Last Updated on January 1, 2026 by “Talha”
This is the ultimate guide to the Leyndell Catacombs in Elden Ring. We will explain where to find the catacombs, how to get there, the enemies and environment you will face, the treasured items and charms that can be found in the dungeon, and tips on how to complete the dungeon and defeat the boss. You can explore the entire catacombs either as a first-time adventurer or as a completionist who has to find all the collectibles and secrets, and this guide will take you through all the steps and choices.
Elden Ring is an open-world action role-playing game that was created by FromSoftware and released by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Since its release in 2022, Elden Ring has been widely praised due to its vast world, extensive lore, and difficult combat and exploration mechanics. It challenges gamers who play as “Tarnished” to navigate across the Lands Between, kill mighty creatures, discover well-kept secrets, and eventually heal or reform the broken Elden Ring itself. The world is designed in the format of interconnected regions, each with its own environments, enemies, sub-bosses, legacy dungeons, and side quests, like “May Erudition Light The Way“.
Players can fight with the help of weapons, magic, summons, and talismans, and they can personalize their builds based on the strength, dexterity, intelligence, and faith attributes. The most interesting element of Elden Ring is nonlinear exploration: dungeons such as catacombs, caves, towers, and legacy dungeons are located under surface terrain or a full city and contain valuable loot, bosses, and pieces of lore.
What Are the Leyndell Catacombs?
The Leyndell Catacombs is a dark underground chamber concealed beneath Leyndell, the vast Royal Capital, in Elden Ring. They’re an optional area that isn’t required to finish the main story, but they contain valuable loot, unique enemies, and a boss encounter that can give players powerful rewards. Reached through the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds off the streets of Leyndell, this dungeon is remarkable in its baffling design and its winding paths, as well as the recurring architectural patterns, which are built to confuse the players.
Enemies that players will encounter in this burial network will include Omen enemies, imps, exploding foes, and finally the boss Esgar, Priest of Blood, who will drop the Lord of Blood’s Exultation talisman when defeated, a great bleed build item.
The catacombs are relevant cause they reflect the design philosophy of Elden Ring: optional content with a high risk of failure, environmental narrative, and built-in exploratory obstacles. Along with loot and talismans, the loops and positioning of enemies in the dungeon also act as a challenge to navigation as well as combat preparedness.
How to Access the Leyndell Catacombs
Entering the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds
To get to the Leyndell Catacombs, you have to first enter the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, which is a sewer-like area under Leyndell. The Shunning-Grounds can be reached via a well that is found in Leyndell and opens up as one roams through the city (particularly when following specific questlines, like the quest “Dung Eater”).
Upon arriving at the Shunning-Grounds,
Get to Underground Roadside Site of Grace: a very important waypoint and respawn point. Here you will see platforms and ladders that lead down to pipes.
Explore the pipe room and move downward: go through the pipes, killing or evading enemies, such as an area of lobsters.
Find the wall that has a crack on it: down to the lower level, beyond the pipes, past the lobsters, there is a crack in the southwestern wall, which gives way into the Leyndell Catacombs opening.
This entrance can be easily overlooked when one is not deliberately searching each passage. The Underground Roadside Site of Grace can be used as a point of reference to make sure you are going in the right direction.
When you get to the catacombs themselves, you soon come to a stairwell that leads down to the main network of the dungeon. Just after entering, you will find a Site of Grace that is to be rested at, before going any further, it refills your flasks and establishes your checkpoint.
A distinctive feature of Leyndell Catacombs is that the path is designed like a loop: many corridors and rooms appear extremely similar, and it can lead players to walk in circles, unless they are careful about the landmarks. There are three vertically stratified parts of the dungeon, which are then interwoven in unexpected manners:
Bottom Layer: You start at the Site of Grace, then you come across the corridors, traps, and some beginning item pickups.
Middle Layer: In this place, there are traps such as fire statues, which may be utilized as elevators, and other objects that are defended by stronger adversaries.
Upper Loop: You will eventually climb up through traps and stairs into rooms that are similar to the early parts but are rearranged and joined in different ways.
Due to this looping structure, it is essential to record item pickups and environmental indicators instead of following a left or right wall. Your most useful navigational landmarks would be the distinctive features, such as coffins, stalactite formations, and fire traps.
Key Enemies and Combat Considerations
The Leyndell Catacombs in Elden Ring are home to several types of enemies:
Omen Enemies
Omens are human-like, grotesque enemies with high reach and strength. They also patrol or guard the corridors or items, or pathways. Attack cautiously, as these enemies are quick to disorient the player and stagger them.
Imps
Imps are small, yet are known to be agile. They can be found in narrow corridors and can attack in groups. Their assaults are quick but light; they are more dangerous in numbers.
Exploding Enemies
You will find foes in various rooms that blow up when you go near them. You may either kill them on the spot or just lure them to blow themselves at a safe distance, clearing the way without a direct fight.
Lobsters
Giant lobster enemies stand on the way to the entrance to the catacombs, although they are not actually located in the catacombs; they are located near the entrance to the Shunning-Grounds. Make preparations both physically and tactically to evade or defeat them.
Talismans and Key Loot
The Leyndell Catacombs in Elden Ring hold plenty of items and upgrade materials. Remember to take detours, kill creatures when required, and look out for corpses and coffins; they are usually full of valuable items.
- Crucible Scale Talisman: significantly boosts attack power using equipped armament. Obtained inside the catacombs.
- Golden Rune (11): a rune item that gives a significant boost to your rune count when consumed.
- Lord of Blood’s Exultation Talisman: dropped by the boss Esgar, Priest of Blood. Increases damage when enemies are affected by bleed.
- Gloveworts (Ghost and Grave): multiple Ghost Glovewort (6), Graves Glovewort (8), and (9) appear throughout the dungeon. These are used to upgrade spirit ashes.
- Sacramental Buds: crafting items used for various purposes, often found near levers or side alcoves.
Certain objects are close to enemies, such as Omens, and others are hidden behind traps, so exploring the area thoroughly will be rewarded.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
You can take this structured path to complete the exploration in the Catacombs. Remember to record the progress you are making because you can easily get lost.
Step 1: Starting From the Site of Grace
Continuing, out of the Leyndell Catacombs Site of Grace, go forward along the main corridor. Turn left into the first open space where there is a coffin in the middle. Valuable items are often found in this coffin.
Step 2: Ghost Glovewort and Exploding Enemies
Proceed further and get a Ghost Glovewart (6) as you find it. Be wary of the enemy explosions in the following bit – ranged attacks are safer and will blow up the enemy, clearing the way ahead.
Step 3: Fire Trap Elevator Section
Enter the flame trap area. The fire trap in this room can be turned into an elevator; you can time your movement with the fires, or you can disable it by using ranged attacks. When it is disabled, ride it up to the next platform by jumping on it.
Step 4: Crucible Scale and Omens
On the top platform, you will find an Omen that protects the Crucible Scale Talisman. Defeating the Omen will reward you with the talisman and open up the path ahead for you to go further.
Step 5: Additional Upgrade Items
Proceed up to the small corridors and stairways here. You will see Grave Glovewart (9) beside another Omen. Proceed straight until you get to an open square space. Go down here to a coffin containing Grave Glovewart (8).
Step 6: The Upper Loop and Detour Rooms
Go along the staircases and passages. The environment may seem like you are going around the same route when, in fact, you are climbing up to another layer. Use the elevator through another fire trap once again, by disabling it and using it at the right time to get to the top.
There are optional detours available here in the middle, such as rooms containing Root Resin, more gloveworts, and other Omens. Use these paths if you require additional upgrade materials.
Step 7: Final Approach to the Lever
Once through these loops, you will find yourself coming to layouts of corridors very familiar to you. This will indicate that you are almost at the end of the maze in the dungeon. Leap out of a window and go back into the room with a sorrowful Omen that was there (had you interacted with it earlier). Retrace your steps and take the fire trap elevator one more time to enter the last corridor that leads to the lever opening the boss door.
Step 8: Unlocking the Boss Door
Interact with the lever to open up the boss chamber entrance. Once you have pulled it, jump down and head north-west to the entrance of the now accessible boss room. Rest at the Site of Grace immediately outside this door to prepare for the fight.
Boss: Esgar, Priest of Blood
Esgar, Priest of Blood, is the boss of the Leyndell Catacombs and a melee enemy that possesses quick attacks and attacks that cause bleed. Two vicious hounds accompany him and can easily attack a player who only focuses on Esgar.
Strategy
Deal with the hounds: They are fast and may interfere with jousts with Esgar. Eliminate them as soon as possible to minimize the damage pressure.
Be careful of bleed: The moveset of Esgar tends to inflict the bleed status. Dodge roll with high stamina to avoid accumulating bleeding on yourself.
Use Spirit Ashes: This will make the boss distracted and allow openings to heal and inflict damage on the boss.
Be fierce and wary: Esgar is fast with his blows, and his speed is deadly. Attack when he ends his combos, and always be prepared to evade his blows before continuing your attacks.
Defeating Esgar will grant you the Lord of Blood’s Exultation talisman, which is valuable for bleed-oriented builds.
Helpful Tips
- Attack enemies with the use of ranged weapons to disable traps and to thin out exploding enemies, before you continue to attack the enemies from close range.
- You can mark your map or in-game indicators to remember distinct areas in case you get lost or confused easily.
- Take your time: The looping structure is not accidental. You should give yourself time to familiarize yourself with every floor layer in a systematic manner, instead of finding ways the corridors may be linked logically.
- Check ledges and alcoves: The gloveworts and crafting materials are hidden in seemingly dead-end spots.
The Leyndell Catacombs are the best example of how Elden Ring did an interesting design job: a secret underworld, which conceals significant rewards behind a labyrinth of identical tunnels, traps, and monsters. This cave will lead you on a loopy adventure through the underbelly of the Royal Capital, and preparation, observation, and careful exploration will reward you with potent charms, crafting resources, and the final climactic boss fight with Esgar, Priest of Blood.
Tackling this dungeon strategically, keeping track of your progress, controlling enemy ambushes, and finding item caches instead of charging straight to the end will help you overcome one of the most confusing yet optional challenges in Elden Ring. Whether you came to loot, for the lore, or to get a feel of conquering every nook and cranny of the Lands Between, the Leyndell Catacombs in Elden Ring prove to be a rewarding experience.
FAQs
Yes, there are several Ghost Gloveworts and Grave Gloveworts in the dungeon, which are necessary to enhance Spirit Ashes and the effectiveness of summons.
No, the Leyndell Catacombs are completely optional. Nevertheless, they also have good rewards, such as upgrade materials and a strong talisman that is useful to bleed-oriented builds, making a trip to the Catacombs worthwhile.
Fire traps can be temporarily disabled with attacks. Others also act as lifts, where players can ride them upwards to places that otherwise can not be accessed.
Spirit Ashes can be used during the final boss fight against Esgar, Priest of Blood, and are highly recommended to manage enemy pressure and control the hounds.
Esgar, Priest of Blood, is the boss in the dungeon. He employs rapid melee strikes, generates a bleeding effect, and has wild hounds that attack during the battle.
The dungeon has been crafted with looped corridors and repeating architectural structures, purposely to disorient the players to think and navigate carefully, taking notes of the landmarks of the environment.
Most players should attempt the Leyndell Catacombs after reaching Leyndell itself, typically around mid-to-late game levels, with upgraded weapons and sufficient flask charges.
Defeating Esgar rewards the player with Lord of Blood’s Exultation talisman, which increases attack power when blood loss occurs nearby, making it ideal for bleed-based builds.
The Leyndell Catacombs are located underground at Leyndell, Royal Capital. They are reached by the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds through an obscure wall near the lower parts of the pipes.
