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Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree Imbued Sword Key location

Here's where to get the Imbued Sword Key in Castle Ensis, and where to use it!

The player in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree stands surveying the Ancient Ruins Of Rauh, bathed in sunlight.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Looking for an Imbued Sword Key in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree? As you may remember from earlier on in Elden Ring, Imbued Sword Keys can be used to activate portals that can transport you to specific points in the world. You may remember several such portals hanging around the Four Belfries in Liurnia. Well, there's another one in Shadow Of The Erdtree, and both the Imbued Sword Key and the portal itself are located around Castle Ensis.

In this guide, we'll walk you through exactly where to get the Imbued Sword Key in Shadow Of The Erdtree, where to use it, and where it'll transport you within the Land Of Shadow.

Shadow Of The Erdtree Imbued Sword Key location

The Imbued Sword Key in Shadow Of The Erdtree is found in Castle Ensis, the legacy dungeon across the Ensis Greatbridge to the north of where you begin the DLC. Starting from the Castle Ensis Checkpoint Site Of Grace, head up the nearby stairs and defeat the four guards on the bridge. Follow the path right, and head up the next set of stairs. Turn left, and you'll see an entrance guarded by Carian Knight Moonrithyll.

The player in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree stands next to a Site Of Grace in Castle Ensis.  A yellow arrow marks the path towards an Imbued Sword Key.
The player in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree follows the main path up some stairs in Castle Ensis. Two yellow arrows mark the path towards an Imbued Sword Key.
The player in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree follows the main path up some stairs in Castle Ensis.  A yellow arrow marks the path towards an Imbued Sword Key.
The player in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree walks along the ramparts of Castle Ensis. A yellow arrow marks the path towards an Imbued Sword Key.
The player in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree walks along the ramparts of Castle Ensis. A yellow arrow marks the path towards an Imbued Sword Key.
The player in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree receives an Imbued Sword Key from a chest in a castle tower.
The path to the Imbued Sword Key takes you along the ramparts and battlements of Castle Ensis. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Defeat Moonrithyll, head into the main altar room and take the right-hand exit. Follow the main path out of the building, then keep following the main path along the castle ramparts until you reach some curving wooden stairs around a tower. The stairs are guarded by a spear-wielding soldier, so be careful you don't get knocked off.

After dispatching the spear soldier, head to the top of the stairs and immediately turn left. Through the doorway is a chest containing the Imbued Sword Key.


Where to use the Imbued Sword Key

All Imbued Sword Keys are used to open portals elsewhere in the world. Fortunately, this Imbued Sword Key's portal is found just after Castle Ensis.

Part of the map of Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree centred around Castle Ensis, with the locations of the Imbued Sword Key and associated portal marked in yellow.
The portal that you can open using the Imbued Sword Key is located just behind Castle Ensis, and available once you reach Scadu Altus. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

Technically this portal is found inside the next region, Scadu Altus, which you can enter after defeating the main boss of Castle Ensis. There is another way into Scadu Altus which involves taking a convoluted path via the Fort of Reprimand to the east, so if you're hard-stuck on the Castle Ensis boss then you might want to opt for this route. Honestly though, it's probably best to just forge ahead through Castle Ensis.

Once you reach the Highroad Cross Site Of Grace just beyond Castle Ensis, turn left and follow the edge of the river around until you can dive into the river itself. From there, you can jump up the rocks to the tall white stone structure. The Imbued Sword Key portal sits at the base of this structure.

The player in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree stands next to a portal.
Use the Imbued Sword Key on the imp statue next to the portal to activate it. | Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Bandai Namco

To activate the portal, interact with the imp statue next to it. This will use up your Imbued Sword Key, and allow you to teleport through the portal into a new region known as the Ancient Ruins Of Rauh. This area is only a closed off portion of the entire region, but it does contain a powerful Crucible Knight-esque miniboss and the Verdigris Discus Talisman, which raises defence with higher equip load.

That wraps up this quick guide on how to get the Imbued Sword Key in Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree. If you're feeling a little underlevelled for Castle Ensis or the regions beyond, check out our guides on the best weapons, best armor sets, best builds, and best spells in Elden Ring.

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