East Mountaintops of the Giants

Key takeaways

Access requires the Grand Lift of Rold, normally after defeating Morgott in Leyndell. The eastern Mountaintops are a late-game region, although the player can explore optional sections before tackling the Fire Giant.
Flame Peak is the relevant in-game subarea grouping for the eastern Mountaintops The West Mountaintops, Castle Sol and the Consecrated Snowfield are neighbouring but separate areas.
Guardians’ Garrison is optional, but it contains useful Fire Monk equipment, the Giant’s Prayerbook and the mini-boss Chief Guardian Arghanthy.
The First Church of Marika and Church of Repose contain Sacred Tears, while the eastern cliffs hide the Crimsonwhorl Bubbletear.
Spiritcaller’s Cave is a separate dungeon, not part of the Forge route Its boss encounter uses spirit summons that imitate enemies the player has already encountered.
The Fire Giant and the Forge of the Giants are the region’s main progression gate. Reaching the forge is not the same as completing every eastern-Mountaintops activity.

About this guide

Scope: Base-game Elden Ring. This guide uses East Mountaintops of the Giants as the eastern Mountaintops gameplay area, broadly corresponding to the map and Site of Grace grouping called Flame Peak. It includes the route from the Grand Lift of Rold through the eastern snowfields to the Guardians’ Garrison, Giants’ Gravepost, Church of Repose, Foot of the Forge and Forge of the Giants. It does not include the West Mountaintops, Castle Sol, the Consecrated Snowfield, the Hidden Path to the Haligtree or Miquella’s Haligtree.

Overview

East Mountaintops of the Giants is the harsher and more climactic half of the Mountaintops region. Its centre is not a settlement but a chain of military and religious sites guarding the Flame of Ruin: the Fire Monks’ Guardians’ Garrison, the enormous bridge and grave markers around Giants’ Gravepost, the Church of Repose, and finally the Forge of the Giants.

The area is reached after defeating Morgott, the Omen King in Leyndell and receiving access to the Grand Lift of Rold. The main route is comparatively direct, but the region rewards detours. Optional content includes Spiritcaller’s Cave, Lord Contender’s Evergaol, the First Church of Marika, hidden cliffs containing a Crystal Tear, a Death Rite Bird encounter and several high-value Fire Monk or Giant-related items.

The region’s most important event is the battle with the Fire Giant. Defeating him allows the Tarnished to reach the forge and advance the main story. Using the forge is a major progression point that burns the Erdtree and changes later areas, so players should complete any time-sensitive activities they want to finish before proceeding. The forge is described as the prison of the Flame of Ruin, with the last Fire Giant left as its guardian.

Boundaries and hierarchy

The Mountaintops of the Giants is a major region divided into several distinct map groupings. Eldenpedia’s Site of Grace hierarchy lists the following under the general Mountaintops region:

For this guide, East Mountaintops of the Giants means the eastern overworld and the Flame Peak route rather than the whole Mountaintops region. This distinction matters because several frequently associated locations are elsewhere:

Excluded neighbouring areas

This is a practical boundary rather than a claim that every map edge has a perfectly explicit regional line. The eastern map fragment itself describes the remote eastern summit as the highest point in the Lands Between and is found near Giants’ Gravepost, after crossing the chain south of Guardians’ Garrison.

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Boundaries and hierarchy

Consecrated Snowfield

Excluded neighbouring areas

Excluded neighbouring areas
Location	Why it is excluded
Zamor Ruins	West Mountaintops
Ancient Snow Valley Ruins	West Mountaintops
Castle Sol	West Mountaintops
Stargazers’ Ruins	West Mountaintops
Heretical Rise	West Mountaintops
Giant-Conquering Hero’s Grave	West Mountaintops
Consecrated Snowfield	Separate late-game subregion
Ordina, Liturgical Town	Consecrated Snowfield
Hidden Path to the Haligtree	Separate dungeon reached through the Grand Lift of Rold
Miquella’s Haligtree	Separate legacy dungeon
Forbidden Lands	The connecting route east of Leyndell, before the Mountaintops proper

Geography and route structure

East Mountaintops is a narrow, elevated route divided by cliffs, enormous chains and deep ravines. Its visual language changes as the player travels:

The eastern map fragment is placed near Giants’ Gravepost, not at the beginning of the region. After obtaining it, the eastern Mountaintops becomes considerably easier to navigate because the long cliffs and raised plateaux become visible on the map.

Named geographical and route areas

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Geography and route structure: steps

01
Snow-covered approach: The player enters from the Grand Lift of Rold and begins in the wider Mountaintops wilderness.
02
Fire Monk frontier: The road leads towards First Church of Marika and the fortified Guardians’ Garrison.
03
Giant grave country: Beyond the garrison, the player crosses a massive chain into the area around Giants’ Gravepost.
04
Flame Peak: The terrain becomes more volcanic and severe, leading to Church of Repose, Foot of the Forge and the Fire Giant arena.
05
Forge summit: The route ends at the enormous forge containing the Flame of Ruin.

Named geographical and route areas

Access and recommended route

Reaching the region

The Grand Lift also has a separate function. If the player possesses both halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion, the lift can instead access the Consecrated Snowfield. That route is not part of East Mountaintops, although the two regions share the same lift. The Mountaintops map guides identify the Grand Lift as the transition from Leyndell and distinguish the eastern Mountaintops from the Consecrated Snowfield.

Suggested first exploration route

For a first visit, the following order keeps the main route open while collecting the most useful optional rewards:

The route through Guardians’ Garrison and across the chain is the intended connection between the central eastern Mountaintops and Giants’ Gravepost. The map fragment is specifically located after the chain south of the garrison.

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Reaching the region: The normal route is

01
Enter Leyndell, Royal Capital.
02
Defeat Morgott, the Omen King.
03
Speak with Melina and obtain the Rold Medallion.
04
Travel through the eastern capital route to the Grand Lift of Rold.
05
Use the ordinary Rold Medallion at the lift.

Suggested first exploration route

01
Activate the Grand Lift of Rold and the first Site of Grace.
02
Ride south and east through the snowfield.
03
Visit the First Church of Marika for its Sacred Tear.
04
Continue towards Guardians’ Garrison.
05
Clear the fort and defeat Chief Guardian Arghanthy if you want the garrison’s rewards.
06
Cross the chain towards Giants’ Gravepost.
07
Collect the eastern map fragment.
08
Detour to Spiritcaller’s Cave before progressing to the forge.
09
Visit Church of Repose for its Sacred Tear.
10
Explore the cliffs around Giants’ Gravepost and Foot of the Forge.
11
Clear Lord Contender’s Evergaol.
12
Defeat the Fire Giant.
13
Decide whether to use the Forge immediately or finish any remaining pre-forge activities.

First Church of Marika

The First Church of Marika stands on the eastern side of the snowy route. It is an important item stop rather than a large dungeon.

The church is also associated with the history of Marika, the Fire Giants and the Golden Order’s campaign against them. It is exposed and can be approached by hostile creatures, so activate the Site of Grace before investigating the surrounding cliffs.

Named directory

Guardians’ Garrison

Guardians’ Garrison is a Fire Monk fortress guarding the route towards the forge. It is occupied by Fire Monks, thorn sorcerers and flame-oriented guardians. Chief Guardian Arghanthy is located on an upper section of the fort, reached through a less obvious route involving the fortress walls and a concealed passage.

The garrison is worth clearing because it provides:

Guardians’ Garrison walkthrough

The area is cramped compared with the open mountain route. Fire Monk attacks can stagger lightly armoured characters, while the thorn sorcerers create dangerous ranged pressure. Removing casters before fighting the larger guardians is usually safer.

Named directory

Guardians’ Garrison walkthrough

01
Enter through the lower approach and eliminate the Fire Monk guards.
02
Search the fort’s rooms and upper walkways rather than following only the obvious central route.
03
Look for the route to the upper parapet through the fort’s broken sections.
04
Defeat Chief Guardian Arghanthy.
05
Search the fort for the Giant’s Prayerbook.
06
Check the exterior trees and cliffside for the Teardrop Scarab carrying Prelate’s Charge.

Guardians’ Garrison walkthrough

One-Eyed Shield

Giants’ Gravepost

Giants’ Gravepost is the central landmark of the eastern Mountaintops. It is surrounded by enormous stone remains and overlooks the road leading towards the Forge of the Giants.

The map fragment lies south of the Site of Grace, after crossing the chain from Guardians’ Garrison. It is not necessary to defeat a boss to collect it.

The area also offers routes to cliffs and lower paths that are easy to overlook. Some collectibles around the eastern cliffs are reached from neighbouring ledges rather than directly from the Site of Grace.

Named directory

The location matters for three reasons

01
It contains the Giants’ Gravepost Site of Grace.
02
The Map: Mountaintops of the Giants, East is found nearby.
03
It acts as the main navigation hub for the eastern half of the region.

Spiritcaller’s Cave

Spiritcaller’s Cave is an optional dungeon reached from the eastern Mountaintops route. Its defining mechanic is the appearance of spirit-like enemies based on creatures found elsewhere in the game. The dungeon contains wolves, soldiers, birds and other hostile forms before its final encounter.

The dungeon’s boss sequence features Godskin Apostle and Godskin Noble. The pair are fought through spirit manifestations rather than a conventional open arena encounter. The dungeon is therefore valuable for players interested in Godskin equipment and for anyone looking for a late-game cave with several combat variations.

The cave is listed separately from the main Flame Peak route and should not be treated as part of the Forge itself.

Named directory

Spiritcaller’s Cave

Church of Repose

Church of Repose stands near the approach to the Forge and contains another Sacred Tear. It is also the site of an invasion by Bloody Finger Okina, assuming the relevant invasion conditions have not been disabled by progression or previous activity.

Okina uses the Rivers of Blood katana and Okina Mask. The invasion is one of the eastern Mountaintops’ most dangerous optional encounters because it takes place close to the church and can begin while the player is already dealing with the surrounding environment.

Named directory

Church of Repose

Rivers of Blood

Lord Contender’s Evergaol

Lord Contender’s Evergaol is an optional circular arena on the eastern route. It contains Roundtable Knight Vyke, a spectral or Evergaol version of the warrior associated with the Frenzied Flame.

Defeating Vyke rewards the Fingerprint Grape and Vyke’s War Spear. The encounter is especially relevant to players following Hyetta’s quest, because the Fingerprint Grape is used during that questline.

Vyke can inflict madness, making distance and positioning important. The arena’s exposed terrain also leaves little cover from his thrusting attacks and Frenzied Flame abilities.

Named directory

Lord Contender’s Evergaol

Roundtable Knight Vyke

Foot of the Forge and Forge of the Giants

The Foot of the Forge is the final approach before the Fire Giant arena. It contains a Site of Grace and is the ideal checkpoint before attempting the main boss.

The Forge of the Giants is located on the easternmost peak. It contains the Flame of Ruin, which was confined there after the Fire Giants were defeated. The surviving Fire Giant acts as its guardian.

After defeating the Fire Giant, the player can reach the rim of the forge and interact with Melina. The resulting event advances the story and leads to the next major phase of the game. This is a progression state rather than a normal item pickup, and players should treat it as a major checkpoint.

Named directory

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Foot of the Forge and Forge of the Giants

Major boss

Fire Giant

The Fire Giant is the main boss of East Mountaintops and guards the route to the forge. He is a huge fire-aligned enemy with a large health pool, long-range attacks and a second phase in which the encounter changes significantly.

Defeating him does not immediately burn the Erdtree. That occurs when the player proceeds to the Forge of the Giants and completes the associated interaction.

Optional bosses and hostile encounters

The Death Rite Bird is an overworld encounter rather than a permanent dungeon boss. It appears under the appropriate world conditions, normally at night, and is fought in the eastern snowfields. It is vulnerable to tactics that exploit undead enemies, including healing effects that damage nearby undead foes.

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The following are the most important verified fixed rewards and named pickups associated with the eastern area.

The Crimsonwhorl Bubbletear is found on a cliff-edge path beginning north-east of Foot of the Forge and ending east of Giants’ Gravepost. It is not collected directly from the Giants’ Gravepost Site of Grace, and the approach requires careful use of the surrounding ledges.

Optional bosses and hostile encounters

Optional bosses and hostile encounters
Item	Location or source	Function
Map: Mountaintops of the Giants, East	Near Giants’ Gravepost	Reveals the eastern Mountaintops map
Sacred Tear	First Church of Marika	Improves Flask of Crimson/Cerulean Tears recovery
Sacred Tear	Church of Repose	Improves Flask recovery
Giant’s Prayerbook	Guardians’ Garrison	Unlocks Giant-themed incantations through a prayerbook vendor
One-Eyed Shield	Chief Guardian Arghanthy	Unique greatshield
Prelate’s Charge	Teardrop Scarab near Guardians’ Garrison	Ash of War
Crimsonwhorl Bubbletear	Eastern Mountaintops cliff route	Crystal Tear for the Flask of Wondrous Physick
Fingerprint Grape	Roundtable Knight Vyke	Hyetta quest item
Vyke’s War Spear	Roundtable Knight Vyke	Unique great spear
Rivers of Blood	Bloody Finger Okina	Unique katana
Okina Mask	Bloody Finger Okina	Head armour
Fire Monk equipment	Fire Monk enemies and Guardians’ Garrison	Equipment and crafting or upgrade resources

Collectible checklist

This is a practical checklist of the area’s principal fixed rewards, not a claim that it includes every ordinary corpse pickup, crafting material, weapon drop or random enemy drop.

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East Mountaintops has few friendly residents. Its inhabitants are mostly remnants of armies and religious orders tied to the war against the giants.

Fire Monks

The Fire Monks guard the route to the Forge of the Giants. They are associated with the flame that the Golden Order could not extinguish completely. Fire Monk enemies use flame incantations and close-range weapons, while stronger Flame Guardians and prelate-type enemies have heavier attacks.

Thorn sorcerers and the Guilty

Thorn sorcerers appear alongside Fire Monk forces, particularly around fortified areas. Their red thorn sorcery creates persistent hazards and can punish players who remain in narrow corridors.

Giants and spirit remains

The eastern area contains giant remains, giant enemies and supernatural manifestations connected to the old inhabitants of the Mountaintops. The visual scale of the grave markers reinforces the region’s history as the former home of the Fire Giants.

Named characters and visitors

Melina is a story-associated visitor rather than a permanent resident of the area. The region has no conventional shop, merchant settlement or stable service hub.

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The Mountaintops were once ruled by the Fire Giants after they defeated and displaced the ice dragons. Queen Marika and Godfrey led the campaign that destroyed the giants, while the Flame of Ruin was sealed within the forge. The Fire Monks were left to guard that flame, and one Fire Giant survived as its eternal protector.

Before using the forge

Before completing the Forge of the Giants sequence, consider:

The change caused by the forge is substantial because it moves the game into its later progression state and alters Leyndell. The exact consequences for individual questlines vary, so the safest approach is to treat the forge as a pre-endgame checkpoint rather than as an ordinary landmark.

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Snow and long sightlines

The open snowfields make enemies difficult to spot, especially at night. Use the Site of Grace at First Church of Marika as a staging point and avoid fighting every enemy encountered on horseback unless you are deliberately farming.

Giant skeleton spirits

Large skeletal apparitions can emerge in certain parts of the Mountaintops. Their attacks cover wide areas and can kill a player who remains on open ground. Keep moving, use Torrent where possible and avoid being trapped against cliffs.

Fire Monk casters

The garrison’s thorn sorcerers and fire casters are more dangerous than their basic appearance suggests. Pull them away from groups and use walls or corners to break line of sight.

Chains and cliffs

The chain crossings are narrow and visually deceptive. Do not sprint across them while locked onto enemies. The eastern region also contains several paths where the intended route begins from a different ledge than the visible item.

Night-only threats

Rest at a Site of Grace and set the time to night when searching for the Death Rite Bird. If it does not appear, verify that you are in the correct overworld section and that the encounter has not already been defeated.

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Night-only threats: steps

01
Take the Grand Lift of Rold into the Mountaintops.
02
Activate the first available Site of Grace.
03
Ride to First Church of Marika and collect its Sacred Tear.
04
Explore the route towards Guardians’ Garrison.
05
Clear the garrison for the Giant’s Prayerbook.
06
Defeat Chief Guardian Arghanthy.
07
Collect Prelate’s Charge outside the fort.
08
Cross the chain and activate Giants’ Gravepost.
09
Pick up Map: Mountaintops of the Giants, East.
10
Search the eastern cliffs for the Crimsonwhorl Bubbletear.
11
Clear Spiritcaller’s Cave.
12
Visit Lord Contender’s Evergaol and defeat Vyke.
13
Visit Church of Repose and collect its Sacred Tear.
14
Defeat Bloody Finger Okina if the invasion occurs.
15
Clear the Death Rite Bird encounter at night.
16
Activate Foot of the Forge.
17
Defeat the Fire Giant.
18
Complete any remaining pre-forge tasks.
19
Use the Forge of the Giants to advance the story.

Overworld landmarks

Forge of the Giants

Dungeons and enclosed areas

Forge of the Giants

Bosses and named enemies

Named characters and story figures

Items and rewards

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Items and rewards

Is East Mountaintops of the Giants the same as Flame Peak?

Not exactly as a universal naming rule, but Flame Peak is the relevant Site of Grace and map grouping for the eastern route to the Forge. This guide uses “East Mountaintops” as the broader player-facing description and “Flame Peak” for the in-game subarea grouping.

Is Castle Sol part of the eastern area?

No. Castle Sol is in the West Mountaintops grouping. It is geographically close on the overall map but has a separate route, dungeon structure and progression purpose.

Can I reach the Consecrated Snowfield from East Mountaintops?

You can reach the Consecrated Snowfield through the Grand Lift of Rold by using the Haligtree Secret Medallion, but that is a separate progression route. The Snowfield is not included in this guide.

Do I have to clear Guardians’ Garrison?

No. It is optional. It is worth visiting for the Giant’s Prayerbook, Chief Guardian Arghanthy and the fort’s equipment.

Does defeating the Fire Giant burn the Erdtree immediately?

No. Defeating the Fire Giant opens the way to the forge. The major story transition occurs when the player proceeds to the forge and completes the associated interaction.

Can I return to the eastern Mountaintops after using the forge?

The region itself remains accessible, but the world has entered a later progression state. Complete missable or state-sensitive activities before using the forge if you want the safest possible completion order.

Is this guide complete?

It is a researched regional guide covering the principal named overworld areas, dungeons, bosses, NPC encounters, map fragment, Sacred Tears and major rewards. The boundary between “East Mountaintops” and the broader Mountaintops region is not presented identically by every guide, so minor corpse pickups, ordinary crafting materials, enemy drop tables and some map-edge scenery are not claimed as exhaustively catalogued here. The major boundary issue is the naming relationship between East Mountaintops and Flame Peak; the guide resolves it by treating Flame Peak as the in-game eastern subarea grouping and excluding West Mountaintops and Consecrated Snowfield.

Sources

Forge of the Giants - Eldenpedia — eldenring.wiki.gg
Mountaintops of the Giants - Eldenpedia — eldenring.wiki.gg
Map: Mountaintops of the Giants, East - Eldenpedia — eldenring.wiki.gg
Mountaintops of the Giants Interactive Map and Region Guide | Elden Ring｜Game8 — game8.co
Guardians' Garrison | Elden Ring Wiki | Fandom — eldenring.fandom.com
Crimsonwhorl Bubbletear - Eldenpedia — eldenring.wiki.gg
Mountaintops of the Giants | Elden Ring Wiki | Fandom — eldenring.fandom.com