Elden Ring: Dragon Communion Priestess questline walkthrough

Here is how to complete the Dragon Communion Priestess questline in the Elden Ring DLC

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Looking for a rundown of the Dragon Communion Priestess quest in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree? The Dragon Communion Priestess is one of many new NPCs to arrive with Shadow Of The Erdtree and is one of the only remaining worshippers of Dragonlord Placidusax .

Located beside the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion within the Jagged Peak region, her questline is heavily interlinked with fellow NPC Igon and the main boss of the region, Bayle The Dread. For a full rundown of the Dragon Communion Priestess questline in Elden Ring , see below.

Dragon Communion Priestess questline steps

Below we have outlined the key Dragon Communion Priestess quest steps for you to follow. Luckily, this questline is one of the few that won’t be locked upon progressing through the main storyline.

1. (Optional) Speak to Igon outside of the Dragon’s Pit (opposite the Pillar Path Waypoint Site Of Grace ).
2. Go through the Dragon’s Pit dungeon (southeast of the Castle Front in the Gravesite Plain) and defeat the boss within.
3. Exit the dungeon into the Jagged Peak region.
4. (Optional) Defeat the Jagged Peak Drake.
5. Travel along the main road south, to discover the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion.
6. Speak to the Dragon Communion Priestess.
7. (Optional) Choose to ‘devour Draconic Essence’ for a consumable buff to damage negation.
8. (Optional) Speak with her again to get additional lore about Bayle.
9. (Optional) Wait until nightfall and give her Thiollier’s Concoction . Note: this will change your quest rewards. See our quest rewards section for more information.
10. Return to the main Jagged Peak road and take it south.
11. (Optional) Defeat the two battling Drakes.
12. (Optional) Speak to Igon afterwards and take his Furled Finger.
13. Make your way up to the very top of the Jagged Peak (this involves taking many Spiritsprings and navigating your way southeast).
14. (Optional) Defeat Ancient Dragon Senessax.
15. Reach the Jagged Peak Mountainside Site Of Grace.
16. Defeat Bayle The Dread.
17. (Optional) Summon Igon to help in the fight.
18. Return to the Priestess for your quest rewards.
19. (Optional) Return to where you last saw Igon on the mountainside for more rewards.

Whilst those are the key steps to this questline, below we have gone into further depth for each section.

How to find the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion

As mentioned above, this questline technically starts once you discover the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion. You’ll have likely seen this altar many times in your playthrough before visiting it as it is located beside the corpse of a huge dead dragon. It also guards entrance to the secret Charo’s Hidden Grave region, otherwise inaccessible via the Cerulean Coast .

If you’re simultaneously following Igon’s questline he can be found opposite the Pillar Path Waypoint Site Of Grace. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

The Grand Altar of Dragon Communion is located within the Jagged Peak region, only accessible by travelling through the Dragon’s Pit dungeon in the Gravesite Plain. Above is a map showing the exact route to take to get to the dungeon and the altar beyond.

Once inside, it is a pretty straightforward dungeon that requires you to beat the Ancient Dragon-Man boss to progress. The Ancient Dragon-Man is weak against Physical and Lightning damage and strong against Fire and Holy. Upon defeat, he drops 130,000 Runes and the Dragon-Hunter’s Great Katana .

The altar is a simple trip south along the main road in the Jagged Peak. Here, you can receive Dragon Communion Incantations in return for Dragon Hearts. This is also where you’ll first meet the Dragon Communion Priestess, a follower of the Dragonlord Placidusax.

Dragon Communion Priestess dialogue options

There is no downside to devouring the Draconic Essence, given by the Priestess. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

After speaking to the Dragon Communion Priestess, she will offer you the chance to ’ devour Draconic Essence ‘. There is no downside to doing so, you’ll be given the Ancient Dragon’s Blessing in return (this offers a bonus to all damage negation for 70 seconds).

She will inform you that the boss of the region, Bayle The Dread, needs to die. If you rest at a Site Of Grace and wait until nightfall, you also have the option to approach the Priestess and give her Thiollier’s Concoction (if you have progressed Thiollier’s questline enough to have it). Doing so will drastically change your quest rewards so we recommend checking out the quest rewards section on this page first.

If you give her the concoction, wait two in-game days to speak to her again. Otherwise, make your way up the Jagged Peak Summit to continue the quest.

How to reach the Jagged Peak Summit

To get to Bayle The Dread, you’ll need to make your way up to the very top of the Jagged Peak. As you can imagine, this means you’ll be doing a lot of climbing and travelling up Spiritsprings. Here is the exact map route to follow:

There are a total of 6 Spiritspring jumps to take to get to the top of the Jagged Peak. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

1. From the main valley where the Jagged Peak Drake spawns, take the road north.
2. Follow the path around the cliffside and take the Spiritspring up.
3. Travel across the large bridge and rest at the Foot Of The Jagged Peak Site Of Grace.
4. Continue forward and upwards to where two Drakes are battling.
5. Let them whittle each other down, then kill the victor.
6. Travel east towards Igon’s laughter. Speak to him and take his Furled Finger.
7. Take the Spiritspring behind him up the mountainside.
8. Take two successive Spiritsprings and continue through the cave southeast.
9. Here, there will be a large clearing and an optional boss fight against Ancient Dragon Senessax.
10. Travel up the long incline north of this boss arena to the Jagged Peak Mountainside Site Of Grace.
11. Continue southwest and upwards, taking another Spiritspring as you go.
12. Keep your direction southwest and take two more Spiritsprings.
13. Rest at the Jagged Peak Summit Site Of Grace.
14. Face Bayle The Dread, you can summon Igon to assist if needed.

Where to get the Rock Heart

On your journey through the Jagged Peak there are a few additional valuable items you can pick up on the way. One such item, the Rock Heart can transform the Tarnished into a dragon form and will also boost Dragon Communion Incantations by 20% for 60 seconds. This is a reusable item but requires the Tarnished to be unarmored to work.

The Rock Heart is one of two Dragon forms you can collect in Shadow Of The Erdtree. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

From the Foot of the Jagged Peak Site Of Grace, follow these steps to get the Rock Heart for yourself. See the above map image for reference.

1. Start at the Jagged Peak Mountainside Site Of Grace.
2. Head southwest until you see another Spiritspring, then take it upwards.
3. From this higher ledge, continue west until you see a lower ledge that you can jump down onto.
4. Turn and face north once you have jumped down.
5. You should see a spectral chair overlooking the cliff view. Walk towards it.
6. Wait until a ghost appears on the chair.
7. He will then disappear and leave a lootable item in the chair’s place.
8. Pick it up to acquire the Rock Heart.

With the Rock Heart, you can boost Dragon Communion Incantations which are already some of the strongest in the game. This includes spells like Rotten Breath, Greyoll’s Roar, Ekzykes’s Decay, Ghostflame Breath and the two optional incantation rewards received upon Bayle’s defeat.

Note: To get the spectre to reveal himself you must have first located the red ‘Domain of Dragons’ painting within the Shadow Keep. See our guide to all painting locations for more information.

Bayle The Dread

Other than the final boss of the DLC, Bayle is the most challenging boss in Shadow Of The Erdtree. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Once you’re ready to fight Bayle he can be a tricky boss , perhaps one of the toughest in Elden Ring. As such, don’t be dismayed if it takes you more than a few tries to fell the beast. He’s weak to Pierce damage and strong against almost everything else, including all elements and status effects.

This means any type of bow, spear or thrusting sword is preferable. Most other types of swords will have Pierce as a secondary damage output so don’t fear too much and perhaps summon Igon to draw Bayle’s attention away from you for a while. Whale on him enough and it’s possible to stun him. Once this happens, turn off your lock on and run to his head to perform a critical hit.

Bayle dishes out both Fire and Lightning attacks, as well as the usual tail swipes, claw attacks and breath attacks as befits a Dragon. He has a second phase once he takes a substantial amount of damage and can close distances at incredible speed. Consider equipping Talismans that negate Fire and Lightning damage (Flamedrake and Boldrake Talismans +3) and something to boost your stamina for those critical dodges (Two-Headed Turtle Talisman).

Upon defeat, Bayle drops a substantial 490,000 Runes and the Heart of Bayle, which can be traded at the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion for one of the following spells:

• Bayle’s Flame Lightning: Incantation that requires 53 Arcane and costs 35 stamina. Summons Bayle’s spectral talon which crashes down in an AOE blast of fire and lightning.
• Bayle’s Tyranny: Incantation that requires 49 Arcane and costs 72 stamina. Summons Bayle’s spectral head which emits a roar and summons an AOE blast of fire and lightning.

Dragon Communion Priestess quest rewards

The Dragon Communion Priestess can be found back at the Grand Altar of Dragon Communion. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Upon returning to the Dragon Communion Priestess, you’ll receive the following rewards depending on if you gave her Thiollier’s Concoction or not:

If you give her Thiollier’s Concoction:

• Dragonbolt of Florissax Incantation: Calls down red lightning and increases all forms of damage negation to the caster and nearby allies.
• Ancient Dragon Florissax Spirit Ash: Available after speaking to the Priestess again and choosing the ’take her with you’ option.

If you do not give her Thiollier’s Concoction:

• Priestess Heart: Boosts Dragon Cult incantations and allows the Tarnished to take on the Dragon Priestess form.
• Flowerstone Gavel: A Strength/Arcane-based weapon that can call down a bolt of red lightning. Requires Strength 14, Dexterity 8 and Arcane 15.

Dragon Priestess Heart

Like the Rock Heart mentioned above, the Dragon Priestess Heart has the power to transform the Tarnished into a Dragon-like form. This heart is a reusable item that can buff Dragon Cult Incantations for 60 seconds.

This includes popular incantations like the Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Strike, Dragonbolt of Florissax, Lightning Spear, Lannseax’s Glaive and more.

This item can only be used on unarmored Tarnished and also offers a 7% increase to all damage negation. To remove the Dragon form, you need to be defeated and respawn.

That rounds up our guide on the Dragon Communion Priestess quest in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree. For more Elden Ring tips and tricks , check out our guide to the best early weapons in Shadow Of The Erdtree to get you started. Or, if you’re further along in the DLC, see our best weapons guide that goes through the best of the bunch. Be sure to also check out our Map Fragment locations guide to help you access and uncover every region in the DLC and see our boss locations guide so you won’t miss a single one.

Elden Ring

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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