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A good deal of Tarnished may first stumble into this breathtaking area of Elden Ring by accident. The Siofra River well in Limgrave is an area that can be easily accessed in the early hours of the game, and players will likely be surprised by the sheer size of the area that was beneath them all this time.
Therefore, it's understandable that it may be daunting to tackle the area. Every ten steps, the Tarnished gets either sniped in the head or crushed by a wandering Crab. Although, as long as the Tarnished remembers a couple of key tips, it should make exploring Siofra a much more manageable experience.
Updated November 10th, 2022 by Russ Boswell: Siofra River is one of the most beautiful, deadly, and sometimes imposing areas found in Elden Ring. Players will likely stumble across this jaw-dropping zone on accident and soon find themselves surrounded by hordes of strong (sometimes annoying) enemies that are capable of quickly decimating a Tarnished in the earlier parts of the game. To give players better access through Siofra River, and to help guide them to some of the most important waypoints in the area, the following guide has been updated to include more entries. Here's a better look at what to expect in Elden Ring's Siofra River.
11 Light The Pillars As You Explore
When exploring some key areas of Elden Ring, the Tarnished will often be aided by the Guiding Grace, which is used as a rough indicator of where the player should go next. In Siofra, several unlit pillars are peppered around the Siofra area.
There is one set of eight pillars in the main Siofra River area and one set of six pillars in the Nokron, Eternal City sub-area. The Tarnished will need to make sure that they light these pillars as they explore the area, because lighting them all will unlock the Ancestral Spirit as a final boss.
10 Utilize The Teleporters
In the main Siofra River area, several teleporters can be used as useful shortcuts to get around the area. This is an extremely effective way of lighting a few of the last pillars and avoiding getting shot in the head by Ancestral Followers.
Another particularly useful teleporter sends the Tarnished to the upper level of the Siofra River, where they can fight the Dragonkin Soldier and gain many useful items guarded by Claymen. This teleporter is located north of the Hallowhorn Grounds at the top of a collapsed pillar.
9 Keep Your Head On A Swivel
The Siofra River is a gorgeous location. Once players make their way far down into the underground expanse, they'll likely find themselves mesmerized by the stunning skyscape that glows mystically in the background. Although it's easy to get distracted in this area, it's a mistake. The Siofra River is filled to the brim with dangerous enemies, some of them completely unseen until players get close enough to trigger an encounter.
The Ancestral Followers can be seen prowling some areas along the Siofra Rivers but others will simply pop up, manifesting without warning. Players should be careful when making their way through each area and also keep an eye out for any Ancestral Archers, who can make quick work of an unprepared player with their heavily-damaging arrows.
8 Blaidd's Location
When progressing through Lunar Princess Ranni's questline, she will give the Tarnished the task of finding Nokron, the Eternal City, with the aid of Blaidd, her half-wolf companion. At this point in the questline, Blaidd will tell you he will meet you in Siofra.
A good number of players may have a hard time finding Blaidd due to the massive size of the area. He is located just past the Hallowhorn Grounds, right next to a point where the players can use Torrent to jump up to a higher area. Here, he will give the Tarnished useful information about their quest, and will give hints on how to access the Eternal City.
7 Defeat Radahn To Access The Eternal City
Some Tarnished will likely spend awhile trying to access the higher areas of the Siofra River, specifically trying to access Nokron, Eternal City. Unfortunately, the player may not realize the Eternal City cannot be accessed until progressing much further in the game.
To get to the Eternal City, players must defeat the conqueror of the stars, Shardbearer Radahn, in Caelid. After accomplishing this feat, there will be nobody to hold back the stars and a giant meteor will hit The Lands Between. Journeying through this crater will get the Tarnished to the City.
6 Watch Out For Errant Explosions
As players make their way through the Siofra River, they will come across an array of "enemies" that look like balls of blue light. Although these spirits seem relatively harmless, they have the capacity to explode and deal fatal damage to anyone who gets too close. If players venture near these spirits they will grow aggressive and chase towards them, exploding as they get close. Players need to be aware of where these energy balls are at all times, as it can be very easy to lose track of them during a fight, only to fall victim to an explosion while distracted by another enemy.
5 How To Access The Secret Area In The Siofra River
Near the Hallowhorn Grounds, the Tarnished can access the top of a semi-collapsed aqueduct. Here, the player will notice an area in the distance that cannot be reached by normal means. This is another area that cannot be accessed by further exploration in the Siofra River.
This secret location can be accessed by traveling to the other side of The Lands Between in Liurnia of the Lakes, specifically to the Four Belfries. By using an imbued sword key on the Third Belfry, it will take the player to the secret area, where they will find the Mottled Necklace and a Lesser Crucible Knight.
4 Finding The Nomadic Merchant
When exploring the main River area (which is populated with Giant Crabs and localized lightning storms), the Tarnished may hear lovely music coming from a hidden area. This is emanating from one of the nomadic merchants, and reaching him might be a bit of a pain if for players who aren't at a high level.
To reach this merchant, the player needs to climb the surrounding scaffolding of the base of an aqueduct. After climbing the ladder, The Tarnished need to fight an Ancestral follower at close range. Next, simply drop to the lower scaffolding and follow the path to the merchant.
3 Bring A Friend
Those struggling mightily with the Siofra River should consider bringing a friend. There are a lot of enemies found patrolling this area and it's easy to become quickly overwhelmed by packs of Ancestral Followers and Claymen. Bringing a friend (or two) along can help players separate groups of enemies. Having a friend tag along to get through some of the more imposing areas of the Siofra Well can make the experience much easier to complete.
2 D's Twin Brother
One of the more enigmatic NPCs in the Roundtable Hold is D, Hunter of the Dead. Completing his questline is certainly worth it, because it will give the player the Twinned Armour Set. Not only is this a strong set of armor, but it it also has another use in Nokron, the Eternal City.
Right before fighting the formidable Valiant Gargoyle Duo, the Tarnished will encounter D's Twin Brother, who will cower in fear unless the player gives him the Twinned Set. If the Tarnished does this, they will be able to summon him to fight the Gargoyles, making the boss fight considerably easier.
1 Acquiring The Fingerslayer Blade
The motive behind Ranni sending the Tarnished to the Eternal City of Nokron is to acquire The Fingerslayer Blade. Finding this item will allow the player to progress further through her questline by being given the Carian Inverted Statue in exchange for the Blade.
The Fingerslayer Blade is located under the giant skeleton statue in the Eternal City and will essentially be the end reward for completing the sub-area, as the Blade represents the symbolic downfall of Nokron. Although be warned, this is a late-game area with challenging enemies.