Is Castle Morne a main dungeon?

Despite its size, Castle Morne is not a Legacy Dungeon. You can skip it, but since you would miss out on a Stonesword Key, several new weapons, the Twinblade Talisman, and so much more, it’s better to pay a visit while you’re in the Weeping Peninsula region.

Use this Elden Ring Castle Morne guide to make sure you don’t die (not a lot, at least) or miss any loot.


Castle Morne Elden Ring location

Is Castle Morne a main dungeon?
Castle Morne sits at the southern tip of the Weeping Peninsula. Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Elden Ring’s Castle Morne is not exactly an easy location to miss. Go to the Weeping Peninsula, follow the road south, and you’ll see a massive castle appear right in front of you.

On a side note: Don’t let the stone giant scare you away. Despite its size, it’s a very weak foe. Just slash its ankles and continue your way into Castle Morne.


Castle Morne enemies and items

Is Castle Morne a main dungeon?
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

First, past the Castle Morne Lift site of grace, activate the elevator by stepping on the pressure plate. This will take you to the first open area, which is filled with Undead Dogs and Misbegotten. The campfires in Castle Morne are surrounded by Smoldering Butterflies, a crafting material to make many fire-based items.

Before crossing the open area, go up the stairs directly to your left and kill the two Undead Dogs to collect a Smithing Stone [2]. Continue your way past the corpses and take down the Pumpkin Head blocking your way. He will drop a Sanctuary Stone, Smithing Stone, or Pumpkin Helm (which is rare). Watch out for the flying Misbegotten and don’t miss the corpse holding three Smithing Stones [1] on your left.

Is Castle Morne a main dungeon?
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Before you continue the main route up the ladder, consider climbing the corpse pile first. You only need to take down a few Misbegotten to be able to collect the Fire Grease from the corpse hanging over the wall. There’s a secret passageway behind that corpse (see above) that will lead you to a room with a chest containing a Claymore.

Keep going on your castle tour, and you’ll find several groups of Misbegotten and Soldiers fighting each other. Sit back, relax, and then finish off the survivors. Once you’ve reached the higher stone walls, make sure to collect the Furlcalling Finger Remedy and Steel Torch from the corpses.

After this, you’re back on the main route through Castle Morne. Defeat the Misbegotten on the stone walls ahead, and don’t forget to collect a Golden Rune [2] from the corpse in the middle. If you want extra loot again, don’t go to the campfire in front of you yet. There are two more areas to explore here, one on each side of the stone wall (ladder one and two in the picture).

Is Castle Morne a main dungeon?
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Take the ladder to your right to find two Misbegotten (watch out, because one of them will appear from the sky) and a corpse holding two Smithing Stones [2]. Go down the second ladder to find another group of Misbegotten and Soldiers in the midst of an argument. Finish off the survivors and collect the Golden Rune [2] afterward. Then climb the tower and talk to the NPC Edgar, who will give you the Sacrificial Twig Talisman.

Once you’re done with all this, you can finally go to that cozy looking campfire and activate the nearby Behind the Castle site of grace (drop down).


Stonesword Key, Twinblade Talisman, and the Beside the Rampart Gaol site of grace

Is Castle Morne a main dungeon?
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Drop down the cliffs to continue your Castle Morne adventure. But beware: Instead of jumping on the rooftop with the grate door, continue ahead. There’s a wooden platform with a corpse holding a Stonesword Key below.

Ahead of you, you will see a stone wall with lots of scared Misbegotten (you can backstab or ignore them, up to you) and a tower up ahead. Before you go there, be sure to enter the room with the caged Spirit NPC on the right. Kill the Misbegotten and loot the corpse for Pickled Turtle Necks, but watch out for the Slime that will drop from the ceiling.

Now, continue toward the tower. After defeating the Misbegotten with the large axe, you can climb the tower to collect the Twinblade Talisman. Climb down again, and jump on the rooftop to the right. Don’t miss the corpse with the three Tarnished Golden Sunflowers.

A bit further ahead, there’s an opening in the floor. Make sure you jump on the wood beams instead of just dropping down, or you’ll die. Also, there’s a corpse holding a Smithing Stone on the first beam.

There are four Rats and a Misbegotten on the floor below you. If you prefer to play it safe, take them out with ranged weapons while you’re still out of reach. After that, drop down to loot another corpse for a Whip weapon, and go outside. Don’t miss the Beside the Rampart Gaol site of grace around the corner on your left!

Is Castle Morne a main dungeon?
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

To complete the final part of Castle Morne before the boss, cross the hanging bridge and take out the two sleeping Misbegotten. It’s impossible to sneak up on them, and they’re quite difficult to defeat. Loot the corpse for eight Throwing Daggers, and then go down the ladder.

Before entering the boss area, collect the loot lying around the shore. Next to the tower, just around the corner, you’ll find a corpse with a Somber Smithing Stone [1]. Further up ahead, a giant crab will appear in front of a small cave where you’ll find 15 Fire Arrows.


Castle Morne boss: Leonine Misbegotten

In case you’ve used some of your flasks while fighting the Misbegotten, here’s a tip: Now that you’ve got the loot, return to the site of grace, get a refill, and drop down from the hanging bridge (skipping over the sleeping Misbegotten this time).

Is Castle Morne a main dungeon?
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Castle Morne’s boss, the Leonine Misbegotten, is a very fast physical damage dealer. He mostly relies on fast horizontal slash combos and jump attacks. The bad news: You probably won’t be able to keep your distance. The good news: Those horizontal strikes can easily be parried. The Leonine Misbegotten is strong against Magic, Lightning, and Holy damage, but weak to Physical damage (especially slash).

Also important to know: You can use your Spirit Summons against this Elden Ring boss. Using upgraded Lone Wolf Ashes is extremely helpful, as they can distract the Leonine Misbegotten while you drain his HP.

As you deal that last blow against the Leonine Misbegotten, you will be rewarded with a well-earned Grafted Blade Greatsword.

Is Castle Morne a dungeon?

Despite its size, Castle Morne is not a Legacy Dungeon. You can skip it, but since you would miss out on a Stonesword Key, several new weapons, the Twinblade Talisman, and so much more, it's better to pay a visit while you're in the Weeping Peninsula region.

Is there a main boss in Castle Morne?

How to fully explore Castle Morne. Along the way there's a good amount of items to collect, including multiple Smithing Stones and the unique Grafted Blade Greatsword. However, you'll need to defeat the boss Leonine Misbegotten to complete the quest.

What are you supposed to do at Castle Morne?

Upon riding the lift up to Castle Morne, you'll see the Misbegotten enemies all around the castle grounds. As you enter, make a hard left and go up the steps where you'll see a bonfire. There are two Rotten Stray enemies here, kill the hounds and loot the body to find x1 Smithing Stone (2).

Should you go to Castle Morne first?

Castle Morne and Irina are the two biggest reasons to head south at the start in Elden Ring. Elden Ring's open world can make progression challenging, but new players should head south to conquer Castle Morne and complete a quest from a special NPC.