Let me tell you, finding Fort of Reprimand in the Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC felt like stumbling upon a hidden gem. It's this unassuming little dungeon tucked away east of Castle Ensis on Scadu Altus, and man, I almost rode right past it on my trusty steed. The place looks straightforward at first glance—mostly linear—but don't let that fool you. It's packed with secrets, challenging enemies, and some seriously cool loot that's easy to miss if you're not paying attention. I'm talking about a powerful talisman, a unique Ash of War, a crucial quest item, and a field boss that'll test your mettle. This is my personal walkthrough of every nook and cranny of this fort, so you don't miss a thing.

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Getting There: The Journey Begins

Alright, first things first—how do you even get to this place? There are a couple of ways, and I tried them both. The most common route involves clearing Castle Ensis first and taking down the formidable Rellana, Twin Moon Knight. After that epic battle, exiting the castle spits you out onto Scadu Altus at the Highroad Cross Site of Grace. From there, I hopped on Torrent and headed north until I hit a fork in the road. Taking the southeastern path and then turning south led me all the way to the road's end. Boom, there it was: Fort of Reprimand and the Moorth Highway, South Site of Grace. Pro tip: don't sleep on activating the Moorth Ruins Site of Grace along the way—it's a lifesaver for quick returns.

First Impressions: The Courtyard & Initial Challenges

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Riding up to the fort, I activated the site of grace and stepped into the courtyard. The vibe was immediately tense. An Omenkiller was patrolling the area, and let me tell you, if you're underleveled, this guy can be a real pain. I learned that the hard way on my first attempt. He doesn't drop anything spectacular, but the courtyard itself is worth a thorough search. I scavenged:

  • A few Smithing Stones

  • Some Throwing Daggers

  • Various Crafting Materials

  • Other low-level upgrade items

I also spotted an ominous-looking hole in the ground to the northeast of the courtyard. My curiosity was piqued, but I decided to save that for later, following a more logical exploration path.

Descending into Darkness: The Basement Loot

From the courtyard, I headed southeast into the fort's basement. This is where things started to get interesting. The goal here? The Flamedrake Talisman +3. As I entered the dimly lit basement, I followed the corridor east, then turned northeast into what can only be described as a torture room. Creepy stuff. There was a drop to my right, but peeking down, I only saw some basic enemies and a chest with a medium-level smithing stone—nothing to write home about.

Exiting that room, I found myself at the northeastern end of the basement, face-to-face with three common soldiers. After dispatching them, I had to get a little creative. I jumped over some cages to the southeast and followed a linear path that led me straight to a treasure chest. And there it was—the Flamedrake Talisman +3. This bad boy significantly boosts fire damage negation, and in the Land of Shadow, that's a godsend.

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Ascending the Ramparts: The Main Fort & Boss Fight

Leaving the basement through a northeastern archway, I found a set of stairs leading up to the fort's first floor. This felt like progress. Once upstairs, I turned northwest and discovered the Fort of Reprimand Site of Grace. Activating this was priority number one—you always want that checkpoint before diving into deeper trouble.

From the grace, I turned southeast and headed along the ramparts. This led me to a large dining hall, and the atmosphere changed instantly. This was the domain of the dungeon's field boss: Black Knight Edredd. This fight was no joke. He's aggressive, hits hard, and has some nasty combos. After a tough battle (and a few respawns, I'll admit), I finally took him down. The reward was totally worth the struggle: the Ash of War: Aspect of the Crucible: Wings. This Ash allows you to perform a mighty leap and slam attack, and it looks absolutely awesome in action.

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Reaching for the Rooftops: Parkour & Hidden Goodies

After catching my breath from the boss fight, I looked around the dining hall. Sure enough, there was a ladder. Climbing it took me to the fort's roof, which offered a great view of the surrounding Scadu Altus. To the southwest, I spotted a tower. Climbing it revealed a treasure chest containing the Battlefield Priest's Cookbook [2], which unlocks some useful crafting recipes for incantation-focused builds.

Now, here's where it gets fun. From that tower, I could see another roof section to the northeast. Reaching it required what I can only call "Elden Ring parkour." There are two ways to get there:

  1. The Tricky Jump: From the rampart outside the dining hall (where the stairs go down to the basement), I turned southeast. I carefully jumped onto the stone railing, then shimmied over to a ladder on the northeast side. Climbing this gave me access to a chest with a nice Smithing Stone.

  2. The Spirit Spring Shortcut: If platforming isn't your thing, there's an alternative. Southeast of the Castle Front Site of Grace, there's a ravine with a Sealed Spirit Spring. You can activate it by finding the corresponding stone cairn or, my personal favorite method, using either Margit's or Mohg's Shackle on it. Riding this spring launches you directly onto that northeastern roof! It's a much smoother ride.

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Whichever method you choose, once on that roof, dropping down and heading southwest will lead you to the Behind the Fort of Reprimand Site of Grace. Another checkpoint secured!

The Depths Below: The Underground Secret

Remember that hole in the courtyard I mentioned earlier? It was time to investigate. Dropping down north in the courtyard plunged me into a smaller, linear underground section. The vibe down here was even more oppressive. I rounded a corner and—bam!—another Omenkiller was waiting to ambush me. Lesson learned: always expect the unexpected in these games.

Despite the danger, the loot here was exceptional:

  • A handful of Shadow Realm Runes

  • Marika's Rune (this one grants a whopping 80,000 runes—a massive boost!)

  • More crafting materials

  • The crucial Iris of Occultation quest item. This is a key item for certain NPC questlines in the DLC, so don't leave without it!

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Exiting the underground section brought me out to a cliff edge. Among some gravestones, I found the Messmer Soldier Ashes, a new spirit summon for my collection.

Cleaning Up: The Surrounding Perimeters

Before calling it a day, I made sure to sweep the area around the fort's exterior. Outside the eastern wall, I encountered the terrifying duo: Abductor Virgin (Wheel & Swinging Sickle). Taking down these mechanical nightmares rewarded me with more Shadow Realm Runes.

Finally, I headed to the southern end of the fort's exterior. Tucked away there was a Blessing of Marika consumable. A quick note: this is a single-use item, but it's a powerful one. Consuming it fully restores your HP and cures all status ailments—a true "get out of jail free" card for a tight spot.

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Final Thoughts & Loot Rundown

Whew! Exploring Fort of Reprimand was a blast. It's a perfectly contained adventure with a little bit of everything: exploration, tough enemies, a fun boss, and great rewards. To make sure you get everything, here's a quick checklist of the major finds:

Item Name Location Use/Effect
Flamedrake Talisman +3 Basement, southeast path after jumping cages Greatly boosts Fire Damage Negation
Ash of War: Aspect of the Crucible: Wings Defeat Black Knight Edredd in the Dining Hall Perform a leaping slam attack
Battlefield Priest's Cookbook [2] Rooftop tower, southwest of dining hall ladder Unlocks new crafting recipes
Iris of Occultation Underground section Key quest item
Marika's Rune Underground section Grants 80,000 Runes
Messmer Soldier Ashes Cliff edge after exiting underground Spirit Summon
Blessing of Marika Southern exterior of the fort Single-use full heal and status cure

So there you have it, my fellow Tarnished. Fort of Reprimand might be easy to miss on the map, but it's absolutely worth the detour. The loot is fantastic, the challenges are engaging, and conquering it gave me a real sense of accomplishment. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more of the Shadow Lands to explore. Good luck, and don't you dare go hollow!