.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1100&h=618&dpr=1.5)
Players entering the Liurnia of the Lakes region of Elden Ring will eventually have to visit its grand Academy, towering over the mist and fog in the heart of the region. Elden Ring's magical academy is protected by a defensive barrier, however, which can only be pierced with the aid of a Glintstone Key. This guide will help players locate a key and breach the barrier.
Entering Raya Lucaria Academy is necessary in order to progress the main story, and it serves as the game's second Legacy Dungeon.
Updated January 8th, 2024 by Russ Boswell: Although players can find the first Glintstone Key needed to enter Raya Lucaria Academy by taking down (or running past) a strong Dragon, players will still need to get their hands on another Glintstone Key to give to Thops in Elden Ring. Getting to this second Glintstone Key inside Raya Lucaria Academy can be pretty difficult for players that don't know how to take the winding path across the rooftops and find it. To better help players get the second Glintstone Key in Elden Ring, the following guide has been updated to include a companion video showing the path.
The Clues
The first indication of what players will need to enter the academy is given by a Sorcerer named Thops in the Church of Irith, along the path north of Stormveil Castle, in the outskirts of Liurnia of the Lakes. Exhausting his dialog will lead to him informing the player that the barrier can be passed with the aid of a Glintstone Key, and asking the player to supply him with one when their business is done if they can.
Heading towards the Academy, up through the Academy Gate Town, will lead the player to one of the Academy Gates. A dead Sorcerer nearby is holding a map to a meeting place, and the item description indicates that the dead Sorcerer was likely seeking a Glintstone Key. The map depicts a small island in the surrounding marsh due west of the gate.
The Dragon Hoard
The island in question can be seen indicated on the map above, south from the Four Belfries site of Grace, but traveling to it will reveal a second obstacle. The Glintstone Dragon Smarag sleeps right in front of the key, so players not wishing to engage in a difficult boss fight will need to crouch and sneak around it.
Do not panic when Smarag wakes up, as they will simply begin moving a short distance to the south, before turning around and returning to their spot, giving players enough time to snag the key and the other treasures and make a run for it before the dragon's return.
Players choosing to engage the dragon in combat should prepare for a long and dangerous battle, as Smarag moves quickly and strikes with tremendous force using its claws and magical breath attacks.
Return to Raya Lucaria Academy
With the key in hand, the player can now enter Raya Lucaria Academy, but Thops still has no key of his own. In order to acquire a second key for Thops to use, players will need to reach the Academy Rooftops from the courtyard, and then navigate them to reach the Church of the Cuckoo's Ceiling. Players can then land on a Chandelier hanging from that ceiling, where the second key can be found. Alas, as is often the case in FromSoftware's grim worlds, Thops will then be found dead near the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace.
This tragedy allows the player to gain an Academy Glintstone Staff, along with Thops Bell Bearing (an item which unlocks all items he used to sell at the Twin Maiden Husks in Roundtable Hold).
Elden Ring is available now for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
