Specimen Storehouse Walkthrough and Ladder Access

The Specimen Storehouse is an area within Shadow Keep in the Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree. See how to get to the Specimen Storehouse and the ladder, as well as the Sites of Grace, equipment, items, bosses, and NPCs in the Specimen Storehouse here.

Shadow Keep Walkthroughs
Shadow Keep (Main Entrance)	Specimen Storehouse
Church District	Shadow Keep, Back Gate

How to Get to Specimen Storehouse

Main Section Through Shadow Keep Main Gate

One way to reach the Specimen Storehouse is through the Shadow Keep's Main Gate. This requires you to kill the Golden Hippopotamus boss and use the lift guarded by the Greatsword-wielding Fire Knight.

This entrance, however, only unlocks one section of the Specimen Storehouse, which connects to Rauh Ruins and contains the Messmer the Impaler boss fight.

Realm of Shadow DLC Interactive Map

Alternate Section Through the Church District

The alternate section of the Specimen Storehouse is accessed by using the lift found in the Church District. Reaching this area requires you to travel through the eastern region of the Scadu Altus through a tunnel in the Moorth Ruins.

This section of the Specimen Storehouse connects to the Scaduview area and contains the Commander Gaius boss fight.

Church District Walkthrough and Location Guide

Specimen Storehouse Walkthrough

How to Get to Messmer

	Going Through the Main Gate
1	After arriving at the main entrance of Shadow Keep, take the elevator up and you will find the Shadow Keep Main Gate site of grace. Defeat the Golden Hippopotamus ahead to progress further. You can summon Hornsent and Freyja for this fight if you have progressed their questline.
2	After defeating the boss, take the path to the west to progress further and go to the top of the wooden stairs on your right into the room with two Black Knights. Head past them and take the stairs on your left into a Fire Knight. Take the lift behind him to arrive at the Specimen Storehouse.
	Specimen Storehouse Run-Through
3	From the Storehouse, First Floor site of grace, take the path to the left and into the narrow alley. Keep moving forward and once you are up the stairs, immediately take a left by the bookshelves.
4	Go past the first intersection and take a right into the stairs leading up. Go up another set of stairs in front of you that leads to a Fire Knight in the middle. Head past him to his left onto the bridge and jump on the feet of the statue hanging on your right. You will find the Specimen Storehouse, Fourth Floor site of grace at the end.
5	From the Storehouse, Fourth Floor site of grace, go out the doorway, take a left, and go up the stairs past the Fire Knight at the end. Head inside the doorway on the left, take a right and keep moving forward past another Fire Knight until you reach a set of stairs leading up. Take these stairs two more times going up another floor to find the Storehouse, Seventh Floor site of grace inside the room in front of you.
6	Head back outside the room and go down a floor by the stairs into another room with a lever at the end. Pull the lever to rotate the pillar in the middle, opening a path leading up. Jump onto the wooden pillar and climb the goat statue leading to a small room with a Stake of Marika.
7	Head out the doorway and go up the stairs on your right to find a Fire Knight guarding the double doors. Open the door and go up the stairs to find the Dark Chamber Entrance site of grace and Messmer the Impaler.

How to Reach the Specimen Storehouse Ladder

The ladder in the Specimen Storehouse is located near the Storehouse, Back Section Site of Grace and can only be accessed by entering the Specimen Storehouse from the Church District.

Church District Path to Specimen Storehouse

The lift in the Church District that leads to the Specimen Storehouse is found after dropping down the large cathedral rooftop hole and going through the curved hallway with the Fire Knights.

Church District Walkthrough and Location Guide

Specimen Storehouse Sites of Grace

Main Section

Site of Grace	Location
Storehouse, First Floor	Pass through the western section of Shadow Keep and take the lift after the bridge guarded by a Fire Knight.
Storehouse, Fourth Floor	On the third floor of the Specimen Storehouse, jump to the foot of the hanging specimen from the wooden walkway to the southwest. Then climb it until you reach this Site of Grace.
Storehouse, Seventh Floor	Follow the path outside the Fourth Floor Site of Grace and climb the set of stairs once you get back inside to reach this room.
Dark Chamber Entrance	Use the lever on the sixth floor and jump on the platforms in the middle of the area to reach another exit to an outer area. Open the closed door guarded by a Fire Knight to reach this Site of Grace.
Messmer's Dark Chamber	Unlocks after defeating Messmer the Impaler.

All Sites of Grace Locations

Alternate Section

Site of Grace	Location
Storehouse, Back Section	Drop down from the flooded cathedral rooftop in the Church District and take the lift found north.
Storehouse, Loft	Climb the ladder near the Storehouse, Back Section Grace, climb the nearby stairs then jump through the hole in the wall.

All Sites of Grace Locations

West Rampart

Site of Grace	Location

The West Rampart Site of Grace leads you to a bridge where you can reach the Rauh Ruins area.

To get to this Site of Grace, take the lift near the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace, and go past the infirmary with the living jars.

Rauh Ruins Guide and Map Location

Shadow Keep, Back Gate

Site of Grace	Location

The Shadow Keep Back Gate separates the Specimen Storehouse and Scaduview. This Site of Grace is found at the end of the alternate section for the Specimen Storehouse.

From the Storehouse, Loft Site of Grace, find the northern platform you can drop down to with the exit. This exit will lead you to two lifts to the Back Gate.

Shadow Keep, Back Gate Gesture Secret and Location

Specimen Storehouse Equipment and Items

Specimen Storehouse Items
Scadutree Fragment Revered Spirit Ashes Pearldrake Talisman +3 Boltdrake Talisman +3 Golden Lion Shield Dueling Shield Winged Serpent Helm Flame Spear Wall of Sparks Rain of Fire Hefty Cracked Pot Battlefield Priest's Cookbook 4 Iris of Grace
Storehouse Back Section Items
Carian Thrusting Shield Fire Serpent Wrath from Afar Fire Knight Hilde

Scadutree Fragment

World Location	Map Location

A Scadutree Fragment can be obtained in front of a Marika statue right before the Dark Chamber Entrance Site of Grace.

All Scadutree Fragment Locations Map and Checklist

Revered Spirit Ashes

World Location	Map Location

One Revered Spirit Ash can be obtained on top of the large specimen in front of the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace.

The second Revered Spirit Ash is on top of the hanging specimen on the opposite side of the Storehouse, Seventh Floor Site of Grace.

All Revered Spirit Ash Locations Map and Checklist

Pearldrake Talisman +3

World Location	Map Location

After activating the Specimen Storehouse's lever, a hanging specimen with the Pealdrake Talisman +3 can now be accessed from the third floor.

From the Storehouse, First Floor Grace, climb the stairs to the north until you reach the Fire Knight overlooking the balcony. This talisman would be to the right with all the stone tablets.

All DLC Talismans

Boltdrake Talisman +3

World Location	Map Location

There's a hidden room to the east of the Storehouse, First Floor Grace, where you can obtain the Boltdrake Talisman +3.

All DLC Talismans

Golden Lion Shield

World Location	Map Location

The Golden Lion Shield is rewarded to you by Freyja in the Storehouse, Seventh Floor, for giving her the "Letter for Freyja" from Ansbach.

Best DLC Equipment

Dueling Shield

World Location	Map Location

The Dueling Shield is a Thrusting Shield you can obtain on a platform you can jump to from the wooden walkway on the third floor of the Specimen Storehouse.

Winged Serpent Helm

World Location	Map Location

The Winged Serpent Helm is dropped by the Fire Knight guarding the door to the Dark Chamber Entrance Sight of Grace.

Best DLC Armor Sets

Flame Spear

World Location	Map Location

The Flame Spear Ash of War is dropped by the Fire Knight guarding the door to the Dark Chamber Entrance Sight of Grace.

All DLC Ashes of War and Skills

Wall of Sparks

World Location	Map Location

The Wall of Sparks is an Ash of War exclusive to Perfume Bottles and is obtained at the edge of the balcony in a room after taking the lift down near the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace.

All Perfume Bottles List

Rain of Fire

World Location	Map Location

Defeat the Fire Knight at the end of the bridge between the Specimen Storehouse and Rauh Ruins to obtain the Rain of Fire Incantation.

Best DLC Incantations

Hefty Cracked Pot

World Location	Map Location

A Hefty Cracked Pot can be obtained on a bed in the infirmary with all the living jars. You can reach this area by taking the lift near the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace.

How to Get Hefty Furnace Pot and Effects

Battlefield Priest's Cookbook 4

World Location	Map Location

The Battlefield Priest's Cookbook 4 enables the crafting of Sunwarmth Stones, which can be obtained in a hidden room behind an illusory wall before taking the stairs down into the infirmary.

Iris of Grace

World Location	Map Location

An Iris of Grace is found with the living jar enemies at the end of the infirmary.

This item is primarily used to complete Fire Knight Queelign's and Jolan's questlines to obtain the Fire Knight Queelign and Swordhand of Night Jolan Spirit Ashes respectively.

Alternatively, you can use an Iris of Occultation to gain weapons instead.

Iris of Grace Locations and How to Use

Carian Thrusting Shield

World Location	Map Location

Guarded by a Fire Knight, the Carian Thrusting Shield weapon is found on the opposite side of the Storehouse, Back Section Grace.

This item is only accessible through the Specimen Storehouse's alternate entrance found in the Church District.

Fire Serpent

World Location	Map Location

The Fire Serpent Incantation is found on a balcony on top of the lever in the Specimen Storehouse. This area is only accessed after climbing the ladder from the Storehouse, Back Section Site of Grace.

This item is only accessible through the Specimen Storehouse's alternate entrance found in the Church District.

Best DLC Incantations

Wrath from Afar

World Location	Map Location

In the Storehouse Loft area, the Wrath from Afar incantation is obtained by dropping down to the hanging cog to the east.

This item is only accessible through the Specimen Storehouse's alternate entrance found in the Church District.

Best DLC Incantations

Fire Knight Hilde

World Location	Map Location

The Fire Knight Hilde Spirit Ash can be obtained by dropping down the lift beside it as it goes up the platform. You can then jump from the top of the lift to the ledge where this Spirit Ash is found.

This item is only accessible through the Specimen Storehouse's alternate entrance found in the Church District.

Best DLC Spirit Ashes

Specimen Storehouse Bosses

Messmer the Impaler

World Location	Map Location
Drops
・Remembrance of the Impaler ・Messmer's Kindling

Messmer the Impaler is found in the Dark Chambers at the top of Shadow Keep's Specimen Storehouse. Use the lever found on the sixth floor to move the platforms in the center of the area and jump your way to the exit found at the top.

How to Beat Messmer the Impaler

Commander Gaius

World Location	Map Location
Drops
・Remembrance of the Wild Boar Rider

Commander Gaius can be fought by reaching the Shadow Keep Back Gate with the lifts found past the alternate Specimen Storehouse area accessed through the Church District.

How to Beat Commander Gaius

Specimen Storehouse NPC and Quests

Ansbach

World Location	Map Location

Ansbach can be found in a room on the opposite side of the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace in the Specimen Storehouse.

As a part of both his and Freyja's questline, you must acquire the Secret Rite Scroll found on the higher floors of the Specimen Storehouse and bring it back to him. Doing so gives you the "Letter to Frejya" that you must deliver to Frejya.

Secret Rite Scroll Location

World Location	Map Location

From the Storehouse Fourth Floor Grace, take the outside path and the stairs on the left past the Fire Knight. This leads you to a room where the Secret Rite Scroll can be located on a table at the edge of the room.

Sir Ansbach Quest and Location

Freyja

World Location	Map Location

Freyja can be encountered in the room where the Storehouse, Seventh Floor Site of Grace is.

Giving her the "Letter to Frejya" from Ansbach rewards you with the Golden Lion Shield.

Redmane Freyja Quest and Location

Hornsent

World Location	Map Location

If you have not assisted Needle Knight Leda in invading and killing Hornsent, you may summon him to take vengeance against Messmer during the Messmer the Impaler boss fight.

Summoning him in the Messmer the Impaler boss fight is necessary to continue his questline.

Hornsent Questline and Location

Elden Ring Related Guides

All Legacy Dungeons

All Legacy Dungeons

Legacy Dungeons Guides
Stormveil Castle	Academy of Raya Lucaria	Redmane Castle
Leyndell, Royal Capital	Volcano Manor	Mohgwyn Palace
Crumbling Farum Azula	Miquella's Haligtree	-

All DLC Legacy Dungeons

DLC Legacy Dungeon Guides
Castle Ensis	Belurat Tower Settlement	Shadow Keep
Midra's Manse	Enir-Ilim	Specimen Storehouse

All DLC Legacy Dungeons