You finally made it. After surviving the gauntlet of the Gravesite Plain and carving your way through the Shadow Keep’s main gate, you step into the Specimen Storehouse Elden Ring players have been whispering about since the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC launched. It’s overwhelming. Your neck craned up at the sheer verticality of the place, you realize this isn't just a room. It's a library of horrors. Honestly, it’s one of the most intimidating spaces FromSoftware has ever built, and that’s saying something for the studio that gave us Anor Londo and Leyndell.
The air feels heavy. Thick with the smell of old parchment and—let’s be real—decaying beast parts. Messmer the Impaler didn't just want to conquer the Realm of Shadow; he wanted to catalog it. Every floor of this massive tower is a testament to that obsession. You aren’t just looking at bookshelves. You're looking at the preserved remains of a culture being systematically erased. It’s a museum of the macabre.
Navigating the Specimen Storehouse: Why It Feels Like a Maze
The first time you walk into the Specimen Storehouse Elden Ring throws a lot at you. You have the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace right there, but looking up, you see a tangled web of wooden walkways, stone stairs, and hanging specimens that look like they belong in a nightmare. It’s vertical. Very vertical.
Most people get lost here because they try to treat it like a flat dungeon. You can’t do that. You have to think in layers. You’ve got the lower floors where the Fire Knights roam like they own the place (well, they basically do), and then you have the rafters where the Vulgar Militiamen wait to poke you off a ledge. One wrong step and it's a long way down. I’ve seen players lose hundreds of thousands of runes because they underestimated a jump between two bookshelves. Don't be that person.
The layout is actually a genius bit of looping design. You’ll find yourself kicking down ladders that lead back to the start, realizing that the "top" of the room you were just in is actually the "floor" of the next section. It’s a puzzle. A big, bloody, dusty puzzle.
The Fire Knights and the Shadow of Messmer
Let’s talk about the Fire Knights. They are the absolute worst. If you’re exploring the Specimen Storehouse Elden Ring forces you to deal with these guys constantly. They aren't your typical armored grunts. They move fast. Their fire magic tracks you with annoying precision.
Specifically, watch out for the ones wielding the daggers. They have this one-two slash combo that can stun-lock you before you even realize you’re hit. And the magic? It’s not just "fire." It’s the Flame of Messmer. It lingers. It burns. It’s a visual reminder that you are a trespasser in a holy site dedicated to a god of genocide.
- Fire Knight Queelign: He’s the one that really sticks in your mind.
- The Page enemies: Little guys with crossbows. They seem weak until they fire three explosive bolts into your chest while you’re distracted by a giant jar.
- The Shadow Undead: Mostly just there to trip you up or push you off a ledge.
The lore implications here are staggering. These knights aren't just guards; they are curators. They are protecting the "specimens"—the preserved bodies of Hornsent, the creatures of the Rauh Ruins, and even the bizarre, fleshy masses that look like they came from the jars. It’s dark stuff. Really dark.
Finding the Secret Path to the Hinterlands
A lot of players finish the Specimen Storehouse Elden Ring offers and think they’ve seen it all. They kill the boss, they move on. But they miss the best part. There is a hidden path that leads to the Hinterlands, a secret area of the map that changes everything you know about Marika’s past.
To find it, you need the "O Mother" gesture. You get that in Bonny Village. Then, you head to the Storehouse, Back Section. You have to navigate some precarious rafters and drop down into a hidden chapel area. There’s a statue of Marika. If you use the gesture there, the wall moves. It’s a classic FromSoftware moment. The kind that makes you scream "How was I supposed to know that?!" at your monitor.
The Hinterlands are quiet. Beautiful. Golden. It’s a jarring contrast to the cramped, dark corridors of the Storehouse. It’s where you find the Shaman Village. No enemies. Just music and flowers. It recontextualizes the Storehouse. You realize the Storehouse is where Messmer kept the things his mother wanted to forget.
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The Boss at the Top: Commander Gaius or Messmer?
Depending on which way you go, the Specimen Storehouse acts as a hub for several major encounters. Most notably, it leads you toward Messmer the Impaler himself, the poster child for the DLC. Fighting him is a dance. A fast, fiery, terrifying dance. He’s got that reach with the spear, and when he enters his second phase—well, let’s just say snakes are involved. Lots of them.
But there’s also the back exit. If you head out the back of the Specimen Storehouse Elden Ring opens up toward the Shadow Keep’s rear, leading to Commander Gaius. He’s the guy on the boar. He’s tough. He’s fast. He hits like a truck.
The fact that one building connects the most emotional lore reveal (the Shaman Village), the main antagonist (Messmer), and a brutal optional boss (Gaius) is just wild. It’s the heart of the Shadow Keep. If the Keep is the body of Messmer’s army, the Storehouse is the brain. It’s where the plans were made, where the history was rewritten, and where the "unwanted" were stored away in jars.
Key Items You Simply Cannot Miss
You shouldn't leave without grabing a few specific things. The level is so dense that it's easy to walk right past legendary items.
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- The Secret Rite Scroll: Essential for Ansbach’s questline. If you miss this, you’re going to have a hard time finishing the NPC stories correctly. It's tucked away on a table near the Fourth Floor Site of Grace.
- Boltdrake Talisman +3: Great for lightning defense, which you’ll need later.
- Various Scadutree Fragments: There are at least two hidden in different nooks of the Storehouse. Given how scaling works in the DLC, skipping these is basically a death sentence.
Actionable Steps for Navigating the Storehouse
If you’re currently staring at the First Floor Site of Grace and feeling dread, here is exactly how to handle it.
First, clear the bottom floor entirely. Don't try to run past the Fire Knights. They will chase you up the stairs and corner you. Use a heavy weapon or something with high poise damage to break their guard. They are surprisingly squishy once you get past their aggressive AI.
Second, look for the lever. There is a massive lever on the upper floors that moves the central specimen hanging from the ceiling. This is the "Aha!" moment of the dungeon. Pulling it rotates the platforms and allows you to reach the higher rafters and the boss door. If you feel like you've hit a dead end, you probably just haven't found the lever yet.
Third, talk to Sir Ansbach and Redmane Freyja. They are both hanging out in the Storehouse at various points. Their questlines intersect here. If you give the Secret Rite Scroll to the wrong person or at the wrong time, you might lock yourself out of some cool gear. Read the item descriptions. They tell you who wants what.
Finally, don't forget the elevators. There are several shortcuts that link the different floors. Once you unlock the elevator near the First Floor, the run back to the upper levels becomes a breeze.
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The Specimen Storehouse Elden Ring featured is more than a level; it's a narrative device. It tells the story of a crusade through the things it left behind. The jars, the stuffed omens, the piles of books—it’s all there to show you the cost of Marika’s order. It’s messy, it’s confusing, and it’s brilliant. Just remember to keep your shield up and your eyes on the ceiling. Those Vulgar Militiamen are always watching.