The Grand Lift of Dectus is your route up to Altus Plateau, the next main area of Elden Ring. Unfortunately, you may well reach it before you have the means to ride it.
This is exactly what happened to me, leading me to relentlessly hunt around the area for a secret path. Eventually, I got desperate and plummeted to my death on multiple occasions in the misplaced belief that I could climb the tree roots. Don’t make this mistake.
You’ve actually got two choices here – use the Grand Lift of Dectus with the Dectus Medallion or find the hidden path hinted by the nearby ghost. And we’ve got both covered below.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Elden Ring Grand Lift of Dectus, how to use it or how to get past it.
- RELATED: Elden Ring Review (spoiler-free)
How to use the Grand Lift of Dectus in Elden Ring
Using the Grand Lift of Dectus will require both halves of the Dectus Medallion.
Once you have found the left half and the right half, step onto the circular area at the top of the steps. A button prompt will appear, allowing you to hoist the Dectus Medallion and activate the lift. A short cutscene later and you’ll be in Altus Plateau.
If you’re even on this page, the chances are you haven’t got both halves of the Dectus Medallion. Check the key items of your inventory and see if you’ve got either. Both halves will be accessible at this point in the game, and we will explain the locations below.
Where to find Dectus Medallion Left Half
The left half of the Dectus Medallion is in Fort Haight in Limgrave (map location pictured above). If you’ve made it all the way to the Grand Lift of Dectus, you should have no problem with this area.
Fort Haight is found on the eastern tip of Limgrave. On the map you’ll see it just northwest from the picture of a ship in the sea. There’s a Site of Grace nearby, but if you haven’t found this yet, simply fast travel to the nearest one and make your way down to the lower level of terrain and head through the woods.
There is a Golden Seed on the way to the fort, which is always welcome. Once you’re there, it’s all pretty self-evident. Climb the stairs as far up as you can go, before finding a ladder that takes you right to the top of the tower. The enemies should pose no significant threat to you, but the nearby Site of Grace is an insurance policy anyway.
There’s a chest at the top which contains the Dectus Medallion Left Half. Grab it and you’re one step closer to using the Grand Lift of Dectus.
Where to find Dectus Medallion Right Half
The Dectus Medallion Right Half is found in Fort Faroth in Caelid (map location pictured above). It’s right on the eastern edge of the Caelid region, and also has a Site of Grace handily placed right next to it. The area is called Grayoll’s Dragonbarrow and you’ll know you’re close when you see an enormous sleeping dragon.
This half of the Dectus Medallion is somewhat harder to obtain. The enemies in the dark area as you enter Fort Faroth are irritating flying monsters that can easily poison you. Take measures against this and try and take them down quickly. If you are struggling, stock up on Neutralizing Boluses or use the Cure Poison Incantation. You could even equip an Immunizing Horn Charm talisman if you have one.
Once the enemies are out of the way, head to the back of the dark area to find a ladder. At the top, there’s a chest with the Dectus Medallion Right Half. There are some more enemies and items to collect here, such as the Radagon’s Soreseal talisman, so it’s worth a hunt around the rooftop.
After obtaining both halves, you’ll finally be able to use the Grand Lift of Dectus in Elden Ring, and reach Altus Plateau. Simply fast travel back and you’ll now get the button prompt to hoist the Dectus Medallion.
Ford Faroth is a tricky little area depending on your level, so you’d be forgiven for wanting an alternative. Thankfully, you’ve got one in the form of the “Hidden passage” mentioned by the ghost on the lift-hand side as you enter the Grand Lift of Dectus.
The passage is fairly close as the crow flies, but is not actually accessible unless you approach from a different direction. Fast travel back to Liurnia and get into the enormous shallow lake on the ground. From here, you will need to ride around the pathway to the Grand Lift of Dectus from the eastern side. This is a long way but you can sprint past all enemies on Torrent.
I’ve taken the liberty of adding directions on the above map picture – the blue lines show the route to the hidden passage.
Stay on the ground level and gallop through a ravine which has several large poison-spewing pod enemies. This path will take you past a Site of Grace and a Golden Seed before eventually reaching another Site of Grace on a wooden platform.
This is called Ravine-Veiled Village, and has a ladder right next to it. Climb a series of ladders, head through a little tunnel and reach a lift that takes you to the Ruin-Strewn Precipice. From here, the path is pretty linear. Follow it all the way to find a Magma Wyrm Makar boss and the way to Altus Plateau.
Even if you have the Dectus Medallion, it’s a perfectly understandable choice to take the hidden passage. Along with many enemies and items, the boss fight against Magma Wyrm Makar will fetch 18,000 runes and a Dragon Heart.
Where do I go next?
Whether you use the Dectus Medallion or the hidden passage, Altus Plateau is a large area with plenty of exploring to do. It connects to two areas you’ll most certainly want to clear, namely Leyndell the Royal Capital and Volcano Manor.
Personally I’d aim for Volcano Manor first, found in the northwest part of Altus Plateau which branches off into Mt. Gelmir. However, this is all down to personal preference and you can tackle it later, or not at all.
Leyndell is found towards the east by simply following the direction of the giant Erdtree. Unlike Volcano Manor, this is a mandatory legacy dungeon that you’ll have to clear eventually.
Aside from these locations there are still plenty of ruins, caves and secrets to be found in Altus Plateau so perhaps the best option is to mount Torrent and see where the road takes you.
Hopefully this Elden Ring Grand Lift of Dectus guide has shown you how to use the Grand Lift of Dectus, and how to avoid it if you wish.
Check out some of our other tips and guides below:
