You’ve seen them. If you’ve spent any time at all wandering through the Shadow of the Erdtree expansion for Elden Ring, those massive, crumbling stone arches and the moss-choked pillars of the Ancient Ruins of Rauh are hard to miss. They basically dominate the northwestern skyline of the Land of Shadow. But getting there? That’s a whole different story. It’s a place that feels distinct from the rest of the game—less like a gothic castle and more like a decaying, overgrown jungle temple that’s been forgotten by time itself.
It’s weirdly beautiful. Honestly, it’s one of the most striking areas FromSoftware has ever built, but it’s also a total nightmare to navigate if you don’t know where the elevators are.
Most players stumble upon the lower levels first, looking at the towering structures from the base of the ravine. But the real "Ancient Ruins of Rauh" experience happens on the upper plateaus. This is where the lore gets deep. We aren't just looking at random rubble. These ruins predate the Erdtree. They predate Marika. They belong to a civilization that worshipped the "Crucible" in its most raw, chaotic form. When you see the intricate carvings of birds and the strange, multi-faced statues, you’re looking at the remnants of a culture that saw divinity in the tangled mess of life before the Golden Order tried to neatness everything up.
What You’re Actually Seeing in the Ancient Ruins of Rauh
The first thing you’ll notice is the scale. It’s massive. The architecture is heavy, brutalist in a way, with thick stone slabs and bridges that look like they were built to hold something much larger than a human. This is the Rauh civilization. While the base game focuses on the Leyndell era, Rauh takes us back to the "Ancient Dynasty" vibes we saw in the Siofra River and Mohgwyn Palace, but with more sunlight and significantly more rot.
The rot is a big deal here.
Specifically, the "Kindred of Rot"—those shrimp-looking guys—have basically moved in. It makes sense, right? If the Golden Order abandoned this place, something else was going to claim it. You’ll find them skittering across the bridges, guarded by those terrifying, multi-armed Scorpion Stewards. It’s a classic FromSoftware move: take a beautiful, sun-drenched ruin and fill it with things that want to impale you from a hundred yards away.
The Connection to the Hornsent
One of the biggest misconceptions is that the Ancient Ruins of Rauh were built by the Hornsent. That’s not quite right. While the Hornsent definitely used these ruins and treated them as a holy site, they seem to be inheritors rather than the original architects. Look at the masonry. The stones in Rauh are different from the Belurat architecture. They are older. Grittier.
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There’s a specific boss here—the Divine Beast Dancing Lion (the one in the ruins, not the Belurat one)—that really drives home the spiritual weight of this place. The ruins serve as a bridge between the primal forces of the world and the "culture" that the Hornsent tried to build. It’s a place of ritual. You can almost feel the weight of the thousands of years of worship that happened here before Messmer the Impaler showed up and burned everything to the ground.
How to Actually Get Into the Ruins
Getting in is a pain. You can't just walk there. Most people try to jump from the Scadu Altus, which usually ends in a "You Died" screen.
- The Main Route: You have to go through Shadow Keep. Specifically, the West Rampart. After you clear a path through the storehouse and deal with the Fire Knights, there’s a bridge that leads straight into the ruins.
- The Lower Level: You can reach the base of the ruins by heading north through the Ravine North Site of Grace. This won't get you to the bosses, but it’s where you find some of the best crafting materials and those weird, glowing golems.
Wait, let's talk about the golems for a second. These things are ancient. They aren't like the ones in Limgrave. They are covered in moss and seem to be part of the ruins themselves. They are the silent protectors of a dead world. If you want the "Golem Fist" weapon, you're going to be spending a lot of time in the lower sections of the Ancient Ruins of Rauh farming these guys. It’s a rare drop, so be prepared for a grind.
The Bosses and Why They Matter
Romina, Saint of the Bud. That’s the name you need to remember. She’s the big boss of this area, located at the Church of the Bud. Her lore is tragic, honestly. When Messmer’s crusade burned the world, she found a "divine element" in the rot. She didn't just succumb to it; she embraced it.
She is effectively the "Malenia" of the Shadow Realm, but her rot feels more... biological? Less like a curse and more like a desperate evolution. Fighting her is a dance of dodging pink butterflies and massive stinger sweeps. She’s the gatekeeper to the Sealing Tree, which means you have to beat her to progress the main story.
But she isn't the only threat.
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The Furnace Golem patrolling the entrance is a total jerk. If you don't have Hefty Fire Pots, you're going to have a bad time. And then there’s the Devonia, the Crucible Knight. He’s standing there, overlooking the valley, just waiting to ruin your day with his hammer. Why is a Crucible Knight here? Because, as we established, Rauh is the heart of the Crucible's old power. He’s a remnant of an age where being "half-beast" wasn't a sin, but a sign of grace.
Hidden Secrets You Probably Missed
The Ancient Ruins of Rauh are a vertical maze. If you stay on the main paths, you’re missing about 40% of the content. There are invisible bridges—classic Miyazaki—that lead to isolated towers containing powerful talismans.
- The Talisman of All-Talisman: Okay, it's actually the "Fine Print Talisman," but you get the point. Look for the broken archways that seem to lead nowhere.
- Spiritsprings: Some are sealed. You’ll need to find the small rock piles nearby and smash them to "unlock" the air current. This is the only way to reach the highest peaks of the ruins where the best loot hides.
- The Map Fragment: It’s actually located at the base of the ruins, not in the elevated city part. You have to ride through the ravine to find it. Without it, you’ll be flying blind in a forest of gray stone.
It’s easy to get frustrated. The map doesn't show the verticality well. You think you're standing on a treasure icon, but the treasure is 200 feet above you or tucked in a basement filled with spiders. It’s a test of patience.
The Aesthetic of Decay
The color palette in Rauh is what sets it apart. While the rest of the Land of Shadow is often oppressive—reds, blacks, and dark purples—the Ancient Ruins of Rauh are surprisingly green. It’s a "reclaimed by nature" look. It reminds me of the ancient Mayan ruins or Angkor Wat. There is a sense of peace there, at least until a giant fly tries to eat your head. This juxtaposition is what makes Elden Ring's world-building so top-tier. The most dangerous places are often the most beautiful.
Hidetaka Miyazaki and the team at FromSoftware clearly wanted to show that the "Shadow" wasn't just a place of death, but a place where life—even warped, rotting life—refused to quit.
Why Rauh Still Matters for the Lore
We spend so much time talking about Marika’s betrayal and Miquella’s journey, but the Ancient Ruins of Rauh represent the "Before Times." They represent the world that had to be suppressed for the Golden Order to exist. Every time you pick up a Rauh-era item, the description hints at a time when the world was much more chaotic and "blended."
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The architecture suggests a society that was advanced, organized, and deeply spiritual. They weren't "monsters." They were people who saw the world differently. When you burn the Sealing Tree at the end of this zone, you’re essentially destroying the last physical anchor of this ancient era. It’s a heavy moment if you stop to think about it.
Actionable Tips for Your First Visit
Don't just run in. You'll die.
First, make sure you have a high "Immunity" stat. The rot in the lower levels and during the Romina fight is no joke. Use the Flame, Cleanse Me incantation—it’s a lifesaver here. Second, bring a ranged weapon. There are several snipers on the high arches that will knock you off your horse before you even see them.
Third, look up. Seriously. The level design is heavily vertical. If you see a ledge, there’s probably a way to get to it. Most of the best spirit ashes and upgrade materials are hidden on these side paths.
Finally, don't ignore the ruins' base. While the "story" happens at the top, the lore and the map are at the bottom. Start at the "Rauh Ancient Ruins, East" site of grace and work your way through the inner complexes systematically. Mark the elevators on your map. You’ll thank me later when you’re trying to find your way back to a lost bloodstain.
The Ancient Ruins of Rauh aren't just a level; they’re a piece of history. They tell the story of what the world was before the gods we know took over. It’s messy, it’s confusing, and it’s beautiful. Just watch out for the scorpions. They really, really hate visitors.
Next Steps for Your Journey:
Check your inventory for the "Antipurification" items before heading into the Church of the Bud. Locate the Spiritspring stone piles in the central plaza to unlock the path to the Divine Beast Warrior. Lastly, ensure you have collected the Map Fragment from the pillar in the northern ravine to make sense of the multi-layered layout. This is one area where "winging it" will lead to hours of backtracking.
Go slow, look for the hidden elevators, and pay attention to the statues—they usually point the way to something important. Once you've cleared the ruins, you'll have a much better understanding of why the Land of Shadow had to be hidden away in the first place.