How to reach Elden Ring’s Miquella’s Haligtree

There is no more challenging area in Elden Ring than Miquella’s Haligtree. That goes not just for the difficulty of the zone itself — it’s full of the toughest enemies, the thorniest platforming, and the most troublesome secrets on the map — but even for simply getting there in the first place.

Whether you’re searching for the other half of the Haligtree Secret Medallion, or you don’t even know what an “Albinauric woman” is, our guide will help you finally reach the fabled optional Elden Ring zone known as Miquella’s Haligtree.

Chapter 1: An Albinauric Mystery

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In the southern part of Liurnia of the Lakes, the shaded Village of the Albinaurics sits precariously atop a cliff (which is under another, larger cliff). If you haven’t been there yet, start at the Folly on the Lake site of grace and head south through the shadowed, swampy area filled with giant crabs. Travel up the slope on the far side and you’ll reach the forlorn village.

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Once in the village, continue uphill until you reach a dead end, and smack the conspicuous urn there.

The village’s one survivor, Albus, will give you the item that sets you on the journey to the Haligtree: one half of the broken Haligtree Secret Medallion.

The dying Albinauric tells you to seek the “Albinauric Woman.” That’s your only clue about how to proceed, and it will be a while before you get another one.

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As you progress in Elden Ring, Gideon, the apparent master of the Roundtable Hold, will occasionally offer somewhat cryptic clues about where to head next. One of his possible topics is the Albinauric Woman, who he’ll say “hides in a cave to the west of the Laskyar Ruins which jut from the mist-shrouded lake of Liurnia.” Finding this cave is easier said than done, however.

Start at the Scenic Isle site of grace in Liurnia and ride directly south. You’ll come to a tunnel mouth set in a ridge. It leads to the Lakeside Crystal Cave, a dungeon that will lead you to the Albinauric Woman. Once you’ve made it through the dungeon and defeated the boss, continue through the passage on the other side of the boss room and you’ll meet Latenna and her wolf, Lobo. She’ll explain that the other half of the medallion you seek is far away, on the Mountaintop of the Giants, and then offer to come with you as a spirit ash summon.

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That’s the end of this leg of your journey to the Haligtree. You won’t be able to continue until you reach the Mountaintop of the Giants, which involves progressing in the main story until you have at least two Great Runes and can defeat the main boss of the Royal Capital, Leyndell (check our guide to the Capital if you’d like some help there). Come back here once you’ve reached that point.

Chapter 2: Castle Sol

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Your destination on the Mountaintop of the Giants is Castle Sol, a medium-sized stronghold at the zone’s northernmost edge (you can see the structure on your map even before you visit it).

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As you come up through the frozen ravine in the center of the area, you’ll find various slopes upward to the ridges above. Follow them and consult your map to find the bridges that will take you over the chasm toward Castle Sol, then look for a downward slope once you’re in the large graveyard zone filled with undead.

The castle itself is much larger than a typical dungeon, but significantly smaller than a true legacy dungeon like Stormveil. However, it does have some seriously tough enemies inside, and a boss that can stop you like a brick wall. We’re going to walk you through it.

First off, you’re going to want to quiet the nearby Walking Mausoleum simply so that you don’t have to listen to its bell tolling endlessly while you’re here. Smack off the skull-shaped debris on a few of its “feet” and it will calm right down.

Next, head in the main entrance to find two vicious Lion Guardians waiting for you. Taking these on solo is not easy, so either summon help, use a Spirit Ash, or bait them to the front door and hurl spells at them until they’re done. Watch out for their frost breath, which leaves a hard-to-see damaging residue on the ground. Killing both nets you Somber Smithing Stone [7] x2, Beast Blood x2, and Old Fang x4. Luckily, they don’t respawn.

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To the right of the entrance there’s a Golden Rune [10] on a seated corpse. Straight ahead from the entrance is a Smithing Stone [5] on a body under the wood platform. After grabbing those two items, make your way past the spiked barricades and head north up the stairs.

The first doorway on your left has a Nascent Butterfly, but watch out for the slugs that will drop on your head. Climb the ladder and look for Fan Daggers x5 on a corpse hanging over the edge. Continue along this path and you’ll attract attention from some highly dangerous ballista operators, plus a fire pot-throwing soldier, on the nearby rooftops. There’s a Golden Rune [10] on a body past the curved wooden walkway, though you’ll probably want to sprint and dodge to take out the ballista on the other end before you try grabbing it.

Of course, doing so puts you in the line of fire of another ballista to the east. Dodge the projectiles and make your way up the ramp to kill the fire bomb thrower and the ballista operator. Grab the Smithing Stone [6] from the nearby corpse. Slide down the ladder to find the “Sorcerer” Painting puzzle item, and open the door and head outside. Watch out for the three wolves that await you.

You’ll find Thawfrost Boluses x3 to the east, but watch out for the flame-spewing Warhawk. Follow the walkway around to this structure’s west side and you’ll be rewarded with Freezing Grease x5 on a corpse.

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Next, return to where the Warhawk attacked and take the path to the north. Enter the doorway and head upstairs, then out and into the courtyard. It looks empty, but several ghostly soldiers will materialize, including a pair in close quarters and an archer up on a ledge. Defeat the two you can reach and head up the stairs next to you for a Golden Rune [10] (and to be attacked by two more spectral soldiers).

Up the main stairs to the south, you’ll be attacked by a powerful spectral knight. Take him out, along with the archer, and grab the Thawfrost Bolus where the latter stood. Up the ladder and to the right you’ll find a Smithing Stone [5], then a Golden Rune [9] across the bridge the other way. Continue on this path and fight the two wolves and the deadly spectral halberd knight across a small wooden bridge. Up the stairs from there, you’ll find a Stonesword Key.

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Finally, backtrack across the bridges and down the ladder or simply jump down from the walkway you’re on, and then head inside to the Church of the Eclipse site of grace. Take a breather because you’re not done yet.

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At the other side of the church, the Eclipse Shotel weapon waits against the altar. Outside and to the right, a ladder leads to the wall’s upper rampart. Take out the archers here from a distance if you can. Follow the rampart to the wooden walkway that curves around the tower, then descend the ladder and kill the dangerous dual-wielding knight ahead. Just past him, the Cerulean Amber Medallion +1 waits on a ledge.

Backtrack to the top of the rampart where you fought two archers and jump down to the rooftop below. Descend the ladder to find five rats waiting below, plus a Smithing Stone [7] on a corpse. Out the door and to the right, a Rune Arc waits near a blazing brazier.

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Fast travel back to the Church of the Eclipse Site of Grace and head outside once more. This time, instead of turning right, go into the doorway dead ahead. You’ll find three crawling Albinaurics crouched inside; watch out for their annoying grab attacks. Even more importantly, look up and use target lock to locate the Albinauric sorcerer hanging from the ceiling.

Use whatever distance attacks you have to take him out from below, which prevents him from summoning more dangerous spectral knights.

The body upstairs has a Smithing Stone [6]. You’re almost to the end — but first, target yet another Albinauric sorcerer hanging from the ceiling. You’re in for a heck of a fight if you let these guys summon help, so do your best to take them out quickly.

Pull the lever in the courtyard outside to gain access to the castle’s shortcut lift. Ride it down and run straight ahead to find a Furlcalling Finger Remedy. This is a not-so-subtle hint that you’ll probably need some co-op help soon, because you’re about to fight a doozy of a boss. Fast travel or jog back outside to the Castle Sol Main Gate site of grace, which, although geographically further away than the Church of the Eclipse, is the better grace to get to this boss fight by virtue of there being no enemies between it and the elevator.

Defeat Commander Niall

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Commander Niall is no joke. Flanked by a pair of powerful spectral knights, he wields frost and lightning magic in unpredictable patterns that can leave you reeling. Thankfully, we’re here to help with a guide specifically for defeating Commander Niall.

Chapter 4: The Liturgical Town

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The next step is a bit of a puzzle, if only because of Elden Ring’s occasionally confusing interface quirks. The now-complete medallion’s description informs you that you have to use it at the Grand Lift of Rold. But didn’t you already use the Rold elevator to reach the Mountaintop of the Giants in the first place? How do you actually use the Haligtree Secret Medallion?

The solution is deceptively simple. Return to the Grand Lift of Rold and stand where the prompt to use the Rold Medallion appears. Then, press left or right on your controller’s d-pad to show the option to use the Secret Medallion instead. The lift will head down instead of up, and you’ll find yourself in the Hidden Path to the Haligtree dungeon.

The dungeon is a bit of a pain, but you don’t actually have to finish it right now. Simply head up the stairs, past the giant Land Octopus and the Vulgar Militia enemies, and turn right to reach the dungeon’s site of grace. You’ll find the the exit to the Consecrated Snowfield behind the site of grace.

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Open your map and make a beeline for the Map Stele. You should find the Consecrated Snowfield and Inner Consecrated Snowfield sites of grace on the way. Try not to get squashed by the giant Spectral Dragonkin Soldiers that will spawn and harass you.

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From the Stele, keep heading north until you reach the Ordina, Liturgical Town site of grace, just outside the entrance to said town.

Next up, a quick detour to get some gear that will help you here. If you don’t already have the Sentry Torch in your inventory, go buy it from the merchant north of Leyndell, just inside the city’s outer wall, near the Outer Wall Battleground Site of Grace.

Next, if you haven’t done so already, solve the Mirage Rise puzzle on the western edge of the Altus Plateau forest to earn the Unseen Form spell.

Do whatever you have to do to be able to cast this — re-spec to put points into intelligence, or use talismans or head gear to get the stat up as high as needed. It’s essential to completing Ordina without tearing your hair out.

Lastly, back at Ordina, explore the town’s outer edge until you find the Black Knife Armor under an archway on the north side. Wearing it reduces the sound you make. If you followed our Volcano Manor guide, you should also have the Crepus’s Vial talisman, which accomplishes the same thing.

Make your way to the evergaol teleporter on the town’s north side. The nearby hint book will tell you to “light the four figures” inside, though as you’ll find out, that’s easier said than done.

Inside the evergaol version of the town, you’ll be assaulted by deadly-accurate magical archers, plus invisible, nigh-unkillable Black Knife Assassins. Luckily, you have one advantage on your side: The Sentry Torch you may or may not have just purchased will reveal the assassins to you, so make sure to have it equipped in your off-hand.

Unfortunately, there’s no real shortcut to completing this puzzle. You need to light four fires around the town, three of which are in towers that you have to climb. The fourth is at ground level. The assassins patrol the streets, while the archers watch the rooftops. We’ll give you step-by-step directions to make it easier, but first, here are some general tips:

• Keep the Sentry Torch equipped in your off-hand if you want to avoid being ambushed by an invisible assassin. This torch reveals these foes even when you two-hand your main weapon.
• Engage with the enemies as little as possible; they’re comically overpowered no matter your level. This is meant to be a stealth mission.
• If you die inside the evergaol, you can pick up your runes at the same spot in the overworld, without risking being killed again.
• You can explore the overworld version of the town as much as you want to familiarize yourself with the layout before venturing into the evergaol.
• Once you light a fire, you don’t have to light it again, even if you’re killed and have to start the evergaol over.

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When you enter the evergaol, turn immediately west and jump over the short wall to the ground below. An assassin patrols the nearby street, so confirm it isn’t in your path, and then continue around the western edge of the town until you reach a ladder. Climb it to light the first fire.

Climb back down and continue to the south, skirting around the edge of town. You’ll reach the point where the Site of Grace is in the overworld. The next statue is up the stairs from here, but there’s an invisible assassin guarding it. Unfortunately, we haven’t found a way to sneak by this guy, so you’ll have to fight him. Treat him like a boss and you’ll have him dispatched in no time. Light the second candle.

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From there, return to the main stairs and creep along the railing, past multiple stacks of barrels against the side of a building. Continue to skirt the building around several corners and you’ll reach another ladder. Climb it for the third statue.

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You can now see the path that will lead you north across the rooftops to the fourth flame. This is where you should cast Unseen Form, or else the archers to the north will harry you the whole way. With the semi-invisibility spell and one or another sound-dampening effect active, you should be able to get most of the way there before they notice you, and you can bum rush the nearest one without taking a hit. Then climb the ladder and you’re home free.

After lighting the fourth candle, you’ll be returned to the overworld. The impassable seal at the top of the stairway on the town’s north side has been opened, and beyond it is the teleporter that will take you, at last, to Miquella’s Haligtree.

And if you thought all that was a pain, just wait until you get a load of the Envoys in the branches. To that end, watch out for our comprehensive guide to the Haligtree, coming soon. Until then, good luck.