Poleblade of the Bud

Ancient Ruins of Rauh

Starting Site of Grace: Church of the Bud, Main Entrance

Before you go

• To enter the Realm of Shadow, defeat Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, then touch the withered arm in Mohg's arena at Mohgwyn Palace.
• Defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud.
• Keep the Remembrance of the Saint of the Bud.

1. Enter the Realm of Shadow after defeating Starscourge Radahn and Mohg, Lord of Blood, by touching the withered arm in Mohg's arena.
2. From Highroad Cross in Scadu Altus, follow the main road north to Shadow Keep's southern gate. Ride the entrance lift and activate Shadow Keep Main Gate grace.
3. Defeat Golden Hippopotamus in the plaza. This is the front-door route; the flooded Church District provides a different way into the keep.
4. From Main Gate Plaza, leave through the west-northwest doorway, pass through the armory and climb the stairs. Continue up the wooden steps to the dining hall, where two Black Knights guard the route.
5. Leave the dining hall through its southeastern exit to the upper rampart. Follow the rampart past the burning boats and watch for the small Shadow Militiamen hiding beside them.
6. Take the stairs leading north-northeast toward the large lift, passing the Fire Knight in front of it. Ride up and activate Storehouse, First Floor grace.
7. At Storehouse, First Floor, take the western side passage and lift down to the lower jar rooms. This is the West Rampart branch, rather than the stairs climbing toward Messmer.
8. Follow the hallway through the rooms with living jars and the larger jar-filled ward. Watch for the smaller enemies waiting beside doorways, then use the western exit and stairs to reach West Rampart grace.
9. Cross the long bridge west toward the Ancient Ruins of Rauh. Salza waits at the far end and calls down fire as you approach. Use the bridge's sheltered sections to interrupt his view, or ride Torrent to close the distance.
10. Defeat Salza at the western gate to receive Rain of Fire and Salza's Hood together. Messmer and Romina are not required for this selected route.
11. Go through the doorway behind Salza. Take the doorway on the right, follow the stairs to the lift and ride down to Viaduct Minor Tower grace.
12. Leave by the southwestern stairs and follow the path west as it curves downhill. Turn northwest between the lit braziers and large pillars to enter the covered ruins. This is the upper ruin route, separate from Rauh Base below.
13. Watch for the Curseblade beside the pillar near the pot-carrying shadow enemy. Continue northwest, look right for the large double doors and open them.
14. Descend the stairs into the scorpion chamber. Draw the large scorpion away from the smaller ones dropping from the ceiling, then clear the next corner. More scorpions drop beside the corpse there.
15. Continue west, then southwest down the ramp to the next chamber. Open the second set of double doors on its southwestern wall.
16. Pass the fixed material pickup behind the doors and follow the corridor northwest past the snails. Drop through the large square opening over the spiritspring; this is the intended descent into the lower hall.
17. From the lower landing, go northwest to the statue junction, then continue southwest rather than taking the northeastern root room. Pass under the arch and follow the corridor as it bends southeast.
18. Watch for the caster behind you near the northwestern side. Continue southeast through the arches toward daylight. A Crucible Knight waits on the rocks outside; circle past for now to reach Rauh Ancient Ruins, East grace beside the cross.
19. From Rauh Ancient Ruins, East, head west and drop onto the broad bridge. A Furnace Golem wakes at its far end; keep moving and use the bridge rather than dropping into the valley.
20. Cross southwest and drop from the right near the far end onto the lower path. Continue southwest up the stairs, then turn left and ride south past the golem. Rauh Ancient Ruins, West grace is just southeast beyond the low rise.
21. Enter the structure southwest of the western grace and climb the stairs. Clear the dogs and shadow casters, then watch for the Curseblade on the pillar in the upper chamber.
22. Leave through the northern doorway beside the altar. Cross the shallow water toward the lower gazebo with the statue, using cover from the giant archer firing from the east.
23. Continue north-northwest through that gazebo and climb the stairs. At the upper split, continue straight into the rot-covered structure rather than taking the right-hand stairs down toward the Bloodfiends.
24. Work north through the pink pests and Scarlet Rot pools. Torrent helps you cross the polluted floor, but the pests can knock you off, so draw them one at a time instead of attracting the whole room.
25. Take the lift on the left up to the next floor. At the top, turn right and look behind the stairs for the fixed Scarlet Bud pickup and the Pest-Thread Spears incantation near a pest.
26. Continue up the stairs to Church of the Bud, Main Entrance and activate its grace. Enter the boss fog and defeat Romina, Saint of the Bud for her remembrance.
27. Take Remembrance of the Saint of the Bud to Enia at Roundtable Hold and select Poleblade of the Bud. It has no extra rune charge. Rotten Butterflies is the alternative reward.