You’re standing at the South Raya Lucaria Gate. It’s massive. Magical blue seals are blocking your path, and the game basically tells you to get lost unless you have an invitation. This is the moment most Elden Ring players realize the Lands Between doesn’t care about their feelings. You need the Academy Glintstone Key. Without it, the entire middle chunk of the Liurnia of the Lakes progression is locked off. Honestly, it’s one of those "aha!" moments that can quickly turn into a "where the hell is it?" moment if you don’t know where to look.
Most people assume it’s hidden in some nearby dungeon. It isn't.
If you check the corpse slumped against the gate, you’ll find a "Meeting Place Map." It’s a crude drawing. It points toward a group of rocks in the lake to the west of the Academy. That’s your destination. But there’s a catch, and it’s a big, scaly, fire-breathing one.
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The Dragon Problem Near the Academy Glintstone Key
The key is located behind a massive glintstone outcrop in the water, guarded by a dragon named Smarag. Smarag isn't just a regular dragon; he’s a Glintstone Dragon, meaning he breathes magic instead of fire. If you’re underleveled, he will delete your health bar in roughly 0.5 seconds.
Here’s the thing: you don't actually have to fight him.
Seriously. You can just ride Torrent, your spectral steed, and bolt right past him. Smarag is usually sleeping when you first arrive. If you’re quiet—or just very fast—you can loop around his backside, grab the Academy Glintstone Key off the sorcerer’s corpse resting against the rock, and warp out of there before he even finishes his "I'm awake and angry" animation. It feels a bit like a heist. It’s satisfying.
If you do decide to fight him, keep in mind he has high magic resistance. If you’re playing a mage, you’re going to have a bad time trying to use glintstone pebbles against a glintstone dragon. Use physical damage or rock sling.
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Getting to the Landmark
To find this spot, start at the Temple Quarter Site of Grace. From there, look north-northeast. You’ll see a giant rock formation sticking out of the water. That’s Smarag’s nest.
The exact coordinates are north of the Temple Quarter. If you reach the woods where the giant crawdads (lobsters) are, you’ve gone too far. Those lobsters are actually more dangerous than the dragon anyway. Their sniper-spit is legendary for ruining lives. Avoid them at all costs.
Why One Key Isn't Enough
So, you got the key. You entered the Academy. You probably died to a few burger-king-looking sorcerers. But eventually, you’ll run into an NPC named Thops. He’s a "bluntstone" sorcerer hanging out at the Church of Irith, right near the start of Liurnia.
Thops wants a key too.
You can’t give him yours. If you do, you can't get back into the Academy if you leave (until you find the other one). This is where things get tricky. There is a second Academy Glintstone Key hidden deep inside the Academy of Raya Lucaria itself.
The Rooftop Run
Finding the second key is a parkour nightmare. After you beat the Red Wolf of Radagon—the big glowing dog that jumps around like it’s on caffeine—you’ll reach the Debate Parlor Site of Grace. Go outside into the courtyard. Turn left, jump up the crumbling wall, and start climbing the rooftops.
It’s a long trek. You’ll be dodging marionette soldiers and flying gargoyles. Eventually, you’ll find yourself on the rafters above the Church of the Cuckoo (the very first building you entered in the Academy). Look down.
There is a chandelier.
On that chandelier sits a corpse with the second Academy Glintstone Key. You have to drop down onto the rafters and then onto the chandelier to grab it. If you miss the jump, you’re dead. This is classic FromSoftware design: putting a vital item on a literal light fixture.
Common Misconceptions About the Key
I’ve seen a lot of people think the key is a random drop from sorcerers. It’s not. It’s a fixed world item. You won't find it by farming mobs in the Raya Lucaria Crystal Tunnel or by killing the boss at the end of the lake.
Another weird thing? People think they can skip the key by jumping into the Academy from the cliffs above. You can't. There are invisible walls and "kill planes" everywhere to prevent that. The game really wants you to meet Smarag or do the rooftop run.
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Also, once you give the second key to Thops, he moves. Check the Academy later, near the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace. You might find something somber waiting for you. It’s a tragic little side quest that adds a lot of flavor to the world.
Navigating Liurnia Without Getting Lost
Liurnia is a swamp. Everything looks the same when the fog rolls in. If you’re struggling to find the "Meeting Place" because you can’t see five feet in front of your face, use the map markers.
Open your map. Look for the small, dark pillar icons. Those indicate where Map Fragments are. If you don't have the map fragment for North Liurnia, finding the dragon is going to be a nightmare of wandering in circles while giant lobsters snipe you from the mist.
- Get the Map Fragment first. It’s located on the road leading toward the Academy.
- Locate the Temple Quarter. It's the ruins to the west of the Academy’s main island.
- Head North from the Temple Quarter until you see the dragon.
Actionable Next Steps for Success
Once you have that first Academy Glintstone Key, don't just rush the front door if you're low level. The Academy is a significant step up in difficulty from Limgrave.
- Upgrade your weapon to at least +6 or +7 (Standard) or +2 or +3 (Somber) before tackling the bosses inside.
- Equip Magic Resistance gear. The sorcerers inside deal almost exclusively magic damage. The Spelldrake Talisman is your best friend here.
- Check the map behind the gate guard. Even though I told you where it is, looking at the map in your inventory triggers certain dialogue flags that can be helpful for following NPC quests later.
- Go back to Thops. Even if you don't have the second key yet, talking to him early ensures his questline progresses correctly once you do find the chandelier key.
Ride to the rock, grab the loot, and get out. The Academy is waiting, and honestly, the boss inside is one of the most visual spectacles in the entire game. It's worth the headache of dodging a dragon.