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Locationmajor

Midra's Manse

Midra's Manse is a compact legacy dungeon in the Realm of Shadow, hidden within the Abyssal Woods in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree.

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • Midra’s Manse is a dungeon within the Abyssal Woods, not a synonym for the entire forest.
  • The manse has four named Sites of Grace Manse Hall, Midra’s Library, Second Floor Chamber and Discussion Chamber.
  • Its only major boss is Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame, an optional Remembrance boss.
  • The main unique reward is Nanaya’s Torch, found through an upper-floor rafters route involving an illusory wall and a lever.
  • Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3] unlocks the recipe for Surging Frenzied Flame.
  • The safest route to the area is deliberately indirect enter the Abyssal Woods through Darklight Catacombs, follow the forest’s warnings, avoid the Untouchables where possible and approach the manse from the waterfall and Divided Falls side.

About this guide

Shadow of the Erdtree location guide Spoiler warning: This guide discusses the Abyssal Woods, Midra’s history, the manse’s internal route, Nanaya and the optional remembrance boss Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame.

Overview

Midra’s Manse is a minor legacy dungeon in the southern Abyssal Woods, itself a forbidden sub-region of Scadu Altus in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree. It is not the whole of the Abyssal Woods, nor does the surrounding forest count as part of the manse proper. The manse is the ruined residence of Sage Midra, and its playable structure consists of a compact but layered manor, a hidden route through its upper rooms and rafters, and a final boss arena reached through the Discussion Chamber.

The dungeon’s atmosphere and progression are built around madness. The route into it passes through the Abyssal Woods, where Torrent cannot be summoned and where Aging Untouchables punish careless movement. Inside the house, the threat changes from stealth and pursuit to ambushes, illusionary walls, cramped rooms and enemies associated with the Frenzied Flame.

Midra’s Manse is optional. Defeating its boss is not required to complete the downloadable content, but the dungeon contains a unique weapon, a cookbook connected to Frenzied Flame crafting, a Revered Spirit Ash, several useful consumables and a Remembrance.

Boundaries and hierarchy

Scadu Altus is the broad regional plateau surrounding places such as the Shadow Keep, Bonny Village, the Recluses’ River and the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. The Abyssal Woods is a distinct sub-region of Scadu Altus, reached through Darklight Catacombs at the end of the Recluses’ River. Midra’s Manse is a dungeon located inside that forest.

This distinction matters because several items and enemies commonly associated with the approach to Midra are actually in the Abyssal Woods rather than inside the manse. The forest contains the Abandoned Church, the Aging Untouchables, the Madding Hand encounter and several outdoor Sites of Grace. They should not be counted as internal manse content.

Included areas

These names are also used for the dungeon’s Sites of Grace. Manse Hall is near the entrance, Midra’s Library is in the central upper section, Second Floor Chamber is near the fog wall, and Discussion Chamber becomes available after defeating Midra.

Neighbouring but separate areas

The following are connected to the manse’s approach but are not subareas of the dungeon:

The approach through these places is part of reaching the manse, not part of the manse’s internal layout.

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Midra’s Manse belongs to the following hierarchy

Neighbouring but separate areas

Reaching Midra’s Manse

The broad route

The Abyssal Woods can only be reached by navigating through Darklight Catacombs, which lie at the terminus of the Recluses’ River. From there, the route continues through the forest towards Midra’s ruined residence.

The route is intentionally designed to discourage ordinary mounted exploration. Torrent cannot be summoned in the Abyssal Woods, and the area’s warnings are literal: the Untouchables are difficult or impossible to fight conventionally until the player learns how to counter them. The in-game messages advise hiding, crouching and waiting for an opening rather than engaging directly.

The forest approach

These are Abyssal Woods encounters, not ordinary inhabitants of Midra’s Manse. The most important practical distinction is that the Aging Untouchables are best avoided during the initial crossing. Their attacks and pursuit make the forest approach more dangerous than the early part of the manor itself.

These messages establish the intended behaviour for the area. They are not merely atmospheric clues.

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The broad route: A practical progression is

  1. 01
    Travel along the Recluses’ River.
  2. 02
    Enter and complete enough of Darklight Catacombs to emerge at the Forsaken Graveyard.
  3. 03
    Move through Woodland Trail and towards the Abyssal Woods Site of Grace.
  4. 04
    Follow the forest messages and use the undergrowth for concealment.
  5. 05
    Continue towards the forest’s waterfall and Divided Falls.
  6. 06
    Approach the manse from the southern side.
  7. 07
    Enter through the main doorway to activate Manse Hall.

Geography and architecture

Midra’s Manse is a decaying, once-opulent residence surrounded by the dark woodland of the Abyss. Its interior is recognisable as a private house rather than a military fortification or conventional temple. Books, paintings, damaged furniture and torn tapestries suggest a scholarly household that has been destroyed or abandoned for a long time. The manse’s condition reflects the spread of the Frenzied Flame and the suffering of its occupants.

The dungeon is not a sprawling multi-wing legacy dungeon. Its challenge comes from the vertical route, hidden walls and the need to revisit central rooms from different elevations.

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The layout has three useful layers

  1. 01
    The entrance and lower rooms, centred on Manse Hall.
  2. 02
    The library and upper chambers, where most of the dungeon’s branching exploration occurs.
  3. 03
    The Discussion Chamber and boss route, ending in Midra’s arena.

Manse Hall

Manse Hall is the entrance section and the first Site of Grace. It provides the initial checkpoint after the forest crossing and acts as the dungeon’s central return point.

Explore the side rooms before committing to the upper route. The manse uses paintings and apparently solid walls as visual disguises. One important illusory wall is hidden behind a painting. It opens a route towards a ladder and a lever used later in the search for Nanaya’s Torch.

Directory: Manse Hall and entrance rooms

The precise order in which these objects are collected can vary depending on whether the player explores the side rooms immediately or returns after reaching Midra’s Library.

Midra’s Library

Midra’s Library is the dungeon’s main vertical exploration area. It is surrounded by rafters, bookcases and upper walkways, with several routes hidden above or behind the apparently accessible floor plan.

The library Site of Grace is the safest point from which to search for Nanaya’s Torch. From the grace, the player must use the rafters and bookcases to cross towards the northern and western parts of the room. A lever raises a bookcase and opens the route to the weapon. Reaching that lever requires dropping down to a nearby room and finding another painting that conceals an illusory wall.

Directory: Midra’s Library

The library is also where the manse’s historical material is most strongly represented. Its destruction suggests that Midra’s household was not simply a battlefield casualty. The house has been left in a state of prolonged collapse.

Second Floor Chamber

Second Floor Chamber is positioned in the corridor outside the boss route. It is the last major checkpoint before the confrontation and is useful for preparing equipment, preserving consumables and practising the final approach.

The route from here leads into the Discussion Chamber. Midra can be heard and encountered before the final transformation, and his dialogue changes as the player approaches from this side of the house.

Discussion Chamber

Discussion Chamber is the final internal room before the boss arena. It becomes a permanent Site of Grace after Midra is defeated. Before the fight, Midra appears in a weakened form and warns the player to leave. Approaching him initiates the encounter.

After the boss battle, the room becomes the final checkpoint of the dungeon. The boss arena and post-boss area should therefore be treated as a progression state rather than a separate neighbouring location.

Directory: Discussion Chamber

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Sage Midra

Sage Midra is the central character associated with the manse. He attempted to become a Lord of Frenzied Flame but failed. The game’s descriptions and associated lore present him as a man who endured prolonged torment while remaining connected to Nanaya. His body is visibly restrained by the branching weapon that later becomes the Greatsword of Damnation.

Midra’s encounter begins with his frail, apparently incomplete form. When defeated in that state, he removes the instrument piercing him, tears away his own head and reveals his full form as the Lord of Frenzied Flame. His transformation is part of the boss cutscene rather than an optional phase that can be skipped.

Directory: story-associated characters

Nanaya does not appear as an ordinary speaking NPC within the manse. She is represented through the house’s lore, the weapon Nanaya’s Torch and the boss’s dialogue.

Directory: story-associated characters

Ordinary NPCs and visitors

No merchant, friendly resident or conventional quest-giver has been verified inside Midra’s Manse. The spectral figures and hostile household-related beings encountered in the dungeon should not be treated as ordinary NPC residents.

The player is a visitor and looter entering a forbidden residence. This is reinforced by Midra’s repeated warnings to leave.

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Common enemies

The internal enemy population includes hostile creatures and servants associated with the ruined house. Available walkthrough evidence identifies the following manse encounters:

These enemies should be distinguished from the Abyssal Woods’ outdoor encounters, particularly Aging Untouchables, Inquisitors and the Madding Hand. The latter belong to the forest approach.

The most reliable general tactic inside the house is to pull enemies into larger rooms rather than fight beside bookcases, corners or stairways. The dungeon’s cramped furniture can obstruct attacks and make camera control difficult.

Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame

Midra is an optional Remembrance boss. He is the only named boss listed for Midra’s Manse.

Preparation

The boss awards 410,000 Runes according to the available boss listing and drops the Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame.

Boss rewards

The Remembrance can be exchanged through the normal Remembrance system for one of its available rewards, or duplicated at an appropriate Remembrance-duplication facility. The exact trade choice is a separate progression decision and should be made only after checking which Frenzied Flame weapon or spell best suits the character.

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The fight has two broad stages

  1. 01
    The frail Midra encounter. Midra is vulnerable and can be staggered readily, but he still has dangerous attacks, including a scream-based area attack and a grab.

Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame: steps

  1. 01
    The Lord of Frenzied Flame. Midra removes the weapon restraining him and enters his true form. He uses a large Frenzied Flame greatsword, inflicts Madness and gains more aggressive attacks. At around the later portion of the fight, he rises and drops back into the arena with a powerful explosion.

Unique and notable rewards

The manse’s recognised notable loot includes the Torn Diary Page, Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3], Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied Flame, Nanaya’s Torch, Golden Horn Tender, Shadow Realm Runes [6] and [7], Surging Frenzied Flame and a Revered Spirit Ash.

Unique and notable rewards

ItemTypeLocation or acquisition
Nanaya’s TorchTorch armamentHidden body inside the manse, reached through the library rafters and a lever
Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]CookbookCorpse in a dark, rat-infested second-floor room
Torn Diary PageKey item or lore itemEntrance-side exploration
Shadow Realm Rune [6]Consumable runeManse interior
Shadow Realm Rune [7]Consumable runeLibrary area
Golden Horn TenderConsumableLibrary area
Swollen GrapeCrafting materialMultiple interior pickups
Thin Beast BonesCrafting materialEntrance-side pickup
Surging Frenzied FlameCraftable itemRecipe unlocked by Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]
Revered Spirit AshScadutree-era upgrade materialInterior exploration
Remembrance of the Lord of Frenzied FlameRemembranceDefeat Midra

Nanaya’s Torch

Nanaya’s Torch is a unique torch requiring Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence and Faith. It deals fire damage, causes Madness build-up and has the skill Feeble Lord’s Frenzied Flame. The skill emits Frenzied Flame while also building Madness on the user, so it is not a risk-free ranged attack.

How to obtain it

The item is permanently missable only in the practical sense that the player can leave without exploring the hidden route. It is not tied to a known temporary NPC event or a time-limited quest state.

How to obtain it

  1. 01
    Reach Midra’s Library.
  2. 02
    Rest at the library Site of Grace.
  3. 03
    Search the rafters and upper bookcase routes.
  4. 04
    Drop into the room west of the grace.
  5. 05
    Turn around and inspect the painting.
  6. 06
    Reveal the illusory wall behind it.
  7. 07
    Climb the ladder and activate the lever.
  8. 08
    Return to the raised-bookcase route.
  9. 09
    Cross the upper section to the body carrying Nanaya’s Torch.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]

This cookbook was left by a craftsman who served Midra and Nanaya. Its description connects the craftsman’s burned eyes with the Frenzied Flame. It unlocks the recipe for Surging Frenzied Flame, crafted from a Spiritgrave Stone and a Swollen Grape.

It is found on a corpse in a dark, rat-infested room on the second floor in the eastern half of the manse.

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Use this order if you want to see the dungeon’s important content without repeated backtracking.

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Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Activate Manse Hall. Search the entrance rooms and collect the visible consumables.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Inspect paintings. The painting disguises are not decorative only. Check suspicious walls behind them, especially around the route leading below the library.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Reach Midra’s Library. Activate the second Site of Grace before attempting the optional rafters route.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Collect the library items. Pick up the Shadow Realm Rune [7], Golden Horn Tender and Swollen Grape.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Search for the Cookbook. Explore the dark upper room with rats and collect Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3].

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Take the hidden route to Nanaya’s Torch. Use the illusory wall, ladder and lever to raise the bookcase, then cross the rafters to the corpse.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Continue to Second Floor Chamber. Treat this as the preparation point for the boss.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Enter the Discussion Chamber. Listen to Midra’s warning and begin the fight when ready.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Defeat Midra. Collect the Remembrance and inspect the post-boss room.

Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]: steps

  1. 01
    Activate Discussion Chamber. This gives you a permanent return point for the dungeon.

Madness

Madness is the dungeon’s defining status effect. The outdoor forest and the boss both use it prominently, while Nanaya’s Torch can inflict it on enemies and its wielder. Build-up is especially dangerous because it can interrupt actions and remove a large amount of health.

A character built around Frenzied Flame may find Midra’s Manse useful for thematic equipment, but the dungeon does not provide a conventional merchant or a dedicated Madness cure service.

Illusory walls

At least two painting-associated illusion routes are important:

Do not assume that every painting is an illusion, but inspect paintings that sit in otherwise suspicious dead ends.

Vertical navigation

The rafters and bookcases are easy to overlook because the main floor appears to offer a complete route. If the player can see a body or ledge above the library, the intended solution is usually a drop, jump or raised bookcase rather than a distant entrance.

The forest’s “unavoidable” enemies

Aging Untouchables are not standard opponents to be cleared on the way to the manse. The intended first approach is stealth. Their presence is part of the Abyssal Woods’ rules and atmosphere, while the manse itself returns to more familiar combat.

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Midra’s Manse was once a vibrant home surrounded by flowers. By the time the player arrives, it has become a ruined, charred residence filled with damaged books, broken furniture and torn tapestries. The manse’s condition parallels Midra’s failed attempt to become a Lord of Frenzied Flame.

The Abyssal Woods is described as the sanctum of Sage Midra and as a place forbidden by the Hornsent. The Frenzied Flame within the region is treated as something that must be contained or avoided, explaining why the route is isolated and why the forest’s messages tell the player not to fight openly.

The household’s relationship with the Frenzied Flame is reflected in several items:

The manse therefore functions as both a residence and a sealed relic of an attempted Frenzied Flame succession.

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Named characters and story figures

Bosses

Internal features and landmarks

The directory deliberately excludes the Abyssal Woods’ outdoor locations and enemies. Those belong to the approach region, even though they are required to reach the manse.

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Before leaving the dungeon, confirm that you have:

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Is Midra’s Manse part of the Abyssal Woods?

No. It is a dungeon located within the Abyssal Woods. The forest is a sub-region of Scadu Altus, while Midra’s Manse is a separate minor legacy dungeon inside it.

Is Midra mandatory?

No. Midra is an optional Remembrance boss and is not required for the main downloadable-content progression.

Can Torrent be used at the manse?

Torrent cannot be summoned in the Abyssal Woods. Once inside the manse, the dungeon is an ordinary on-foot legacy-dungeon environment.

Where is Nanaya’s Torch?

It is on a body inside the manse. From Midra’s Library, use the rafters and upper bookcases. You must first reveal a painting-hidden illusory wall, climb to a lever and raise a bookcase before the final crossing becomes possible.

Where is Mad Craftsman’s Cookbook [3]?

It is on a corpse in a dark, rat-infested room on the second floor in the eastern half of Midra’s Manse. It unlocks Surging Frenzied Flame.

Are the Aging Untouchables inside the manse?

No. They are enemies of the Abyssal Woods approach. They should be listed under the forest rather than under Midra’s Manse.

Are there merchants or services inside?

No merchant, shop or conventional service has been verified within Midra’s Manse. The dungeon provides Sites of Grace and upgrade-related loot, but not a shop or NPC facility.

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Sources