Elden Ring walkthrough: 8 important items and NPCs in Limgrave

Elden RingThis is a mysterious, large-scale game where players can trust each other to find their way. This, of course, can lead to some players missing some important elements — even the tutorial. Whether you’re an experienced player or someone trying out their first FromSoft game, there are some crucial items and events in Elden Ring’s opening area that are unfortunately easy to miss. We’ve rounded up eight specific tasks you’ll want to check off your list in the first 10 or so hours of Elden RingBoth big and small.

The good news is, even if you’ve somehow missed any of these items or events, there’s nothing stopping you from heading back to Elden Ring’s starting area, Limgrave, to poke around.

Get a craft kit

If you haven’t explored the Church of Elleh north of where you started Elden Ring, you will have missed a merchant named Kalé. He’s very noticeable once you get to that area; he’s dressed like Santa. Kalé mentions the Crafting Kit when you first meet, but he doesn’t exactly force it on you. Perhaps he should, though, because this item is essential: It’s the only way you can craft items in Elden Ring. It costs 50 runes to complete the kit.

Kalé also sells Cookbooks, which are collections of recipes for crafting items. He’s got a few, and there are others you’ll find around the Elden Ringthe entire world, from merchants to enemy corps.

A torch is essential

While you’re visiting the Church of Elleh, buy a torch from Kalé as well. You can find some It is reallyExplore dark caves and explore the surrounding areas Elden Ring, and they’ll be a pain in the ass if you don’t have a torch. You’ll be able to play the game without using a torch, of course, but do you want to? You probably won’t! Your torch could also be used to make a weapon.

Players may later find the lantern attached to their body. This has the exact same function as the torch. It’s nice because you can use it without it needing to be held in one of your hands, which could otherwise be holding a weapon or shield.

Talk to Melina

Image by FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Melina is a character you’ll meet after visiting and resting at three different sites of grace in Elden Ring. If, for some reason, you’ve only been visiting two of them over and over, find a third one! Sites of grace are helpful because they’re checkpoints and fast travel locations, but also, meeting Melina transforms them into places where you can level up. Most players’ third site of grace appears to be at the Gatefront Ruins, but Melina will show up at whatever your third site is in Elden Ring’s open world. Once you meet Melina, you’ll be able to give her runes at these sites in order to get more powerful.

Melina gives you an extra whistle when you meet her for the first time. This whistle can be used to summon your ghost horses. The horse named Torrent makes it easier to travel, can be used to fight on horseback at high speeds, and allows you to access new places that only Torrent is able to jump to. You’ll also want to simply keep Melina around and keep chatting with her — she’s necessary in reaching Roundtable Hold, where merchants and NPCs can help you.

Grab the Whetstone Knife

While you’re near the site of grace at the Gatefront Ruins, make sure to pick up the Whetstone Knife. There’s a camp full of guards and wolves in front of that site; you’ll need to clear it so that you can explore it and find a small, dark staircase leading to an underground tunnel with a treasure chest inside. You will find the Whetstone Knife and an Ash of War item, which can only be used by that knife.

(Also, a note: These guards can be pretty tough, and there’s one big guy with a big spear who is particularly hard. Stealth is the best way to deal with these guards. If a guard sees you, they’ll notify the others, and you definitely don’t want a pack of these guys — and wolves — fighting you all at once.)

With the Whetstone Knife, players can add Ashes of War as an attachment to their weapons. This gives them special powers. Storm Stomp, the Storm Knife companion is what you will get. You can use it on melee weapons to “kick up a momentary storm,” according to its description.

You’ll find more Ashes of War around the world of Elden RingNow that you own the Whetstone Knife you can attach it to weapons. This will allow you to choose which power-ups and special attacks you prefer. After players locate the Whetstone knife, they will be able to access the Ashes of War menu at Sites of Grace.

Pick up Renna’s Spirit Calling Bell

After you’ve met Melina, travel back to the Church of Elleh (the area where you spoke to Kalé, also known as Santa) and meet Renna, a ghostly blue woman in a huge witchy hat. She’ll have an item called the Spirit Calling Bell to give you. This is It is really useful. With it, you can summon spirits — like a spirit jellyfish — to help you in battle.

Renna will grant you the Lone Wolf Spirit to get started. To use the summon, you only need to equip the Lone Wolf spirit (you can’t equip the bell itself). When you’re in extra-difficult areas of the game, you’ll gain the ability to summon these ghostly helpers.

Over the course of the game, you’ll find more spirits to summon. These are all over, including in dungeons.

Flask of Wondrous Physick

You’ll find this special item at the Church of Marika, in the upper, eastern side of Limgrave. It’ll be on the ground near a statue. What does it do? This item can be consumed, and it has the ability to have different effects through crystal tears.

You can only use it once per day. However, you should know that crystal tears can only ever be obtained by killing Erdtree Avatars. These are quite difficult! Thankfully, it’s just one way to earn these, though; they’re also available in the world. These effects can vary depending on what crystal tears you choose to use in your own recipe.

Patches is the Untethered – Meet Patches to Save It

When you meet Patches in Murkwater Cave (along the Murkwater River), he’ll attack you for opening one of his chests. You shouldn’t kill him, though. Get some damage in, but don’t deal a final blow. Once his health is low enough, he’ll surrender — at which point you can kill him or let him live. If you let him live, he’ll set up shop at the cave and become a merchant. In particular, he’s got an item (Margit’s Shackle) that could help in your fight against Margit, The Fell Omen. If you kill him, you’ll get an item from him that will later lead to you getting access to his shop. There’s also an option here to follow a Patches quest line, sparked by opening a different chest that transports you to a different area.

Rodericka should be sought after

Rodericka is located in the Stormhill Shack, and she’s got a few things to hand over. The one is Sitting Sideways and the other the famous jellyfish spirit. After she is transferred to Roundtable hold, she returns. After a short quest line, which has a few variations, you’ll introduce her to the blacksmith in the area, and she’ll be able to upgrade your spirit summons. You can have more powerful friends!