So, you went and killed Messmer in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. First, well done! That’s no small feat, and you’re closing in on the end game. But there’s a bit more of that nice Shadow Keep navigation to go through to get to the next important area, but we’ll walk you through it.
Your next stop after Messmer will be the Rauh Ancient Ruinsand we’ll walk you through getting there, and navigating the early parts.
How to reach Rauh Ancient Ruins in Shadow of the Erdtree
Start by teleporting yourself back to the Specimen Warehouse, First Floorfor this is the nearest Place of Grace to which we must go.
From here, looking directly at the statue, go to the doorway on the left. Access through and press until you find an elevator which you will jump
When you’re out of the elevator, continue until you’re presented with a bow ahead, and an arcade to the right. You take the one on the right, which will take you to another corridor. The archway to the left of this corridor has a… Jar ‘Person’ waiting to ambush you (1), so stay on your toes and either submit or ignore. Continue straight ahead (2).
When you exit the hallway, take the big one stairs down to reach an infirmary, which is filled with many more Jar-people and smaller Vessels. Take a right when you enter the room, and continue for the doorway at the end. This will take you to a wall with two stairs on either side, continue down them, and go straight ahead.
You will come out into a small bridge area, with the West Rampart Place of Grace waiting as a convenient crossing point. Rest here and then go through the a small arcade by the big door in front.
You’ll come out onto a much larger bridge area, so jump on Torrent and cross. There will be a bunch of bats here, but they shouldn’t offer you much trouble if you choose to ignore them. At the end there will be a Fire Knight however, and they will offer some considerable resistance. Use a high balanced damage weapon to keep them in a wobbling loop and prevent them from pinning you. After he dealt, continue and climb the grand staircase that will end in another elevator. Jump and go up.
When you reach the top, you will meet the Viaduct Minor Tower Place of Graceso rest here before continuing in the Ruins of Rauh. Now as mentioned before, navigating the Ruins of Rauh is a bit of a nightmare in itself, so we’ll guide you through the next Place of Grace in the area so you can continue your adventure from there.
Go through the gate at the Viaduct Place of Grace to enter the Ruins proper, and follow the waterway until you reach a path that leads to a large stone structure, which you will then have to enter.
This underground area is the hard part as it is full of loads of enemies including Scorpions and Curseblades, so running through is your best bet, unless you’re starved for Runes and not up for scrap. There are, however, many items to find, and very many Shade Vase Holderswhich if you spot you should always take for a chance at a Respected Spirit Ash, or Scadutree Fragment.
Go straight until you find a corridor going to the rightand then take a left at the end of it. This will take you to a room with a big brazil, which you will have to approach and drop to progress. Be warned that this fall will hurt you both and Torrent, so make sure you both can survive the fall. In this next room, you need to look around for a square hole in the wallwhich you will have to go through to progress.
Once through the square passage, you will enter a room with some Scorpions, you can either ignore them or fight them, but continue past them all the same. You will come into a larger room with a view to the outside, and you will need progress through and enter the corridor on the rightnext to the arches that overlook the exterior.
Continue until you see a Spiritual Spring, which you can use to get yourself and Torrent safely down. (Make sure you jump straight into the Spring, because it can sometimes have a messy collision and you’ll hit the deck hard and die.) Continue until you reach another Spirit Spring, but this time ignore it and continue. There will be a passage leading to a green area that you will have to go through. Lots of the Fly People here, so don’t delay or they’ll swarm you.
Continue through the green area, and you’ll reach a large opening outside. Here will be a Crucible Knight that drops a unique helmet, so accept him if you are able. You will soon see a Miquella’s crossright next to a Place of Grace.
And with that, congratulations! (Again.) You’ve made it through the early navigational nightmare of the Ruins of Rauh and can continue your journey from here.
If you found this guide helpful, check out other Shadow of the Erdtree content from us here at Pro Game Guides, like our guide on Where to get the Wild Lion’s Claw, or How to get to the Jagged Peak!
