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Locationmajor

Fort Faroth

Fort Faroth is a ruined military stronghold in northern Caelid, within the Dragonbarrow region of Elden Ring.

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • The main objective is the Dectus Medallion (Right) It is one half of the medallion required to activate the Grand Lift of Dectus and reach Altus Plateau by the lift route. The other half is in Fort Haight.
  • Radagon’s Soreseal is the fort’s major optional reward It is not on the same straightforward route as the medallion and requires a roof drop into a lower room.
  • There is a Site of Grace outside the fort Activate it before entering, as the interior can kill an unprepared character quickly.
  • The fort’s enemies include rats, giant rats, bats, winged sirens and spectral Redmane soldiers. Several are difficult to see before they attack.
  • The surrounding Dragonbarrow is broader than Fort Faroth Elder Dragon Greyoll, the Minor Erdtree and Dragonbarrow Cave are nearby but are separate locations with their own encounters and rewards.

About this guide

Scope: Base-game Elden Ring. This guide covers Fort Faroth itself, its Site of Grace and immediately associated fortress approaches. Nearby Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow landmarks, such as Elder Dragon Greyoll, the Minor Erdtree and Dragonbarrow Cave, are treated as neighbouring locations rather than parts of the fort.

Overview

Fort Faroth is a small but unusually rewarding fortress in the eastern part of Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow, the elevated northern section of Caelid. It stands near the region’s eastern cliffs and is one of the most useful optional stops in the area because it contains the Dectus Medallion (Right) and Radagon’s Soreseal, one of the game’s Legendary Talismans.

The fort is compact, but its layout is deliberately disorientating. The entrance opens into a dark chamber occupied by bats and winged enemies. The medallion is found by climbing to the upper battlements, while Radagon’s Soreseal is reached by dropping through the roof and navigating a lower section that is easy to overlook.

Fort Faroth is not a legacy dungeon and has no conventional boss encounter. Its challenge comes from cramped combat, poor visibility, enemies positioned above and below the player, and the danger of falling into sections before understanding the route.

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Named locations within scope

Nearby named locations

The nearby names above are route references, not additional rooms or branches of Fort Faroth.

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Nearby named locations

Reaching the fort from Dragonbarrow

A common overland approach begins at Dragonbarrow West. Travel east along the main road and take the branch leading towards the fort. The structure is visible from the surrounding Dragonbarrow terrain, although the approach is dangerous because the region’s dragons and other high-damage enemies can punish a low-level character.

The fort can also be reached quickly from the southern Caelid side by using the roads and Spirit Springs around the Dragonbarrow cliffs. The game allows players to enter the region earlier than its enemy damage might suggest, so reaching the Site of Grace does not require clearing every nearby threat.

Recommended approach

The medallion and Soreseal can both be collected without fully clearing the fortress. Fort Faroth is therefore a practical early detour for characters who need either item but are not ready to fight every enemy inside.

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Recommended approach: steps

  1. 01
    Ride to the fort rather than fighting every enemy on the road.
  2. 02
    Activate the Fort Faroth Site of Grace outside the entrance.
  3. 03
    Enter the fort and take the medallion route first.
  4. 04
    Return to the upper section and collect Radagon’s Soreseal.
  5. 05
    Leave immediately if the remaining enemies are not worth the risk.

1. Activate the Site of Grace

The Fort Faroth Site of Grace is outside the fort. Rest here before going inside. The fortress is dark, and the first room contains several enemies capable of killing a lightly armoured character before they have time to establish a safe position.

2. Enter the dark chamber

The entrance leads into a large, poorly lit room. Giant bats and winged sirens occupy the area, with some enemies positioned above the player’s initial line of sight. The winged enemies can attack from the air, while the confined floor space makes rolling and repositioning difficult.

A cautious method is to move only far enough to draw one enemy towards the doorway, then retreat outside or into a previously cleared section. Ranged attacks, thrown items and weapons with reliable vertical reach are particularly useful here.

3. Reach the Dectus Medallion (Right)

The medallion is in a chest on the upper part of the fort. It is a fixed item, not a random drop.

What the medallion does

The Dectus Medallion is divided into two halves:

Once both halves are collected, the player can use them at the Grand Lift of Dectus to travel to Altus Plateau. The lift route is optional because Altus Plateau can also be reached through the Ruin-Strewn Precipice.

From the main chamber

  1. 01
    Move through the entrance room towards the opposite side.
  2. 02
    Locate the ladder leading upwards.
  3. 03
    Climb to the upper section.
  4. 04
    Continue across the battlements.
  5. 05
    Open the chest at the top to obtain Dectus Medallion (Right).

4. Cross the upper battlements

The upper part of the fort contains spectral Redmane soldiers. They can appear as the player moves through the battlements and may attack from unexpected angles. The spectral soldiers are associated with Radahn’s forces, although Fort Faroth does not contain a Radahn boss encounter or a named Redmane NPC.

Keep the camera moving when crossing the roof. Some threats are easier to detect by sound or movement than by sight.

5. Collect Neutralizing Boluses

A corpse on the upper battlements holds Neutralizing Boluses. The item is positioned near the fort’s outer edge, close to a wooden barricade and a drop. Approach carefully, as collecting it can leave the player exposed to the spectral soldiers or a fall.

Neutralizing Boluses cure or reduce the effects of Scarlet Rot. Their presence is practical rather than incidental, since the broader Caelid region contains multiple sources of Scarlet Rot.

6. Drop into the lower section

Radagon’s Soreseal is not collected from the main upper route. From the upper fort area, look for the roof openings and wooden platforms below.

The talisman is in a lower section accessible by dropping through the roof, not through an obvious ground-level doorway.

Practical warning

Do not jump blindly from the battlements. The fort’s roof openings lead to different elevations, and a careless fall can cause damage, place the player among several rats or leave them surrounded with no room to manoeuvre.

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The route is

  1. 01
    Move to the roof section after collecting the medallion.
  2. 02
    Drop through the appropriate opening in the roof.
  3. 03
    Cross the wooden platforms rather than falling directly to the lowest floor.
  4. 04
    Continue into the lower room.
  5. 05
    Deal with the giant rat.
  6. 06
    Loot the corpse containing Radagon’s Soreseal.

Ordinary enemies

The verified enemy types associated with Fort Faroth are:

Different databases use slightly different naming conventions for the winged enemies. The fortress is consistently described as containing bats, winged sirens and spectral Redmane forces.

Enemy directory

Upper fort and battlements

The enemy list should not be expanded to include Elder Dragon Greyoll, nearby dragons or the Minor Erdtree’s Putrid Avatar. Those are outside the fort’s boundaries and belong to separate encounters.

Main hazards

Darkness

The most immediate danger is low visibility. Enemies can be hanging from the ceiling, standing behind walls or waiting in the route to the next room.

Vertical ambushes

The fort is designed around holes, ladders and roof drops. Enemies may be positioned on another level and become active only after the player commits to a jump or ladder.

Confined aerial combat

Bats and winged sirens have room to move while the player is restricted by walls and furniture. A shield, bow, crossbow or weapon with a broad sweeping attack can make the first chamber more manageable.

Falls

The roof route is not a single flat walkway. Several openings lead to lower platforms and rooms. Falling is sometimes necessary, but random jumping can damage the player or bypass the safe route to Radagon’s Soreseal.

High surrounding-region damage

Even if the fort itself is manageable, Greyoll’s Dragonbarrow is a dangerous area for early characters. Fort Faroth is often visited as a quick loot stop rather than as part of a full enemy-clearing expedition.

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Fixed items inside Fort Faroth

The item list above is the fixed loot associated with Fort Faroth.

Fixed items inside Fort Faroth

ItemLocationPurpose
Dectus Medallion (Right)Chest on the upper fortOne half of the medallion used at the Grand Lift of Dectus
Radagon’s SoresealLower room reached through a roof dropTalisman that raises several attributes while increasing damage taken
Golden Rune [12]Corpse in the upper or lower fort routeConsumable rune item
Neutralizing BolusesCorpse near the upper battlementsConsumable for Scarlet Rot-related status effects

Radagon’s Soreseal

Its drawback is that the wearer takes more damage. This makes it attractive for characters who benefit from the attribute increase, but it is not automatically an upgrade for every build. The talisman is especially useful when its extra attributes allow a weapon, spell or armour requirement to be met, but the increased incoming damage becomes more significant later in the game.

The item is fixed and does not require a boss fight. Its location is the most commonly missed reward in the fort because it is below the roof rather than on the main upper route.

Dectus Medallion (Right)

The right half is placed in a chest at the top of the fort. It is one of the clearest examples of Fort Faroth’s role as a progression shortcut: the location is optional, but its reward opens the direct lift route to Altus Plateau when paired with the left half from Fort Haight.

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Site of Grace

Fort Faroth

The Site of Grace is immediately outside the fort. It provides:

There are no shops, merchants, smithing facilities or summoning pools specific to Fort Faroth in the verified location listings consulted.

Services directory

The lack of services is part of the location’s character. Fort Faroth is a loot-and-exploration stop rather than a settlement.

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Bosses inside Fort Faroth

Fort Faroth has no named boss, field boss or mandatory combat encounter. The spectral soldiers, bats and rats are ordinary enemies for location purposes.

Nearby major encounters

Elder Dragon Greyoll is stationary and can be fought as a separate large dragon encounter. The Minor Erdtree has a Putrid Avatar, while Dragonbarrow Cave ends in a Beastman encounter and contains separate talisman rewards.

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Fort Haight

Fort Haight is the counterpart to Fort Faroth for the Dectus Medallion. It contains the left half, while Fort Faroth contains the right half. The two forts are not connected geographically, but their rewards are linked mechanically through the Grand Lift of Dectus.

Grand Lift of Dectus

The Grand Lift is the principal destination associated with Fort Faroth’s medallion. With both halves in the inventory, approach the lift and select the option to hoist the Dectus Medallion. This opens the direct route to Altus Plateau.

Elder Dragon Greyoll

Greyoll lies close to Fort Faroth but is not part of the fortress. Players often combine the two stops because the dragon is visible from the surrounding Dragonbarrow and the fort’s Site of Grace provides a convenient reset point. Greyoll’s encounter gives a Dragon Heart and a large rune reward when defeated.

Minor Erdtree

The Dragonbarrow Minor Erdtree is a separate landmark south or nearby from the fort. Its associated Putrid Avatar rewards include the Stonebarb Cracked Tear and Opaline Hardtear. These are not Fort Faroth rewards.

Dragonbarrow Cave

Dragonbarrow Cave is another separate location in the same broad area. It contains, among other rewards, Bull-Goat’s Talisman and Flamedrake Talisman +2, with the latter associated with the Beastmen encounter inside the cave.

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Fort Faroth’s environmental story is intentionally unclear. The fort is associated with Redmane soldiers and contains spectral versions of Radahn’s forces, while the surrounding region is dominated by dragons and the remains of military activity. The game does not provide a named commander, explicit occupation history or a direct explanation for why the Dectus Medallion was stored there.

The Dectus Medallion’s placement creates a useful contrast with Fort Haight. Each fort preserves one half of an artefact needed to cross into Altus Plateau, suggesting that both were once strategically important outposts. That is an interpretation based on the paired placement of the items rather than a stated in-game history.

The presence of Radagon’s Soreseal is similarly suggestive but not fully explained. The talisman is associated with Radagon and the strengthening of a warrior through increased physical attributes, but the game does not state why it was hidden in this particular fort.

Fast medallion route

Use this when you only need access to Altus Plateau.

This route can be completed without killing every enemy.

Fast medallion route: steps

  1. 01
    Activate the Fort Faroth Site of Grace.
  2. 02
    Enter the fort.
  3. 03
    Run or fight through the first room.
  4. 04
    Climb the ladder.
  5. 05
    Cross to the upper chest.
  6. 06
    Take Dectus Medallion (Right).
  7. 07
    Leave.

Full reward route

Use this when collecting the fort’s fixed loot.

Full reward route: steps

  1. 01
    Activate the Site of Grace.
  2. 02
    Clear the first room slowly.
  3. 03
    Take the ladder to the upper level.
  4. 04
    Collect Dectus Medallion (Right).
  5. 05
    Search the battlements for Neutralizing Boluses.
  6. 06
    Find the roof opening.
  7. 07
    Drop across the wooden platforms.
  8. 08
    Kill or bypass the giant rat.
  9. 09
    Collect Radagon’s Soreseal.
  10. 10
    Pick up Golden Rune [12].
  11. 11
    Return to the Site of Grace.

Wider Dragonbarrow route

This route treats each location separately and avoids confusing the fort’s rewards with those of the neighbouring landmarks.

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Before leaving Fort Faroth, check that you have:

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A broader excursion can be organised as

  1. 01
    Dragonbarrow West
  2. 02
    Fort Faroth
  3. 03
    Elder Dragon Greyoll
  4. 04
    Dragonbarrow Cave
  5. 05
    Minor Erdtree
  6. 06
    Dragonbarrow Fork

Is Fort Faroth required?

No. Fort Faroth is optional. However, its medallion half is required if you want to use the Grand Lift of Dectus. Altus Plateau can also be reached through the Ruin-Strewn Precipice, so the fort is not mandatory for main-story progression.

Is there a boss in Fort Faroth?

No. The fort contains ordinary enemies and spectral soldiers, but no named boss.

Where is Radagon’s Soreseal?

It is in a lower section reached by dropping through a roof opening from the upper fort. It is easy to miss if you only climb to the chest containing the Dectus Medallion.

Where is the other Dectus Medallion half?

The left half is in Fort Haight. The right half is in Fort Faroth.

Can I simply run through the fort?

Yes. You can collect the principal rewards without killing every enemy, although the bats, winged sirens and rats can make the route dangerous if they surround you.

Is Elder Dragon Greyoll part of Fort Faroth?

No. Greyoll is a nearby separate encounter. The fort’s Site of Grace makes the area convenient to approach, but Greyoll does not belong to the fort’s interior or enemy directory.

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Sources