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Gaol Cave
Gaol Cave is one of the Minor Dungeons found in the Caelid Region in Elden Ring. It is an optional dungeon that is home to a few treasure items and a miniboss Foe. This page contains information on the location, walkthrough, and guide to traverse this dungeon, locate all of its treasure, and tips to defeat the enemies within.
Enemies | Boss | Notable Loot |
---|---|---|
Rats/Putrid Corpses/Vulgar Militants | Frenzied Duelist | Wakizashi, Pillory Shield, Regalia of Eochaid |
How to Get to Gaol Cave
Just to the southeast of the Fort Gael North Site of Grace, and a fraction northeast of Fort Gael itself, the entrance to this cave is down in the red liquid below the fort on the eastern side, tucked into the southwestern alcove of the cliff face. To enter this cave will require a Stonesword Key, so ensure you have one before travelling here.
Upon using the Stonesword Key, proceed through the tunnel and find a Site of Grace.
Gaol Cave Walkthrough
After heading into the tunnel and activating the Site of Grace, grab the Rune Arc from the chest to the left, and progress forward.
You'll emerge in a well-lit cave with a small rat guarding a corpse on the left that holds a Golden Rune (2). Continuing on, a slope will descend downwards towards a metal gate; halfway down the slope will be another small rat and an open gate tucked into the right-hand wall.
Head through the open gate and proceed down a long tunnel. At the end of the tunnel, it appears you've hit a dead-end but in fact, the floor will fall through and you'll land in a cell below. There are a number of other cells in the room beyond housing various flaming Putrid Corpses. You can actually hit a good number of them through the bars should they be kneeling wailing at the gate. This is advised as you'll soon be opening up these gates and allowing them to roam free, so the more you take out now, the less you'll have to deal with later.
Heading into the room on the left, there will be more cells and a Vulgar Militant will spring at you from the right-hand side of the room. In the northwest corner, you'll spot a wooden door built into a stone structure, with a lever resting on the platform above the door. Proceed through the tunnel to the left of the door and drop down to face off against two Vulgar Militants, with a locked cell to the right and a passageway to the left.
Continue onwards passing a vast number of cells lining the tunnel walls before emerging out into a larger cave. To the left, you'll see two locked cells, and to the right in the northern corner of the room will be a tunnel sloping up.
Arriving at the top of the sloped tunnel, you'll see a small rat run off to the left to join a Giant Rat on the left that's guarding two corpses. As you deal with the two of them, a further two small rats will come down from the slope to the east. The corpses hold a Golden Rune (4) and Turtle Neck Meat.
Heading up the slope to the east, you'll eventually arrive in a structured two-tier room with three Vulgar Militants inside. A corpse in the northeast corner holds a Golden Rune (5), there is a chest in one of the cells ahead that holds a Somber Smithing Stone (5), and the small steps down in the southeast corner allow you to open the previously locked wooden door you spotted earlier. Head up the stone steps in the room to pull the lever and open all the previously locked cells.
Dropping down off the lever platform, in the southeast corner, the open gate leads up a slope that will lead you out through the very first locked gate you encountered upon entering the cave (a good shortcut for returning in the future). You'll want to turn left however after dropping down from the lever and in the north corner of the room, the cell contains two corpses, one with Old Fang x5 and one with a Pillory Shield. If you head out the northeast exit of the room and turn left, the cell has a corpse holding a Golden Rune (2). Backtrack and head through the opening on the opposite side of the room (next to the wooden door, where you have to drop down) and the cell to the right has a corpse with another Golden Rune (2). Follow the path (back down the sloped tunnel lined with cells) and the smaller cell halfway down on the left has three corpses, one with the Wakizashi weapon, one with a Stonesword Key, and one with a Golden Rune (4).
At the end of the tunnel, turn left, facing south, and within the deeper cell, you'll be able to spot two corpses. One holds a Rainbow Stone and the other a Golden Rune (4). On the right side of this cell, you'll see some wooden planks against the wall. Destroy them to reveal a hole, on the opposite side of which is a series of platforms to drop down onto, and after hitting the ground at the bottom you'll be immediately initiated into a boss fight.
Boss Fight - Frenzied Duelist
The Frenzied Duelist is a humanoid enemy similar to the Grave Warden Duelist of Murkwater Catacombs, but unlike that enemies dual hammers, the Frenzied Duelist wields a large two-handed axe and a ball and chain. The Duelist often relies on a three-move combo, consisting of a 180-degree swing with the axe, then spinning into a 360-degree swing, ending with a foot stomp with a long wind-up animation. The axe swings can be dodged or parried, and the foot stomp is telegraphed enough to avoid, and though it has a slight lock on, the reach doesn't extend too far if you begin gaining distance.
The Duelist can also spin twice with diagonal axe swings; the first swing has a long wind-up and therefore can lead you to dodge too early and get caught out, and the second swing ends with the axe slamming into the ground with slightly further reach than the first swing, and can send you flying if you get hit. The Duelist also swings the ball and chain around its head in a wide AOE sweep; it has a couple of wind-up swings before the final swipe, which is the one that you're gonna want to dodge through.
When the Duelist pulls its right arm back, it is about to initiate a grab attack. If it connects, they will lift you into the air, hold you there for a few seconds then throw you across the arena. Unlike other grab attacks in the game, whilst this attack does still deal decent damage, it often won't be a death-dealing blow to you. You can dodge back or to the right to avoid it, and can present an opportunity to quickly get behind it and perform a critical strike backstab.
At around 50% health, the Duelist can perform a battle cry that strengthens its attacks, and the attacks available to them change slightly. It can perform an overhead vertical slam with the axe, a charge where it primes the axe up and behind itself which culminates in the two 360-degree spins as it finishes the charge. Another attack is a running drag along the floor, where it drags the axe and upon reaching you swipes the axe up, staggering you if it connects, and finishing in an overhead slam. These charging combos in particular can prove fatal if not countered, so be on the lookout should it begin running at you.
Upon defeating the Frenzied Duelist, you'll earn the Putrid Corpse Ashes, and if you continue southwest down through the opening, you'll emerge in Limgrave next to some tombstones, the central one of which has the Regalia of Eochaid weapon in front of it.