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Academy of Raya Lucaria

Raya Lucaria Academy is a large sorcery-focused Legacy Dungeon in northern Liurnia of the Lakes. It is worth exploring for major story progression, powerful magic-related equipment, the Red Wolf of Radagon, and Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon.

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • You need an Academy Glintstone Key to enter The key used for entry is found west of the Academy, near Glintstone Dragon Smarag. A second key, found inside the Academy, can be given to Thops.
  • The Academy has two major bosses Red Wolf of Radagon and Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. Both are within the legacy dungeon proper.
  • The main internal route runs from Church of the Cuckoo to Schoolhouse Classroom, Debate Parlor and finally Raya Lucaria Grand Library.
  • The roofs and upper church levels are optional but worthwhile They contain the second Academy Glintstone Key, the Azur Glintstone Staff, the Conspectus Scroll, a Memory Stone and several pieces of equipment.
  • The Isolated Merchant is outside the main dungeon route He is near the southern gate, inside the Academy’s wider grounds, and sells useful keys, ashes, ammunition, notes and clothing.
  • The Grand Library changes after Rennala’s defeat It becomes a Site of Grace, Rennala remains available for rebirth, and a chest connected with Ranni’s quest can later be opened with the Discarded Palace Key.

About this guide

Scope: Base game Elden Ring. This guide covers the Academy of Raya Lucaria legacy dungeon itself, including its internal rooftops, graveyard, churches, classrooms, courtyards and boss areas. It treats nearby but separate locations, such as Academy Gate Town, the Academy Crystal Cave and the South Raya Lucaria Gate exterior, as neighbouring connections rather than parts of the Academy proper.

Overview

The Academy of Raya Lucaria is a legacy dungeon in the centre of Liurnia of the Lakes. It is the principal seat of glintstone sorcery in the Lands Between, once ruled by Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon. By the time the Tarnished arrives, the Academy is sealed, its scholars have become hostile, and its grounds are occupied by sorcerers, puppets, marionette soldiers and other magical creatures.

The dungeon is optional for ordinary story progression, but it contains one of the game’s major remembrance bosses, a Great Rune, a larval tear reward route, important sorcery equipment, and material for several NPC questlines. It is also the principal source of information about the Academy’s scholarly factions, its conflict with Caria and the consequences of Radagon abandoning Rennala.

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Reaching the Academy

The Academy can be approached from several directions across Liurnia, but the practical entrance is the South Raya Lucaria Gate. Examine the seal at the gate while carrying an Academy Glintstone Key.

The first key required for entry is found on the small island west of the Academy, close to Glintstone Dragon Smarag. The dragon does not need to be defeated to obtain the key. Sneaking around the dragon is usually safer than attempting the fight at low level.

Once the key has been used, the Tarnished can activate the Main Academy Gate Site of Grace and travel through the magical seals linking the Academy to the surrounding lake.

Suggested first-clear route

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Suggested first-clear route: steps

  1. 01
    Enter through the South Raya Lucaria Gate.
  2. 02
    Activate the Main Academy Gate Site of Grace.
  3. 03
    Explore the outer grounds and visit the Isolated Merchant if you want his inventory.
  4. 04
    Enter the Academy and activate Church of the Cuckoo.
  5. 05
    Search the church, including the illusory side route and upper levels.
  6. 06
    Cross the graveyard and ride the waterwheel.
  7. 07
    Activate Schoolhouse Classroom.
  8. 08
    Explore the lower waterwheel area before proceeding.
  9. 09
    Defeat Red Wolf of Radagon.
  10. 10
    Activate Debate Parlor.
  11. 11
    Search the courtyard and rooftops.
  12. 12
    Collect the optional spells, equipment and second Academy Glintstone Key.
  13. 13
    Enter the Grand Library and defeat Rennala.
  14. 14
    Activate the post-boss Site of Grace.
  15. 15
    Return to the library later for rebirth, Ranni-related rewards or Sellen and Jerren’s quest events.

Church of the Cuckoo

The first internal checkpoint. It is close to the entry route and should be activated before exploring the church’s side passages.

Schoolhouse Classroom

Found after crossing the graveyard and using the waterwheel. This is the safest checkpoint before the Red Wolf route and the lower Academy areas.

Debate Parlor

This appears in the Red Wolf of Radagon’s arena after the boss has been defeated.

Raya Lucaria Grand Library

This appears in Rennala’s arena after defeating her. It provides permanent access to the Grand Library and its associated services.

Rennala’s rebirth service

After Rennala is defeated, she remains in the Grand Library. Speaking to her allows the player to redistribute attributes using Larval Tears. This is a service rather than a conventional shop, and it does not become available merely by entering the Academy.

Isolated Merchant

The Isolated Merchant is located near the southern gate in the wider Academy grounds. His stock includes:

His Bell Bearing is the Isolated Merchant’s Bell Bearing [2]. If the merchant is killed, the Bell Bearing can be given to the Twin Maiden Husks to reproduce the listed inventory.

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Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon

Rennala was the Academy’s master and the head of the Carian royal house. Her lunar teachings influenced the Academy, but after Radagon left her, the scholars confined her to the Grand Library. She is the principal boss and remains in the library after defeat.

Rennala’s presence gives the Academy two different identities. It is both a school of glintstone sorcery and the former centre of Carian lunar scholarship.

Sorcerers and academy scholars

The ordinary Glintstone Sorcerers are hostile scholars and security personnel. Their spells make open courtyards dangerous, particularly when several can attack from different elevations.

The Academy’s scholarly structure is divided into conspectuses. Important named traditions include:

These traditions are represented through crowns, robes, weapons, enemy types and sorceries.

Moongrum, Carian Knight

Moongrum guards the approach to the Grand Library. He is a named elite enemy rather than a full remembrance boss. His equipment and defensive style make him a useful test of whether the player is ready for Rennala.

He drops the Carian Knight’s Shield. His parry can punish careless melee attacks, so spellcasters and heavy weapons should avoid predictable light attacks.

Thops

Thops is a former Academy student who was locked outside when the Academy sealed its gates. He is first encountered at the Church of Irith, not inside the Academy.

His corpse provides Thops’s Barrier, an Academy Glintstone Staff and Thops’s Bell Bearing. He also gives the Erudition Gesture when the second key is handed over. The first key cannot be given to him because it is required to enter the Academy.

To progress his quest

  1. 01
    Speak to Thops at the Church of Irith.
  2. 02
    Obtain the Academy Glintstone Key required for entry.
  3. 03
    Find a second Academy Glintstone Key on the Academy’s upper route.
  4. 04
    Give the second key to Thops.
  5. 05
    Return to the Academy after reloading the area.
  6. 06
    Find Thops dead at a desk outside the Schoolhouse Classroom room.

Sorceress Sellen

Sellen is not permanently resident in the Academy during normal exploration, but the Academy is central to her history. Thops describes her as one of the Academy’s most promising sorceresses before her expulsion and the accusations surrounding the Graven Witch.

Her quest later returns to the Grand Library. Depending on the player’s progression, the library becomes the site of the final choice between Sellen and Jerren.

Castellan Jerren

Jerren can appear outside the Grand Library during Sellen’s questline. His appearance there is quest-dependent and should not be confused with a normal Academy resident. The player can assist Jerren against Sellen, after which Jerren provides an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone.

Academy faction directory

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Academy faction directory

Ordinary enemies

The Academy’s enemy roster combines scholars, puppets, undead creatures and magical beasts.

The Academy’s known enemy list includes all of these types, although not every enemy is found on the central route.

Ordinary enemies

Red Wolf of Radagon

The Red Wolf is fought in the Debate Parlor. It is a fast magical beast that combines sword-like bites, jumping attacks and glintstone projectiles.

Rennala, Queen of the Full Moon

Rennala’s battle has two phases.

In the first phase, the player must identify the scholars emitting a golden aura and attack them. Once enough are interrupted, Rennala falls and can be damaged. The phase repeats until her barrier is broken.

In the second phase, Rennala uses powerful sorceries and can summon temporary creatures. The arena is large, but her attacks cover substantial distance. Close-range pressure can interrupt her, while resistant builds should avoid relying entirely on magic damage.

The Great Rune of the Unborn is not equipped like most Great Runes. Its main function is enabling rebirth through Rennala.

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The Academy contains a large number of equipment pieces and sorceries. The following directory focuses on named, fixed rewards and notable acquisitions rather than ordinary consumable pickups.

Keys and quest items

The Celestial Dew can be taken to the Church of Vows for absolution. It resets hostility towards living NPCs, but it does not revive NPCs who have been killed.

Weapons and shields

The Academy Glintstone Staff obtained from Thops is tied to his quest completion. Azur’s Glintstone Staff is found on the upper church route and is one of the dungeon’s most valuable rewards for intelligence-focused characters.

Weapons and shields

Armour and clothing

Many of these pieces are enemy drops rather than guaranteed rewards. The different crowns correspond to the Academy’s conspectuses and can be obtained by exploring or farming the relevant scholars.

Sorceries

The Comet sorcery is hidden behind an illusory wall near the Debate Parlor route. Terra Magica is found through the upper Academy route, in the area reached by exploring the building and rafters above the main interior.

Talismans and special equipment

The Radagon Icon is reached from the Debate Parlor courtyard by dropping to a lower ledge and climbing into a building. The Graven-School Talisman is associated with the Academy’s hidden magical study area. The Graven-Mass Talisman is in the broader Liurnia region and should not be counted as an Academy-internal item.

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Church of the Cuckoo

The upper route is easier to explore before defeating the Red Wolf because the Academy’s layout is less confusing when approached from the first checkpoint.

Church of the Cuckoo: steps

  1. 01
    From the entrance, activate the Church of the Cuckoo Site of Grace.
  2. 02
    Clear or bypass the first Glintstone Sorcerers.
  3. 03
    Search the church interior for side doors and illusory walls.
  4. 04
    Look upwards for the route onto the church roof.
  5. 05
    Follow the roofline to reach the upper rafters and the second Academy Glintstone Key.
  6. 06
    Continue towards the graveyard when you are ready to progress.

Graveyard and waterwheel

The waterwheel is both a lift and a trap-like environmental route. Do not assume that every lower platform is part of the direct progression path.

Graveyard and waterwheel: steps

  1. 01
    Cross the graveyard, avoiding being surrounded by Putrid Corpses.
  2. 02
    Collect the fixed graveyard loot before stepping onto the waterwheel.
  3. 03
    Ride the wheel down.
  4. 04
    Search the lower platform for the Alabaster Lord and nearby items.
  5. 05
    Avoid the Abductor Virgin if you are not prepared for a confined fight.
  6. 06
    Continue to the Schoolhouse Classroom.

Schoolhouse Classroom to Debate Parlor

This is a useful point to return to the entrance and complete the Thops key exchange if you have already found the second Academy Glintstone Key.

Schoolhouse Classroom to Debate Parlor: steps

  1. 01
    Activate the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace.
  2. 02
    Search the classroom and nearby rooms for the Academy Scroll and spell-related loot.
  3. 03
    Proceed through the scholar-filled corridor.
  4. 04
    Enter the Red Wolf’s arena.
  5. 05
    Defeat Red Wolf of Radagon.
  6. 06
    Activate the Debate Parlor Site of Grace.

Debate Parlor courtyard and rooftops

The roofs reward patient exploration. Many paths are reached by jumping onto lower ledges rather than by following obvious stairs.

Debate Parlor courtyard and rooftops: steps

  1. 01
    Leave the Debate Parlor through the main courtyard.
  2. 02
    Search both stair routes. One route leads towards the main objective, while the other opens the rooftop exploration section.
  3. 03
    Watch for Glintstone Sorcerers attacking from balconies.
  4. 04
    Defeat or bypass Moongrum, Carian Knight.
  5. 05
    Search the rooftops for the Radagon Icon route, the Comet spell and additional glintstone crowns.
  6. 06
    Explore the upper church and rafters for Azur’s Glintstone Staff and the second Academy Glintstone Key.
  7. 07
    Return to the courtyard and proceed towards the elevator to the Grand Library.

Grand Library

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Grand Library: steps

  1. 01
    Take the lift to the Grand Library.
  2. 02
    Prepare for a two-phase boss fight.
  3. 03
    Defeat Rennala.
  4. 04
    Activate the Raya Lucaria Grand Library Site of Grace.
  5. 05
    Collect the Remembrance and Great Rune.
  6. 06
    Speak with Rennala to unlock rebirth.
  7. 07
    Return later if pursuing Ranni’s or Sellen’s questlines.

Academy Gate Town

Academy Gate Town lies south-east of the Academy and is a separate open-world location. It contains ruined buildings, Albinaurics and Cuckoo forces, and has its own Sites of Grace, enemies and loot. It should not be merged into the Academy’s internal directory.

Academy Crystal Cave

The Academy Crystal Cave is a separate minor dungeon on the western side of the lake below the Academy. Its entrance, enemies and Crystalian boss are not part of the legacy dungeon. It is thematically connected through glintstone and crystal magic, but it should be recorded as an independent location.

Church of Vows

The Church of Vows is not inside the Academy. It is important because it provides the absolution service associated with Celestial Dew and because it reflects the historical relationship between Radagon and Rennala.

Crystalline Woods

The Crystalline Woods are a separate Liurnia area near the Academy Crystal Cave. They form part of the surrounding lake geography rather than the Academy’s internal map.

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The Academy was once a functioning centre of learning, but the Shattering transformed it into a closed and hostile institution. Its scholars refuse outside interference, its gates are sealed, and its inhabitants continue their work or defence without meaningful leadership.

The Academy’s story is shaped by several competing traditions:

The conspectuses are not merely academic departments. Their crowns, robes and spell lists show that the Academy’s students are divided by rival ideas about what glintstone sorcery should study.

Progression-dependent changes

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After defeating Rennala

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Is the Academy of Raya Lucaria mandatory?

No. It is an optional legacy dungeon for ordinary story progression. It is nevertheless important for several quests, Rennala’s Great Rune, rebirth and a major range of sorcery equipment.

Do I have to kill Glintstone Dragon Smarag?

No. You only need the Academy Glintstone Key near the dragon. You can collect it without defeating Smarag.

Can I give my first Academy Glintstone Key to Thops?

No. The first key is required for entry. Thops accepts a second key found inside the Academy.

Where is the Academy merchant?

The Isolated Merchant is near the southern gate in the wider Academy grounds, not on the central route from Church of the Cuckoo to Rennala.

What is the best checkpoint before Rennala?

The Debate Parlor Site of Grace is the most useful checkpoint before the final approach. It appears after defeating Red Wolf of Radagon.

Can Rennala be fought again?

Not as a normal boss encounter. After defeat, Rennala becomes the rebirth NPC in the Grand Library.

Is the Academy Crystal Cave part of the Academy?

No. It is a separate minor dungeon below and west of the Academy. It shares the glintstone theme but has its own map section, enemies and boss.

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Sources