The Lands Between in Elden Ring is a vast world that packs many secrets. The game doesn’t hold your hand for anything, so it is up to you to roam until you stumble upon a place of interest. For example, the Lake of Rot in Elden Ring is a nasty pond of disease that you must cross to finish a late-game quest.
However, it doesn’t show up on the map until you reach the place yourself. So, how to get to the Lake of Rot in Elden Ring? This article will guide you on your every step to reach this nasty pond of diseases.
Why is the Lake of Rot important?
The Lake of Rot in Elden Ring is a red lake that inflicts you with Scarlet Rot, a deadly parasitic disease. The way to this lake is through the underground regions of the game. So, it is less likely that you may stumble upon it without a proper guideline. The area is important to complete Ranni’s quest and to reach the Grand Cloister to face Astel, Naturalborn of The Void.
Moreover, you can also find various important weapons that can help you defeat the later enemies in the main storyline. To sum it up, the Lake of Rot in Elden Ring is a remote area in Elden Ring that you must cross to open up a whole new section of the map. Here are some of the key elements that you can find in this region:
Loot:
- Warming Stone
- Scorpion’s Stinger
- Remembrance of the Naturalborn
- Preserving Boluses
- Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook (22)
- Mushroom Crown
- Lightningproof Dried Liver
- Immunizing Horn Charm +1
- Golden Rune (7)
- Golden Rune (10)
- Fan Daggers
- Dragonscale Blade (from Dragonkin Soldier boss)
- Alabaster Lord’s Sword
Enemies:
- Ulcerated Tree Spirit
- Lesser Kindred of Rot
- Dragonkin Soldier
- Basilisk
- Astel, Naturalborn of the Void
- Ancestral Follower
- Alabaster Lord
How to reach the Lake of Rot?
The only way to reach the Lake of Rot in Elden Ring is through a secret portal in Renna’s Rise. You must first reach and clear the underground section of the Ainsel River to find this portal. Here are the steps that you must follow in the correct order to reach the Lake of Rot:
Step 1: Ranni’s Quest
There are a few prerequisites that you must complete before you can properly start Ranni’s questline. For instance, you must get the Spirit Calling Bell from Renna, clear Limgrave, unlock the Raya Lucaria Academy in Liurnia of the Lakes, and defeat Rennala, The Queen of the Full Moon. After defeating Rennala, head toward the northwestern area of Liurnia till you reach Caria Manor.
Beware, this area can be very challenging for players below character level 40. So, it would be best to finish other quests and level up before proceeding to Caria Manor. Once you clear this area, you will unlock Renna’s Rise, Ranni’s Rise, and Seluvis’s Rise.
Head to Ranni’s Rise and speak with Ranni to start the questline. The first thing she asks of you is to help out Blaidd. So, speak with Blaidd and finish his quest by defeating Radahn at the castle. Once you defeat the boss, a new crater will appear beside Stormhill Castle.
Enter the crater to reach Nokron, the Eternal City. You must progress through Nokron to retrieve the Fingerslayer Blade, an important item for Ranni’s quest. After dealing with Blaidd, return to Ranni and give her the blade. After this quest, you will gain the Carian Inverted Statue and flip the entire structure.
Step 2: Reach Nokstella, Eternal City
After receiving the Carian Inverted Statue, head eastwards till you reach the Carian Study Hall. Use the Inverted Statue to flip the entire building so that you can reach the top floor. Fall to the top of the structure and head towards the Divine Tower of Liurna to find Ranni’s body.
Search her body to find the Cursemark of Death to unlock Renna’s Rise. Next, head to Renna’s Rise Tower, make your way to the top floor, and activate the portal to reach Ainsel River Main. Search the nearby area to find the Miniature Ranni Doll. Travel along the river to reach Nokstella, Eternal City.
Step 3: Reach the Lake of Rot
Rest at the nearest Site of Grace (Nokstella Site of Grace) and choose to speak with the doll. The doll won’t respond unless you interact with her three times. From the Nokstella Site of Grace, head west till you reach an elevator near the stream.
Beware of the rot enemies that you may encounter on your way. The best way is to learn the Flame, Cleanse Me incantation, or gather as many preserving boluses as possible. Use the elevator to head down to the Nokstella Waterfall Basin. Continue straight from the lift to fight the Baleful Shadow boss. After defeating the Baleful Shadow boss, head past the arena till you reach the Lake of Rot.
How to cross the Lake of Rot?
For most players, the purpose of reaching the Lake of Rot is to explore the hidden areas of the game. However, it is a disease-inflicted lake that causes Scarlet Rot buildup if you stay in it for too long. So, once you enter the lake, you must quickly make your way through it to reach the Grand Cloister ruins.
You may find a few broken pillars and structures on your way, but they are too far apart. In short, the only way to cross the Lake of Rot is by sprinting through it. There are two main strategies to cross the Lake of Rot, i.e., the Bulldozing method and the cautious approach.
The Bulldozing method
For the bulldozing technique, you must wear any rot-resistant gear and gather at least 7-11 Flasks of Crimson tears. The goal is to run as fast as you can, avoiding any enemies till you reach the Grand Cloister ruins Site of Grace.
You can use the broken pillars and structures on your way to recover your HP and remove the Scarlet Rot buff. Start at the northern side of the shore and sprint as fast as you can in a straight line while wearing any protective gear.
Make a stop at any safe pillar every once in a while to recover your HP with Crimson Tears and remove the Scarlet Rot buff with Flame, Cleanse Me, or Preserving Boluses. However, be careful, as the rot-infected frogs will ambush you randomly. So, be quick to move once you have recovered from the damage.
The Cautious Method
The cautious method is actually the generic method of crossing the Lake of Rot. In this technique, the players must make their own path all the way to the Grand Cloister ruins Site of Grace. However, the cautious router doesn’t make it a walk in the park. You will still need to equip all rot-resistant gear, collect anti-rot consumables, and stack up the Flasks of Crimson Tears. First, start moving from the northern side of the lake’s shore till you reach the large platform with a single broken pillar.
There are two paths from here; the one on the right is free from dangers, whereas the one on the left leads you to the Dragonkin Soldier Field Boss. So, you must choose your path according to your plan at this point. In any case, walk from one obelisk to the next, activating the pressure plates and recovering your HP and Rot status along the way.
How to resist Scarlet Rot?
My advice is that you must stock the following resources before jumping into the pool of Scarlet Rot:
- Flasks of Crimson Tears
- Preserving Boluses
- Speckled Hardtear
Moreover, you can also get some external protection to resist the rot buildup. Following are the key items that you can use to resist damage due to Scarlet Rot:
Incantations:
- Law of Regression
- Flame Cleanse Me
Equipment:
- Ant’s Skull Plate
- Guardian Set
- Mushroom Set
- Perfumer’s Shield
- Spiralhorn Shield
Consumables:
- Dappled Cured Meat
- Dappled White Cured Meat
- Immunizing Cured Meat
- Immunizing White Cured Meat
Talismans:
- Mottled Necklace
- Immunizing Horn Charm
FAQs
What is the best way to cross the Lake of Rot?
Currently, there are two well-known methods to cross the Lake of Rot, i.e., the bulldozer method and the cautious method. The bulldozer method means that you must quickly sprint through the lake while recovering your HP on the broken pillars till you reach the Cloister ruins Site of Grace. On the contrary, the cautious method includes going from one platform to the next to activate the pressure plates and slowly making your way to the Site of Grace.
How to reach Nokstella, Eternal City in Elden Ring?
Complete Ranni’s quest to receive the Carian Inverted Statue. Next, you must travel to the eastern ledge of Liurnia to the Carian Study Hall. Use the Inverted Statue to flip the entire building so that you can reach the top floor. Head towards the Divine Tower of Liurna to find the Cursemark of Death from Ranni’s body.
Next, head to Renna’s Rise Tower, make your way to the top floor, and activate the portal to reach Ainsel River Main. Search the nearby area to find the Miniature Ranni Doll. Travel along the river to reach Nokstella, Eternal City.
How to get rid of the Scarlet Rot?
Scarlet Rot is a parasitic buff in Elden Ring. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to cure Scarlet Rot if you ever get it (and you will work for sure). The easiest way to cure the Rot disease is either by consuming Preserving Boluses or by using the Flame, Cleanse Me incantation. The incantation method will take away your HP but remove the Scarlet Rot status.
How to defeat the Baleful Shadow boss?
The Baleful Shadow boss can only attack in close-range combat. So, the key to defeating him is to stay away from him and attack with a ranged weapon. If you prefer a strength-based build, then attack with arrows. Otherwise, magic spells would do just fine. Moreover, you must be quick to dodge and move away from him when he tries to get close to you.
Why is Blaidd attacking me in Elden Ring?
Blaidd is a friendly NPC who seeks your help in defeating Radahn. However, he can turn aggressive and retaliate if you attack him on purpose or by mistake. Either way, this act doesn’t change the course of the story, and you can continue Ranni’s quest by defeating him. In my opinion, it would be best to avoid attacking him at all costs to prevent unwanted conflict.
Conclusion
The Lake of Rot in Elden Ring is a secret area in the game that you must cross to reach the Grand Cloister ruins. However, you must progress in Ranni’s questline and defeat Radahn to reach Nokstella, Eternal City. Moreover, the Lake of Rot is not available on the map unless you explore it yourself. So, how to reach the Lake of Rot in Elden Ring? This article provides a detailed guide on this topic and how to survive the horrors of the Scarlet Rot.
