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Locationmajor

Great Waterfall Crest

Great Waterfall Crest is a Site of Grace and arrival point in the Deeproot Depths, the vast underground root system beneath the Lands Between.

Importancemajor

About this guide

Base game location guide Spoilers: This guide discusses Deeproot Depths, the Valiant Gargoyles route, several optional rewards and the nearby Fia questline.

Overview

Great Waterfall Crest is a Site of Grace and small landing area in Deeproot Depths, the underground region beneath the Erdtree. It is not a separate large region in the same sense as Deeproot Depths, Nokron or Siofra River. Instead, the name refers primarily to the grace, the waterfall basin where the player arrives, the nearby Erdtree Avatar arena and the short network of roots, ants’ nests and cliffside paths immediately surrounding it.

The area is easy to mistake for the whole of Deeproot Depths because it is the player’s first destination when using the coffin in Siofra Aqueduct. However, the wider region continues north and east towards Deeproot Depths, The Nameless Eternal City, Across the Roots and the Prince of Death’s Throne. Those locations should be treated as neighbouring subareas rather than folded into Great Waterfall Crest itself.

Great Waterfall Crest is chiefly valuable for four reasons:

It is also a useful staging point for crossing the large roots towards the rest of Deeproot Depths. The route is hazardous but compact, making the area a good early target once the player has completed the Siofra Aqueduct section.

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Location boundaries and hierarchy

Great Waterfall Crest sits within Deeproot Depths, rather than forming an independent overworld region. Its practical boundary is the arrival basin and the immediate routes branching from it:

The following places are connected but should not be counted as part of Great Waterfall Crest:

This distinction matters because many walkthroughs use “Great Waterfall Crest” as shorthand for the opening section of Deeproot Depths, while the in-game grace names divide the region into several separate locations.

Named directory: Great Waterfall Crest

Some of these are descriptive labels rather than formal in-game location names. The game gives the Site of Grace and the wider Deeproot Depths region official names, but not every root, cave or basin receives a separate map label.

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Location boundaries and hierarchy: steps

  1. 01
    The waterfall landing area and the Great Waterfall Crest Site of Grace.
  2. 02
    The Erdtree Avatar’s open arena nearby.
  3. 03
    The root crossing leading towards the main Deeproot Depths basin.
  4. 04
    The ant-infested cave and cliffside roots containing Elden Stars.
  5. 05
    The nearby Scarab route leading to Golden Land.

Named directory: Great Waterfall Crest

Access and routes

Standard route from Siofra Aqueduct

The coffin is not available as an ordinary fast-travel destination before the Valiant Gargoyles encounter has been completed. Great Waterfall Crest is therefore normally reached after a substantial portion of Nokron and Siofra Aqueduct has been explored.

Alternative route from the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds

A second route is possible through the Frenzied Flame Proscription, deep below Leyndell. An illusory-wall route eventually leads towards Root-Facing Cliffs and the wider Deeproot Depths area. This approach is useful for players pursuing the Frenzied Flame content or deliberately avoiding the Valiant Gargoyles route, but it is less direct if Great Waterfall Crest is the specific destination.

The alternative entrance does not turn Root-Facing Cliffs into part of Great Waterfall Crest. It is a different access route into the same broader underground region.

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Standard route from Siofra Aqueduct: The intended route is through Siofra Aqueduct

  1. 01
    Enter Siofra Aqueduct from Nokron, Eternal City.
  2. 02
    Reach the arena containing the Valiant Gargoyle and Valiant Gargoyle (Twinblade).
  3. 03
    Defeat both Gargoyles.
  4. 04
    Activate the Great Waterfall Basin Site of Grace if you have not already done so.
  5. 05
    Find the coffin near the waterfall at the edge of the arena.
  6. 06
    Interact with the coffin to be transported to Deeproot Depths.
  7. 07
    Move forward from the arrival point and activate Great Waterfall Crest.

Recommended arrival procedure: On arrival

  1. 01
    Activate Great Waterfall Crest immediately.
  2. 02
    Look around the landing area before crossing the roots.
  3. 03
    Deal with or bypass the Erdtree Avatar.
  4. 04
    Collect the nearby Ghost Glovewort and Smithing Stone.
  5. 05
    Take the Scarab route for Golden Land.
  6. 06
    Cross the roots towards the next Deeproot Depths grace.
  7. 07
    Return to the cave route for Elden Stars if you did not collect it earlier.

Geography and landmarks

Great Waterfall Crest occupies a high underground waterfall basin beneath the Erdtree. The landscape is dominated by enormous roots that form natural bridges over deep gaps. The area has little conventional architecture. Its visual identity comes from the scale of the roots, the exposed rock, the vertical waterfall and the ant colonies occupying the cliffside hollows.

The grace itself is positioned close to the point where the coffin deposits the player. A large open section lies nearby, allowing the Erdtree Avatar to patrol around the basin. From there, roots extend towards the rest of Deeproot Depths. Some roots are broad enough to walk across, while others act as branching platforms that require careful positioning and, in places, mounted movement.

A separate root path leads towards a small opening in the cliff. This is the route to the ant cave containing Elden Stars. The cave entrance is not presented as a conventional dungeon entrance, so it is easy to miss if the player follows only the main branch towards the next Site of Grace.

Named directory: landmarks and routes

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Enemies and combat

Erdtree Avatar

The Erdtree Avatar is the most prominent enemy in the immediate area. It patrols near the grace and is not hidden behind a fog wall, so the player can choose to fight it immediately, lure it away from the grace or leave it for later.

The fight resembles other Erdtree Avatar encounters. The Avatar uses a large hammer, wide physical attacks and holy-infused abilities. It can also create a golden shockwave and projectile pattern similar to the Golden Land skill. Keeping space is important, particularly when the Avatar begins using area attacks. The broad terrain around the grace makes mounted repositioning possible, although the roots and uneven ground can interfere with movement.

Defeating this Avatar awards the Staff of the Avatar, a colossal weapon with the Erdtree Slam skill. The weapon is particularly relevant to strength-faith builds and is a fixed reward rather than a random drop.

Ants

The surrounding roots and cave are inhabited by Giant Ants and Flying Ants. The cave contains several enemies in confined spaces, while the outdoor Scarab route places the player at risk of being surrounded while trying to secure the Ash of War.

Ants are vulnerable to attacks that can hit multiple targets, but their bodies and wings can make targeting awkward. Shield users should be cautious of attacks from several directions, and ranged characters can often clear the cave entrance before committing to the interior.

Teardrop Scarab

A Teardrop Scarab carries Ash of War: Golden Land. It is located along the route near the Erdtree Avatar, in an ant-guarded section of the roots. The reward is fixed. If the Scarab escapes or the player dies before collecting the drop, it must be hunted again after returning to the area.

Named directory: enemies

There are no named human NPCs, invasion encounters or conventional faction patrols documented within the immediate Great Waterfall Crest section. Enemies here are environmental inhabitants rather than members of an organised local settlement.

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Named directory: enemies

Items and collectibles

Staff of the Avatar

Defeat the Erdtree Avatar near the grace to receive the Staff of the Avatar. It is a colossal weapon with requirements of 34 Strength and 24 Faith, and it uses the unique skill Erdtree Slam. The weapon’s description links the Erdtree Avatars to the protection of Minor Erdtrees and frames them as guardians emerging after the Elden Ring’s shattering.

Ash of War: Golden Land

The Ash of War is dropped by the Teardrop Scarab on the ant-guarded route near the Erdtree Avatar. Golden Land slams the weapon into the ground, releases a sacred blast and follows it with golden projectiles. It can be applied to compatible large weapons, including greataxes, great hammers, great spears and colossal weapons, subject to the game’s normal Ash of War restrictions.

Elden Stars

Elden Stars is found in the ant cave reached from the roots near the grace. Follow the appropriate branch into the opening, defeat or bypass the ants and continue to the ledge at the far end. The spell is collected from a corpse.

It is a legendary Faith incantation requiring 50 Faith. When cast, it creates a stream of golden stars that pursue enemies and deal repeated hits. The spell’s description connects it to the Greater Will sending a golden star bearing a beast that would later become the Elden Ring.

Other upgrade materials

The immediate area also contains upgrade materials, including Ghost Glovewort [4] and Smithing Stone [6], according to route inventories for the opening Deeproot Depths section. Their exact placement is on the roots and slopes around the Avatar and Scarab routes rather than beside the grace itself.

Collectibles directory

The area should not be confused with the rest of Deeproot Depths’ collectible inventory. The map fragment, Crucible Tree Set and Fia-related rewards are found elsewhere in the wider region.

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Suggested exploration route

This route collects the most important Great Waterfall Crest rewards without unnecessarily mixing in the rest of Deeproot Depths.

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Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Activate the grace. This gives you a safe return point after the coffin journey.

Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Survey the basin. Identify the Erdtree Avatar’s patrol path before engaging. If you are under-levelled or travelling for a specific item, it is safe to leave the Avatar alive.

Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Collect the nearby upgrade materials. Search the open ground and the roots around the Avatar’s route for Ghost Glovewort [4] and Smithing Stone [6].

Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Defeat the Erdtree Avatar. Use the broad ground around the grace to avoid being trapped against roots. The reward is the Staff of the Avatar.

Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Hunt the Golden Land Scarab. Continue along the route near the Avatar towards the ants. Clear the Giant Ants first if possible, then attack the Scarab before it disappears.

Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Cross towards the main Deeproot Depths basin. Use the large roots to travel onward. Keep an eye out for the next Site of Grace rather than treating every visible branch as part of Great Waterfall Crest.

Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Return for Elden Stars. From the grace, take the root branch leading into the cliffside opening. Explore the ant cave and collect the incantation at the far end.

Suggested exploration route: steps

  1. 01
    Continue north and east only when ready. The remaining Deeproot Depths content includes the map fragment, further Sites of Grace, Crucible Knight Siluria, Fia’s Champions and the Lichdragon Fortissax sequence.

Hazards and practical advice

Do not fight on the narrow roots unless necessary

The roots are the area’s main navigation challenge. A missed step can cause a fatal fall, and attacks from ants can stagger the player while crossing. If an enemy is positioned on a narrow branch, consider drawing it towards wider ground rather than trading blows at the edge.

The Scarab is easier after clearing the ants

The Golden Land Scarab is surrounded by hostile ants. Rushing directly towards it can result in attacks from several sides, while the Scarab itself may move away during the fight. Clear a route first, then approach the Scarab with a fast weapon or ranged attack ready.

The Avatar is optional

Nothing requires the player to defeat the Erdtree Avatar before travelling onwards. It is often more efficient to collect the grace, explore the roots and return with upgraded equipment.

The cave is easy to overlook

The cave is not on the most obvious route to the next grace. Look for a branch that approaches the cliffside opening rather than assuming the broadest root is always the correct path. The Elden Stars reward is one of the most important reasons to search the area thoroughly.

The area has no shop or crafting service

Great Waterfall Crest is a field location and checkpoint, not a settlement. There is no merchant, blacksmith, map seller, cookery service or other permanent facility here. The Site of Grace provides the normal grace functions, but it does not introduce a special local service.

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Fia’s questline and progression

Great Waterfall Crest is relevant to Fia’s story because it is the entry point into Deeproot Depths, where the later stages of her questline occur. Fia herself is not located at this grace. Her principal location is the Prince of Death’s Throne, farther into Deeproot Depths, after the Fia’s Champions encounter.

The route through Great Waterfall Crest does not by itself begin or complete the quest. Progression depends on actions elsewhere, including reaching the relevant Deeproot Depths area and possessing the Cursemark of Death for the later interaction with Fia. The quest can ultimately lead to the optional Lichdragon Fortissax encounter and the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince, but those are not rewards within Great Waterfall Crest.

Progression directory

These entries belong to the wider Deeproot Depths quest sequence, not the immediate Great Waterfall Crest subarea.

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Progression directory

Lore

The area’s imagery reinforces the relationship between the Erdtree and the subterranean root system beneath it. Great Waterfall Crest presents the player with a landscape where the Erdtree’s roots have become bridges, cliffs and living corridors. The Erdtree Avatar’s presence makes the location feel guarded rather than abandoned.

The Staff of the Avatar describes the Avatars as protectors of the Erdtree’s offspring. Its placement near the waterfall therefore gives the opening basin a clear defensive function: the player arrives at the edge of Deeproot Depths and immediately encounters one of the Erdtree’s remaining guardians.

The nearby Elden Stars spell provides the stronger cosmological connection. Its description presents a golden star, the Greater Will and the beast that would become the Elden Ring. Finding this legendary incantation inside an ant-filled hollow beneath the Erdtree creates a deliberate contrast between the game’s cosmic mythology and its decayed underground ecology. The relationship is thematic rather than a stated explanation of the cave itself.

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Completion checklist

Use this checklist if you are treating Great Waterfall Crest as a self-contained stop:

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Sources