He is gross. Honestly, there is no other way to put it. The Dung Eater is easily the most unsettling character FromSoftware has ever cooked up, sitting in the Roundtable Hold surrounded by a literal aura of filth and phantom screams. But if you want to reach the end of the game with one of the most depressing yet lore-heavy endings, you’re going to have to figure out how to get to Dung Eater in his physical form. It isn't just about talking to the red ghost in the hallway. No, you have to actually go find the body.
The process is a slog. You’ll be wading through literal excrement in the sewers of a golden city, fighting giant lobsters that have better aim than a professional sniper, and questioning why you’re even helping a guy who wants to curse the entire world. But that's the Elden Ring experience.
Meeting the Omen in the Hold
First things first. You can’t just go find him in the world right away. He doesn't show up in the Roundtable Hold until you’ve reached the Altus Plateau. For most players, this happens after taking the Grand Lift of Dectus or braving the Ruin-Strewn Precipice. Once you’ve touched a Grace on the Plateau, head back to the Hold. Go past the Twin Maiden Husks, through the library where Gideon Ofnir hangs out, and look for a newly opened door.
There he is. A red, translucent figure squatting in a room filled with corpses. He won't talk to you properly at first. He basically tells you to get lost because you don't have the "countenance" of a defiler. To change his mind, you need a Seedbed Curse.
Where to Find Your First Seedbed Curse
You only need one to kickstart the quest. The easiest one is in Leyndell, Royal Capital. From the East Capital Rampart Site of Grace, head out and follow the path along the wall. You’ll eventually find a building with an elevator. Go down, head into the large chamber, and climb the ladder. At the top, you’ll find a body sat in a chair, looking out over the city. That's your ticket. Take that Seedbed Curse back to the ghost in the Hold. He’ll be impressed, or at least less dismissive. He gives you the Sewer-Gaol Key. This is the item that actually lets you get to Dung Eater for real.
Navigating the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds
The sewers. Everyone hates the sewers.
To find the physical Dung Eater, you have to go to the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. This place is a nightmare maze. Accessing it requires you to find the well in the lower parts of Leyndell. If you’re at the Avenue Balcony Grace, head down the stairs, jump over the railing on the left, and look for a literal well you can hop into.
Once you are down there, find the Underground Roadside Site of Grace. This is your home base. From this Grace, head out the door and turn left. You’ll see some holes in the floor covered by iron grates. One of them is open. Drop down.
You are now in the pipes.
Turn right and follow the tunnel. Watch out for the rats; they aren't tough, but they can push you off ledges if you're careless. You’ll eventually reach a larger vertical shaft. Do not fall. Follow the path around until you find a room filled with giant, terrifying plants. Yes, the ones that spray poison and lightning. Run past them. Climb the ladder at the end of the room.
The Cell Door
Once you’re up the ladder, you’ll be in a large corridor. To your right, there are some giant lobsters. Honestly? Just ignore them. If you engage, they will probably kill you through a wall. Look for the jail cells along the wall. The Sewer-Gaol Key opens the one near the end.
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Inside, you’ll find the real Dung Eater. He’s banging his head against the wall. It's a vibe. Talk to him. He’ll tell you to leave, but then he’ll realize who you are. He tells you to "defile" his body or something equally charming. Really, he wants you to let him out so he can go kill people. If you're going for his ending, you have to tell him to leave the gaol.
The Outer Moat Ambush
After you free him, go back to the Roundtable Hold. He’s gone, but he left a message: "I'll defile you next. Come to the outer moat."
The outer moat is located just north of the Capital Ramparts, near where Blackguard Big Boggart (the prawn guy) hangs out. If you haven't done Boggart’s quest, I highly recommend doing it before this. If you buy prawn from Boggart and talk to him, he eventually moves to the moat. If he’s there when you fight the Dung Eater, things get... dark.
When you arrive at the moat, the Dung Eater will invade your world as a red phantom.
He is surprisingly tough. He uses the Sword of Milos, which causes bleed and has a scream ability that lowers your defense. Don't let him get a combo off. Use the water to your advantage or use heavy attacks to break his poise. Once you defeat the phantom, go back to the Roundtable Hold one last time. He’ll be back in his usual spot, but now he’s slumped over. He wants you to bring him more Seedbed Curses.
Collecting the Remaining Seedbed Curses
To finish this and get the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse, you need a total of five Seedbed Curses. There are six in the game, so you have a little bit of wiggle room.
- Leyndell (The one we already got): On the high chair near the ramparts.
- Leyndell (Alternate): In the "Real" Roundtable Hold (the Fortified Manor). It’s in the room that matches the Dung Eater’s room in the hub.
- Volcano Manor: You have to go through a hidden wall and navigate the lava-soaked town. It's on a body near the portal to Rykard.
- Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree: There are two here. One is down a series of balconies from the Prayer Room Grace. The other is further down, guarded by a pair of Cleanrot Knights.
- Blackguard Boggart's Quest: If you followed Boggart's questline, the Dung Eater will kill him in the moat, and you can loot a Seedbed Curse from his body. It’s tragic, but efficient for the quest.
Feeding the Curse
Take the five curses back to his physical body in the sewer cell. One by one, you hand them over. It's a slow process. After the fifth one, the screen fades to black. When it returns, you can loot the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse from his body.
This item is what you need at the very end of the game. After you defeat the final boss, you'll have the option to use this rune to repair the Elden Ring. Doing so triggers the "Blessing of Despair" ending. It’s essentially the "bad" ending, where everyone in the world is born cursed and omen-like forever.
Why Bother?
You might ask why anyone would do this. Aside from the achievement or trophy, the Dung Eater’s armor set—the Omen Armor—is actually incredibly good for high-poise builds. It looks like a collection of cut-off horns and it's quite heavy, but the defensive stats are top-tier. Plus, the Sword of Milos you get from his phantom is a great weapon for FP regeneration.
Critical Tips for the Sewer Path
- Rainbow Stones are life savers. The sewers look identical. If you get lost, start dropping stones. If you see a purple glow, you've been there before.
- Beast-Repellent Torch. Carry this. It keeps the smaller rats from jumping you while you’re trying to navigate the pipes. It won't work on the giant lobsters or the Omen enemies, but it makes the navigation 50% less annoying.
- Light Sources. The area where you actually get to Dung Eater is pitch black in some corners. Use a lantern or a torch so you don't walk off a ledge into a pit of lobsters.
Getting to this NPC is a test of patience more than anything else. It requires navigating the most confusing legacy dungeon in the game and finding items hidden in the literal corners of the map. But if you want the full Elden Ring experience, seeing the Dung Eater's quest through to its grim conclusion is a rite of passage.
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Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your inventory for the Sewer-Gaol Key. If you don't have it, go talk to the red ghost in the Roundtable Hold after finding your first Seedbed Curse.
- Equip a Lantern. You can buy one from the nomadic merchant in Liurnia of the Lakes near the Liurnia Lake Shore Grace. You’ll need it for the pipes.
- Visit the Outer Moat. Even if you aren't ready to give him the curses, defeating his invasion gets you his sword immediately, which is a great mid-game weapon.