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Spiritcaller Cave

Spiritcaller Cave is an optional catacomb-like cave dungeon in the Mountaintops of the Giants.

Importancemajor

Key takeaways

  • The cave is optional It is not required to enter or complete the Mountaintops of the Giants.
  • Bring two Stonesword Keys The entrance is sealed by an imp statue and fog barrier requiring two keys.
  • Kill Spiritcaller Snails first Wolves, Inaba spirits and other summoned enemies vanish when their summoner dies.
  • The large final encounter is not a normal Godskin Duo fight The boss is a Spiritcaller Snail that summons a Godskin Apostle, then a Godskin Noble, before finally becoming vulnerable itself.
  • The White Reed Set is found inside the cave, not awarded by the boss.
  • A Site of Grace and a Summoning Pool are available inside, making repeated attempts practical.

About this guide

Spoiler warning: This guide covers the dungeon’s enemies, item locations, Inaba’s identity, and the complete boss encounter.

Overview

Elden Ring, base game guide Region: Mountaintops of the Giants Type: Optional minor dungeon Entrance: Western shore of the frozen lake, north-west of the First Church of Marika Required item: Two Stonesword Keys Site of Grace: Spiritcaller Cave Boss: Spiritcaller Snail, fought through summoned Godskin Apostle and Godskin Noble Major rewards: White Reed Set, Godskin Swaddling Cloth, Black Flame Ritual, 70,000 runes

Spiritcaller Cave is a compact but unusually structured cave dungeon in the Mountaintops of the Giants. It is not a broad overworld region or a network of connected caves. Its scope is the sealed cave itself, including its Site of Grace, internal chambers, summoned spirits, minor loot and final boss arena. The frozen lake, Borealis the Freezing Fog, the First Church of Marika and the surrounding Mountaintops terrain are neighbouring locations, not subareas of Spiritcaller Cave.

The dungeon’s defining mechanic is simple once understood: most hostile creatures are temporary spirits summoned by Spiritcaller Snails. Killing the summoning snail causes its associated spirits to disappear. This makes the cave less about defeating every enemy in a conventional dungeon crawl and more about identifying, reaching and eliminating the hidden summoner before its escorts overwhelm you.

Location and boundaries

Spiritcaller Cave lies on the western side of the frozen lake in the Mountaintops of the Giants. The entrance is on low ground beside the lake rather than on the upper cliff paths. From the First Church of Marika, travel north-west across the frozen lake. From the Freezing Lake Site of Grace, travel south-east towards the lake’s western edge. The entrance is close to the area where Borealis the Freezing Fog can be encountered, although the dragon is not part of the cave.

The cave entrance is protected by a fog barrier. Interact with the imp statue and use two Stonesword Keys to open it. The keys are consumed even if you later leave the dungeon unfinished.

Nearby places, not part of the cave

The surrounding lake is useful for navigation, but it does not form an additional cave subarea. Similarly, the First Church of Marika and its items should be treated as a separate destination on the return journey.

Named locations within scope

Nearby places, not part of the cave

Internal layout and subareas

Spiritcaller Cave has no named internal districts, buildings or branching settlements. For navigation, it is best understood as a sequence of functional chambers.

Entrance passage and Site of Grace

The first passage is dark and descends towards the cave’s Site of Grace and Summoning Pool. A torch, lantern or another light source is useful. The first substantial chamber contains a fragile section of floor. Walking across it causes the floor to collapse, dropping you to a lower route.

The collapse is not merely a trap. It also creates a shortcut through the dungeon. For a first exploration, walk around it so that you can collect the side-room items. On later attempts, deliberately dropping through can speed up the route to the lower chambers.

First wolf chamber

Beyond the initial passage is a larger illuminated chamber with a Spiritcaller Snail and spirit wolves below the ledge. The snail is the important target. The wolves are dangerous because they can surround you, but killing them individually is usually inefficient because they are linked to the snail.

After killing the snail, loot the corpse near the small tree. This is the first substantial item pickup in the cave.

Rune Arc side passage

A passage to the south-west leads to a small side room. It contains several valuable consumables, including a Rune Arc, a Hero’s Rune [1] and a Golden Rune [10]. This is the most useful optional detour in the first half of the dungeon and is worth collecting before returning to the main route.

Inaba chamber

The descending route eventually opens into a larger room where Inaba, Disciple of Okina appears as a summoned hostile spirit. Inaba uses fast katana attacks and can inflict severe pressure at close range. The safest approach is not necessarily to duel Inaba immediately. Instead, locate the Spiritcaller Snail hidden in the vegetation and kill it. Inaba and the other spirits linked to that summoner will disappear.

This room contains Golden Rune [12] and Freezing Grease. Some of the loot is positioned around corpses and vegetation, so check the edges after the spirits have vanished.

White Reed Set chamber

The next broad chamber contains several spirit wolves, additional Inaba spirits and two Spiritcaller Snails. The enemies make this room appear more populated than it really is. The practical objective is to kill both snails.

The first snail is concealed among the bushes on one side of the room. The second is farther across the chamber and may be difficult to see while the wolves are active. Sneaking through the vegetation, using the room’s perimeter and attacking from behind are all effective. Once both snails are dead, the remaining summoned spirits disappear.

The White Reed armour pieces are found on a corpse in this chamber. The set is associated with the Land of Reeds and with Okina’s disciples, making this room particularly relevant to Inaba’s appearance.

Boss approach

After the two snails in the large chamber have been dealt with, follow the southern tunnel to the golden fog gate. There are no shops, merchants, NPC dialogue scenes or mission objectives inside the cave. The route ends at the boss arena.

Comprehensive enemy directory

Ordinary and summoned enemies

The ordinary snails are not conventional frontline enemies. They are summoners and are often placed behind vegetation, above a drop or away from the spirits they control. Their summons can include wolves and Inaba spirits. The exact pressure comes from the positioning of the summons rather than from the snail’s own offensive power.

Boss enemies

The Godskin Apostle and Godskin Noble in the boss arena are summoned manifestations in a staged encounter. They should not be confused with the separate Godskin Apostle and Godskin Noble encounters found elsewhere in the game.

Ordinary and summoned enemies

Boss enemies

Items and collectibles

The following directory separates fixed pickups from boss rewards and ordinary crafting materials.

Fixed equipment and major rewards

The White Reed Set is collected from a corpse inside the large spirit-filled chamber before the boss. Godskin Swaddling Cloth and Black Flame Ritual are awarded after completing the boss encounter.

Runes and consumables

The Arteria Leaf is found near the corpse by the first wolf chamber. The Golden Rune [10], Hero’s Rune [1] and Rune Arc are in the side passage. Golden Rune [12] and Freezing Grease are located in the lower chambers. The Golden Rune [6] and Invigorating White Cured Meat are in the larger room containing the White Reed Set.

Crafting materials

These materials are fixed environmental pickups or harvestable cave resources rather than rewards for a named quest. Their presence is useful for crafting, but none is required to complete the dungeon. Spiritcaller Cave’s dark, moss-covered environment is also one of its stronger visual identifiers.

Walkthrough

2. Explore the upper route

Once the snail dies, check that the wolves have disappeared. If a spirit remains, another summoner may still be active or an enemy may have failed to despawn.

4. Deal with Inaba

Inaba uses rapid katana attacks, including aggressive lunges and Seppuku-associated weapon behaviour. If you choose to fight directly, keep the room’s terrain between you and the spirit where possible. The more efficient solution is normally to remove the summoner.

5. Clear the large spirit chamber

The room is much safer once both snails are dead. If wolves or Inaba spirits remain, do not assume the cave is bugged until you have searched the bushes and far corners for the second summoner. The large room contains more than one snail, and killing only one does not clear the chamber.

1. Open the entrance

  1. 01
    Travel to the western edge of the frozen lake.
  2. 02
    Find the fog-sealed cave entrance near the low ground.
  3. 03
    Use two Stonesword Keys at the imp statue.
  4. 04
    Enter and activate the Spiritcaller Cave Site of Grace.
  5. 05
    Touch the Summoning Pool if you want to make co-operative assistance available.

2. Explore the upper route

  1. 01
    Equip a torch or lantern.
  2. 02
    Move through the entrance passage.
  3. 03
    Avoid the fragile floor on your first visit.
  4. 04
    Continue to the chamber with the spirit wolves.
  5. 05
    Drop or attack from the ledge and target the Spiritcaller Snail.
  6. 06
    Ignore the wolves if necessary and rush the snail.
  7. 07
    Collect the Arteria Leaf from the nearby corpse.

3. Collect the side-room loot

  1. 01
    Follow the south-west passage.
  2. 02
    At the fork, take the side route.
  3. 03
    Collect Golden Rune [10], Hero’s Rune [1] and Rune Arc.
  4. 04
    Gather nearby Cave Moss and Crystal Cave Moss.
  5. 05
    Return to the fork and take the descending route.

4. Deal with Inaba

  1. 01
    Enter the chamber containing Inaba, Disciple of Okina.
  2. 02
    Avoid committing to a prolonged duel if the room is crowded.
  3. 03
    Look for the Spiritcaller Snail hidden in the vegetation.
  4. 04
    Kill the snail.
  5. 05
    Confirm that Inaba and its associated spirits disappear.
  6. 06
    Collect Golden Rune [12] and Freezing Grease.

5. Clear the large spirit chamber

  1. 01
    Enter the next chamber cautiously and crouch if necessary.
  2. 02
    Avoid drawing every wolf at once.
  3. 03
    Follow the vegetation around the room’s edge.
  4. 04
    Find the first Spiritcaller Snail and kill it.
  5. 05
    Collect the White Reed Set from the nearby corpse.
  6. 06
    Search the room for Golden Rune [6] and Invigorating White Cured Meat.
  7. 07
    Locate the second Spiritcaller Snail on the opposite side.
  8. 08
    Kill it to remove the remaining spirits.
  9. 09
    Check the chamber for missed Crystal Cave Moss and other pickups.

6. Complete the boss encounter

  1. 01
    Follow the southern tunnel.
  2. 02
    Rest at the Site of Grace first if you want to refill flasks.
  3. 03
    Enter through the golden fog.
  4. 04
    Prepare for the Godskin Apostle.
  5. 05
    Defeat the Apostle.
  6. 06
    Defeat the Godskin Noble.
  7. 07
    Find and kill the Spiritcaller Snail.
  8. 08
    Collect Godskin Swaddling Cloth and Black Flame Ritual.
  9. 09
    Claim the 70,000-rune reward.

Boss guide: Spiritcaller Snail

The boss is a Spiritcaller Snail rather than a conventional Godskin duo. On entering, the snail summons a Godskin Apostle. After the Apostle is defeated, it summons a Godskin Noble. The snail remains difficult to see or directly reach during much of the sequence, so the encounter functions as a series of summoned boss fights followed by a final search for the real target.

Practical strategy

The reward is 70,000 runes, Godskin Swaddling Cloth and the Black Flame Ritual incantation. The talisman restores HP after successive attacks, while Black Flame Ritual creates a ring of black flame pillars around the caster.

Characters, factions and lore

Spiritcaller Cave has no friendly resident NPC and no merchant. Its only named humanoid presence is Inaba, Disciple of Okina, who appears as a summoned hostile spirit.

The White Reed armour description connects Inaba and the other Inaba disciples to Okina, a swordsman from the Land of Reeds who later entered the service of Mohg, Lord of Blood. The disciples pursued their former master and sought honourable deaths through combat. This gives the cave a small but meaningful connection to the wider Okina and White Reed story.

The cave’s Spiritcaller Snails reflect a recurring Elden Ring idea: spirits are not always benevolent allies. Here, spirit-calling is used to create disposable guardians, and the true enemy is deliberately hidden behind the summoned forms. The player is rewarded for recognising the relationship between summoner and summon rather than simply fighting every visible creature.

Lore-linked named directory

Okina himself does not appear in Spiritcaller Cave as a resident or encounter. The connection is made through Inaba and the White Reed equipment, so the cave should not be described as an Okina quest location.

Checkpoints, services and activities

Facilities

There are no merchants, smithing tables, shops, functional buildings or purchasable properties inside the cave. The imp statue at the entrance is an access mechanism, not a service facility.

Activities

The cave does not begin a named NPC quest and is not required for a main-story progression route.

Hazards and secrets

Fragile floor

The early chamber contains a collapsible floor. It can drop you into a lower route and may expose you to enemies before you are ready. It is also a useful shortcut once you understand the layout.

Hidden summoners

The main danger is not the snails’ direct attacks but their placement. They are often hidden in vegetation or positioned away from the spirits they summon. If the wolves keep returning, stop fighting them and search for the source.

Multiple snails in the large chamber

The White Reed Set room contains two summoners. Killing one does not clear the room. This is the most common reason players believe the spirits are failing to despawn.

Darkness

The cave is considerably easier to navigate with a lantern or torch. A light source also helps identify vegetation, ledges and the glowing presence of a snail.

Boss resource management

The encounter’s staged structure means that the healing and ammunition spent against the Apostle are not necessarily enough for the Noble. Treat the first phase as preparation for a second boss rather than as the whole encounter.

Thorough first-clear route

  1. 01
    Open the cave with two Stonesword Keys.
  2. 02
    Activate the Site of Grace and Summoning Pool.
  3. 03
    Avoid the first collapse.
  4. 04
    Kill the first snail and collect the Arteria Leaf.
  5. 05
    Detour for Golden Rune [10], Hero’s Rune [1] and Rune Arc.
  6. 06
    Return to the main route.
  7. 07
    Kill the snail linked to Inaba.
  8. 08
    Collect Golden Rune [12] and Freezing Grease.
  9. 09
    Enter the large chamber.
  10. 10
    Kill both snails.
  11. 11
    Collect the White Reed Set, Golden Rune [6] and Invigorating White Cured Meat.
  12. 12
    Enter the boss arena.
  13. 13
    Defeat the Apostle, Noble and final snail.
  14. 14
    Rest at the Site of Grace before leaving.

Fast repeat-attempt route

  1. 01
    Start at the Spiritcaller Cave Site of Grace.
  2. 02
    Use the collapse route if you are comfortable with it.
  3. 03
    Rush each summoner rather than fighting the wolves.
  4. 04
    In the large chamber, use the bushes and perimeter to reach both snails.
  5. 05
    Run directly to the boss fog.
  6. 06
    Use a summon to divide the Apostle and Noble phases.
  7. 07
    Search the arena for the final Spiritcaller Snail after the Noble dies.

Sources