elden Ring - Flame Cleanse Me Icon

Incantation

On a corpse in the camp of Fire Monks, just southeast of the Church of Vows.

Cures most status buildups, including Scarlet Rot, while also dealing a small bit of damage to the player in exchange.

Ant's Skull Plate

Elden Ring - Ants Skull Plate Greatshield

Greatshield

Found in Nokstella, the Eternal City in a small enclosed room with a Nox Swordstress just at the bottom of some stairs.

Grants a high amount of passive Immunity and can also inflict deadly poison on enemies & players if they use enough Shield Bashes on them.

Eclipse Crest Greashield

Elden Ring - Eclipse Crest Greatshield Icon

Greatshield

Random drop from the Mausoleum Knight enemies.

Grants a high amount of passive Immunity as well as Robustness and Focus.

Immunizing Horn Charm

Elden Ring - Immunizing Horn Charm Plus 1 Talisman

Talisman

Found on a corpse in an ant pile near the Ainsel River Downstream Site of Grace.

Grants an absurd amount of passive Immunity.

Mottled Necklace Talisman

Elden Ring - Mottled Necklace plus 1 Talisman

Talisman

Found on a corpse at the end of a destroyed bridge in the Siofra River, the location is only accessible from the Four Belfries Waygates.

Raises Immunity, Robustness, and Focus by a pretty sizeable amount when equipped.

The general theme here is that players will want to push their Immunity as high as they possibly can before really exploring the Lake of Rot. Otherwise, they're just going to be spending a whole lot of time backtracking and respawning from the Scarlet Rot damage killing them.

Step Three: Explore The Lake Of Rot

There's A Deceptive Amount Of Loot To Be Found Here

Credit to Otis_Inf for their Elden Ring Photomode Mod used to gather the footage above.

Enemy Name

Appearance

Drops

# That Appear

Dragonkin Soldier

Elden Ring - Dragonkin Soldier Lake of Rot Icon

58,000 Runes & Dragonscale Blade

1

Alabaster Lord

Elden Ring - Alabaster Lord In Lake of Rot Icon

Runes & Alabaster Lord's Sword

1

Ancestral Follower

Elden Ring - Ancestral Follower Lake of Rot Icon

Runes & Immunizing Horn Charm +1

1

Basilisks

Elden Ring - Basilisk In Lake of Rot Icon

Runes & Aeonian Butterflies

3+

Once players actually enter the lake to explore it, they'll find stone pillars with levers on them sprinkled around the general area that the Tarnished can use to raise platforms that will give them safe 'areas' while they're exploring the lake. There are four pillars in total that are all relatively close to one another; and when all of them are activated, a sizeable path through a large portion of the Lake will open.

As the player wanders along these platforms, they'll also encounter the iconic Basilisks From Software fans know and 'love' that can make this portion of the Lake an absolute pain to get through. Eventually, the Tarnished will reach a side of the Lake that gives them the opportunity to continue on to the Grand Cloister. However, if they decide to explore more of the Lake and head towards the eastern side of the Lake, they'll find the Field Boss of the area, the Dragonkin Soldier.

Side-Step, Lake Of Rot Mini-Boss: The Dragonkin Soldier

At This Point, You've Probably Already Fought A Dragonkin Soldier Before

Elden Ring - Fighting Dragonkin Warrior In Lake Of Rot

In order to fight the Dragonkin Soldier on a semi-even playing field the Tarnished will need to make sure to raise several large platforms around the boss by stepping on a weighted pad on an eastern pillar. This allows the player to fight the boss without having to constantly worry about the Scarlet Rot ailment, which, with the platforms lowered, can make this not-so-difficult boss quite a pain to deal with otherwise.

The best way to take care of this boss quickly is to dive in as quickly as possible. While the Dragonkin Soldier is spawning out from underneath the 'water', the player will be able to get in a bunch of free hits before the boss actually starts swinging. After that, follow all the standard strategies for fighting any of the other Dragonkin Soldier bosses that appear multiple times throughout the game and follow the golden rule of keeping away from its front as much as possible. While these gigantic soldiers aren't exactly the most 'difficult' boss fights in the game, learning all their moves is still something worth doing:

'General' Attack Name

Attack Description

Arm Sweep

A long sweep in a cone in front of the boss with one arm.

Spinning Claw

Uses the right claw to drag along the ground clockwise around itself.

Grasping Slam

Crawls a bit forward before reaching out with its right claw fully, slamming it down to create a shockwave.

Close-Range Slam

Fully raises its left hand up before slamming it down close to itself, creating a powerful shockwave.

Elbow Slam

Lifts right elbow up before slamming it down, creating a shockwave near the point of impact.

Slam & Shovel

Shoves the left claw into the ground parallel to its body, creating a shockwave. Then, a second later, rips up the earth to free its claw, creating another shockwave before lunging forward with the same arm and flopping down.

Two-Handed Hammer Slam

Raises both hands clasped together above its head before slamming them down in front, creating a larger-than-usual shockwave.

Belly Flop

Slowly stands up, creating small shockwaves with each movement to do so. Then, immediately falls forward onto its stomach, creating a huge shockwave on impact.

Standing Slam & Shovel

Same as Slam & Shovel, but the Soldier stands first, additionally, it doesn't do the lunging part of the attack either.

Roaring Barrage

Lets out a roar that staggers players nearby, slams its right claw down to create a shockwave, and lunges forward with its left claw, before ending the combo with a sweep with the right claw.

Step 5: Fully Loot The Lake Of Rot

Clearing Out The Items Hidden Throughout The Rest Of The Lake

Elden Ring - The Building The Nomadic Cookbook Is In And The Tarnished Picking It Up

Past the Dragonkin Soldier (whether the Tarnished kills it or not), there will be several small areas that give the player a couple of items like high-level Somber Smithing Stones (6, 8, & 9) and the Nomadic Warrior's Cookbook 22.

The Nomadic Warrior's Cookbook 22 is an item that will give the Tarnished the ability to craft Rot Pots, Rot Grease, and Drawstring Rot Grease from their inventories.

After raising the fourth and final platform, the player will be raised up to an area where they can fight an Alabaster Lord to get his Alabaster Lord's Sword. Once the player has all these items, they've pretty much cleared out everything important in the Lake of Rot and can confidently continue the Grand Cloister. This, of course, eventually leads to the Astel, Naturalborn of the Void.

Extra Step: Exploring The Grand Cloister 'Area' Of The Lake Of Rot

Technically A Different 'Area', But Still Worth Mentioning Briefly

Enemy/Item Name

Appearance

Type

Drops/Where It's Found

Lesser Kindred of Rot

Elden Ring - Lesser Kindred of Rot

Basic Enemy

Runes, Pest's Glaive, Faded Erdleaf Flowers, & Aoenian Butterflies.

Ulcerated Tree Spirit

Elden Ring - Ulcerated Tree Spirit Icon

Mini-Boss

15,000 Runes & 1x Golden Seed.

Astel: Naturalborn of the Void

Elden Ring - Astel Icon

Boss

80,000 Runes & Remembrance of the Naturalborn.

Golden Seed

Elden Ring - Golden Seed Icon

Upgrade Material

One is obtained from the Ulcerated Tree Spirit near the waterfall at the bottom of the Cloiser's Entrance.

Scorpion's Stinger

Elden Ring - Scorpion's Stinger Dagger Icon

Weapon (Dagger)

Just inside the Temple entrance guarded by Lesser Kindreds of Rot.

Ghost Glovewort (9)

Elden Ring - Ghost Glovewort 9 Icon

Upgrade Material

After reaching the bottom of the Cloister's entrance, head across the small 'river' of Scarlet Rot and it should be guarded by Lesser Kindreds of Rot just on the other side.

Smithing Stone 6

Elden Ring - Smithing Stone 6 Icon

Upgrade Material

On one of the corpses in front of the waterfall the Ulcerated Tree Spirit bursts out from.

Smithing Stone 7

Elden Ring - Smithing Stone 7 Icon

Upgrade Material

On one of the corpses in front of the waterfall the Ulcerated Tree Spirit bursts out from.

In this last 'area', which may as well be its own separate zone, the player won't need to worry too much about the Scarlet Rot because there is another Site of Grace right at the start of this area. The Grand Cloister has a number of Kindred of Rot enemies that aren't exactly 'difficult' to face on their own but can become very overwhelming if fought as a group. There will also be a hidden Ulcerated Tree Spirit that will ambush the player in a hidden path at the bottom of the small Rot 'waterfall' near the Grand Cloister's entrance that will yield a Golden Seed once it's killed.

Players who make enough progress in Ranni the Witch's NPC Questline will eventually need to go through the Grand Cloister and beat Astel, Naturalborn of the Void in order to reach the last 'area' of her Questline, the Moonlight Altar.

Once the player has killed all the Kindred of Rot, they will be able to head inside the main temple where they can pick up the Scorpion's Stinger Dagger in the chest straight right inside the entrance. After this, they can move next to the waterfall and interact with the stone coffin to (for some reason) get inside it and watch the cinematic where they're transported to the area where the battle against Astel, Naturalborn of the Void takes place.

elden ring cover
Elden Ring

Platform(s)
PS5 , Xbox One , PS4 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
Released
February 25, 2022
Developer(s)
From Software