Castle Morne walkthrough in Elden Ring

Despite its size, Castle Morne in Elden Ring is not a Legacy Dungeon. You can skip it, but since you would miss out on a Stonesword Key, several new weapons, the Twinblade Talisman, and so much more, it’s better to pay a visit while you’re in the Weeping Peninsula region.

Use this Elden Ring Castle Morne guide to make sure you don’t die (not a lot, at least) or miss any loot. Before you begin, it’s well worth starting Irina’s questline, which ties in heavily with this area.

Castle Morne location

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Elden Ring’s Castle Morne is not exactly an easy location to miss. Go to the Weeping Peninsula, follow the road south, and you’ll see a massive castle appear right in front of you.

On a side note: Don’t let the stone giant scare you away. Despite its size, it’s a very weak foe. Just slash its ankles and continue your way into Castle Morne.

Castle Morne walkthrough

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

First, past the Castle Morne Lift site of grace, activate the elevator by stepping on the pressure plate. This will take you to the first open area, which is filled with Undead Dogs and Misbegotten. The campfires in Castle Morne are surrounded by Smoldering Butterflies, a crafting material to make many fire-based items.

Before crossing the open area, go up the stairs directly to your left and kill the two Undead Dogs to collect a Smithing Stone [2]. Continue your way past the corpses and take down the Pumpkin Head blocking your way. He will drop a Sanctuary Stone, Smithing Stone, or Pumpkin Helm (which is rare). Watch out for the flying Misbegotten and don’t miss the corpse holding three Smithing Stones [1] on your left.

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Before you continue the main route up the ladder, consider climbing the corpse pile first. You only need to take down a few Misbegotten to be able to collect the Fire Grease from the corpse hanging over the wall. There’s a secret passageway behind that corpse (see above) that will lead you to a room with a chest containing a Claymore.

Keep going on your castle tour, and you’ll find several groups of Misbegotten and Soldiers fighting each other. Sit back, relax, and then finish off the survivors. Once you’ve reached the higher stone walls, make sure to collect the Furlcalling Finger Remedy and Steel Torch from the corpses.

After this, you’re back on the main route through Castle Morne. Defeat the Misbegotten on the stone walls ahead, and don’t forget to collect a Golden Rune [2] from the corpse in the middle. If you want extra loot again, don’t go to the campfire in front of you yet. There are two more areas to explore here, one on each side of the stone wall (ladder one and two in the picture).

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Take the ladder to your right to find two Misbegotten (watch out, because one of them will appear from the sky) and a corpse holding two Smithing Stones [2]. Go down the second ladder to find another group of Misbegotten and Soldiers in the midst of an argument. Finish off the survivors and collect the Golden Rune [2] afterward. Then climb the tower and talk to the NPC Edgar, who will give you the Sacrificial Twig Talisman.

If you have started Irina’s questline, this is who you deliver the letter to. (If you haven’t started it yet, it might be wise to do so now.)

Once you’re done with all this, you can finally go to that cozy looking campfire and activate the nearby Behind the Castle site of grace (drop down).

Reaching the Beside the Rampart Gaol site of grace

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Drop down the cliffs to continue your Castle Morne adventure. But beware: Instead of jumping on the rooftop with the grate door, continue ahead. There’s a wooden platform with a corpse holding a Stonesword Key below.

Ahead of you, you will see a stone wall with lots of scared Misbegotten (you can backstab or ignore them, up to you) and a tower up ahead. Before you go there, be sure to enter the room with the caged Spirit NPC on the right. Kill the Misbegotten and loot the corpse for Pickled Turtle Necks, but watch out for the Slime that will drop from the ceiling.

Now, continue toward the tower. After defeating the Misbegotten with the large axe, you can climb the tower to collect the Twinblade Talisman. Climb down again, and jump on the rooftop to the right. Don’t miss the corpse with the three Tarnished Golden Sunflowers.

A bit further ahead, there’s an opening in the floor. Make sure you jump on the wood beams instead of just dropping down, or you’ll die. Also, there’s a corpse holding a Smithing Stone on the first beam.

There are four Rats and a Misbegotten on the floor below you. If you prefer to play it safe, take them out with ranged weapons while you’re still out of reach. After that, drop down to loot another corpse for a Whip weapon, and go outside. Don’t miss the Beside the Rampart Gaol site of grace around the corner on your left!

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

To complete the final part of Castle Morne before the boss, cross the hanging bridge and take out the two sleeping Misbegotten. It’s impossible to sneak up on them, and they’re quite difficult to defeat. Loot the corpse for eight Throwing Daggers, and then go down the ladder.

Before entering the boss area, collect the loot lying around the shore. Next to the tower, just around the corner, you’ll find a corpse with a Somber Smithing Stone [1]. Further up ahead, a giant crab will appear in front of a small cave where you’ll find 15 Fire Arrows.

Castle Morne boss

In case you’ve used some of your flasks while fighting the Misbegotten, here’s a tip: Now that you’ve got the loot, return to the site of grace, get a refill, and drop down from the hanging bridge (skipping over the sleeping Misbegotten this time).

Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Castle Morne’s boss, the Leonine Misbegotten, is a very fast physical damage dealer. He mostly relies on fast horizontal slash combos and jump attacks. The bad news: You probably won’t be able to keep your distance. The good news: Those horizontal strikes can easily be parried. The Leonine Misbegotten is strong against Magic, Lightning, and Holy damage, but weak to Physical damage (especially slash).

Also important to know: You can use your Spirit Summons against this Elden Ring boss. Using upgraded Lone Wolf Ashes is extremely helpful, as they can distract the Leonine Misbegotten while you drain his HP. If you’re after a more detailed breakdown on how to win, our dedicated how to beat Leonine Misbegotten guide can help.

As you deal that last blow against the Leonine Misbegotten, you will be rewarded with a well-earned Grafted Blade Greatsword. This is another useful item in Irina’s questline — so be sure to return to Edgar with it if you are working your way through that.