One of the many locations you might come across in Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree is the Ruined Forge of Starfall Past; in fact, it’s rather hard not to cross paths with it. While the location is mostly underground, the massive stone structure above is hard to miss when you enter Scadu Altus, especially if you take a moment to enjoy the view after your harrowing experience with Rellana. Ruined Forge of Starfall Past is full of smithing stones, new and familiar enemies, and a couple of weapons, like the Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword!
Ruined Forge of Starfall Past: Unlocking the First Door
Although the Ruined Forge of Starfall Past is underground, it does have some verticality to it. Generally speaking, you’ll be running up and down multiple times if you hope to get everything in the area. We’ll start with the first room you come to, past the site of grace, focusing on just the important items you can loot. Keep your eyes peeled for smithing stones. They’re everywhere!
As you enter the room, immediately head left to find a corpse containing a Smithing Stone [3], then cross the bridge. You’ll encounter a misbegotten on the other side, as well as find a corpse with the Smithscript Spear. Give the lever opposite the corpse a pull, and the door down below will open. Two more misbegotten wait down below!
The door reveals a long hallway, which one of the misbegotten will run down and pick a fight with the lava slime. It’ll either die or survive, but regardless, keep an eye out for the lava slime’s ranged attack. At the end of the hallway, you’ll come to the second room.
Ruined Forge of Starfall Past: Unlocking the Second Door
Now, three things to note in this room: the golem smith, another locked door, and a hallway. The golem smith are a little slow but very resistant to threats, both physical and magical. Their weakness is a tiny, reddish-pink gem just above their stoney behinds. If you hit the exposed gem several times, you can stagger them and squeeze in extra damage.
Once the golem smith is dead, focus on the next hallway. You’ll see a lava slime at the end of your vision, but there’s another hiding in an alcove about halfway down the hall. If you want to avoid the first lava slime, hug the wall to your left, and you’ll miss him. As for other lava slime, make a note of its position because we’ll come back to it shortly.
For now, run to the very end of the hallway to a dead end. Two points of interest: there’s a golem smith in the corner and a corpse containing a Somber Smithing Stone [7]. Double back to where the second lava slime is, and you’ll see a ladder. Climb it to the very top to find yet another hallway.
This hallway leads to a room with a ramp, two lava slimes, and another golem smith. More importantly, under the ledge is another corpse containing a Somber Smithing Stone [8]. Either fight the enemies or run up the ramp and continue down the next hallway to a metal platform. Hang left into a seemingly empty room, which is actually full of lava slime on the ceiling.
Now, if you try to loot the corpse at the end of the room—which contains the Smithing Talisman, a companion item for the Smithscript Spear—the lava slimes will ambush you. If you have magic or ranged weapon, you can quickly take them out; otherwise, you’ll have to bait their ambush by getting near the corpse, then doubling back.
Exit the room to the platform and look down below to see another bridge. Drop down, then make a 180-degree turn to find a corpse with a Smithing Stone [8], but beware of another lava slime on the ceiling above. Crossing the bridge and turning left will lead you to the next lever and a corpse with a Glass Shard. Oh, and you can ignore the nearby smithing golem; it won’t bother you.
In the next hallway, make note of the lever on the other side. For now, follow the hallway to a dead end containing two smithing golems that will bother you. The corpse by the waterfall has the Smithscript Cirque backhand blade, a new weapon type added in Shadow of the Erdtree. Also, don’t bother jumping down the waterfall; there are no secrets. I checked… for science!
Now double back to the lever by the doorway because the Ruined Forge of Starfall Past has one last secret to reveal in Elden Ring. Give the lever a pull, then quickly jump on top of the gate. It’ll take you straight up to the ledge above. Examine the nearby forge to find an Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone and the mighty Ancient Meteoric Ore Greatsword.
