Elden Ring: Moonlight Altar and Dark Moon Ring guide (secret area)

Moonlight Altar is another secret area in Elden Ring. It’s also quite remarkable, as this is the place that likely piqued your curiosity while exploring Liurnia of the Lakes. Here’s our Elden Ring guide to help you with the Moonlight Altar zone and how to use the Dark Moon Ring to acquire the Dark Moon Greatsword.

Note: For more information, check out our Elden Ring guides and features hub. Likewise, please be reminded that this guide contains minor spoilers.

Elden Ring guide – Moonlight Altar and Dark Moon Ring

If you’ve been following our guide series, then there’s a good chance that you’ve obtained the Dark Moon Ring already. It’s your reward for opening Rennala’s treasure chest which, in and of itself, is one helluva complicated quest chain.

But, it’s not over yet. First, make sure you’ve cleared the Lake of Rot and killed Astel Naturalborn of the Void. With Astel defeated, you should see that the path beyond is open if you have the Dark Moon Ring in your possession. If not, then it will remain barred.

Continue onward and you’ll emerge at a green grassland with magic rays emanating in the distance. This is the Moonlight Altar zone of Elden Ring. Yes, Tarnished, you’re now in the area that you’ve glimpsed if you looked south of Liurnia of the Lakes, this tower on the high plateau that seemed unreachable back then.

If you advance, a miniboss, Glintstone Dragon Adula, will appear. It’s the same beast that you fought earlier in Three Sisters/Ranni’s Rise (the one that flew away at 50% health). You can beat it now if you wish.

Our goal, however, is to head inside the ruins known as the Cathedral of Manus Celes, which has a bunch of Starlight Shards.

Next, take a look to the right of the Site of Grace and you should see a pit. Use your lantern and jump down the ledges.

Continue following it until you reach the end of the tunnel. There, you’ll see a Two Fingers that’s been ripped apart as well as a life-sized Ranni doll. Interact with it and watch a cinematic. Your character will put the Dark Moon Ring on the doll’s finger, causing Ranni to manifest.

She proclaims that you should follow the path of the Elden Lord, wherein she’ll meet you once more. Basically, this will affect the ending that you’ll get in Elden Ring.

Once Ranni disappears, you can pick up the Dark Moon Greatsword:

• Requirements – STR 16, DEX 11, and INT 38.
• Scaling – STR D, DEX D, and INT C.

You can explore the rest of Moonlight Altar as well. You’ll see a couple of ruins and Chelona’s Rise. Also, there might be someone waiting for you back in Ranni’s tower.

Elden Ring is available via Steam. For more information, check out our guides and features hub.