How to Complete Dung Eater’s Quest in Elden Ring (Updated)

NPC quests have always been a highlight in FromSoftware games, and Elden Ring is no exception. While they’re often cryptic, following them through to completion is deeply satisfying—and can even unlock alternate endings. One of the more infamous NPCs is Dung Eater, an unpleasant figure who appears in Roundtable Hold once you’ve made sufficient progress in the story. Completing his quest can grant you the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse, which leads to one of the many possible endings of Elden Ring.

Below is an updated step-by-step guide on completing Dung Eater’s quest, covering key item locations, NPC interactions, and a few pointers on possible story ramifications—including speculation about how his storyline might connect to future DLC.

Quick-Reference Summary

1. Reach Leyndell, Royal Capital: Once you’ve accessed the capital, Dung Eater will spawn at Roundtable Hold in a trashed room.
2. Obtain Your First Seedbed Curse: You only need one to get started. A reliable spot is the Fortified Manor in Leyndell.
3. Free Dung Eater: Return to Roundtable Hold with a Seedbed Curse in hand. He’ll give you the Sewer-Gaol Key to unlock his cell beneath Leyndell.
4. Outer Moat Invasion: Dung Eater challenges you at the outer moat near Leyndell—this is also where Blackguard Big Boggart can appear.
5. Gather Five Seedbed Curses: You ultimately need five to fully progress Dung Eater’s quest and unlock his alternate ending.
6. Final Reward: Giving Dung Eater the curses yields the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse, granting the “Blessing of Despair” ending if used at the end of the game.

Meeting Dung Eater at Roundtable Hold

Dung Eater won’t appear in Roundtable Hold until you’ve reached the Altus Plateau and advanced into Leyndell, Royal Capital. Once you enter the hold, head to the room beyond the Twin Maiden Husks (on the right, near the fireplace). You’ll find Dung Eater seated as a menacing red phantom near piles of corpses.

• Dialogue: He won’t say much that’s helpful, but hints at needing a seedbed cure.

Finding the First Seedbed cure

A seedbed curse is required to progress Dung Eater’s questline. While there are multiple locations, grabbing one in Leyndell is straightforward:

• Location: Fortified Manor, a structure mirroring the layout of the Roundtable Hold in the Royal Capital.
• Directions:
  1. Start at the West Capital Rampart Site of Grace.
  2. Make your way into the Fortified Manor—check the second floor if you circle around the building by climbing on nearby shacks.
  3. Enter the room where Dung Eater’s Roundtable Hold counterpart would be sitting. Loot the seedbed curse from a corpse in a chair.

Now that you have at least one Seedbed Curse, head back to the Roundtable Hold and talk to Dung Eater again. He’ll give you the Sewer-Gaol Key, which unlocks his cell in Leyndell’s Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.

Freeing the Real Dung Eater in Leyndell

Dung Eater’s “real” body is imprisoned deep below Leyndell.

1. Starting Point: Avenue Balcony Site of Grace.
2. Path to the Sewers:
   • Move northwest down the stairs and jump over the left railing toward a ruined cluster of buildings.
   • Look for a well that leads into the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds.
3. Navigating the Tunnels:
   • Make sure you grab the Site of Grace when you first drop down.
   • Take your first left and fall through an open gate, then go right.
   • Avoid (or fight) the giant flowers, climb a ladder, and continue until you find Dung Eater’s locked cell.
4. Unlocking the Cell:
   • Use the Sewer-Gaol Key and enter to speak with Dung Eater.
   • Choose the option to say, “Leave your garden!” so he relocates.

Return to Roundtable Hold, and you’ll notice Dung Eater’s red phantom is missing. He leaves a note, challenging you to fight him at the outer moat.

Battle at the Outer Moat (Blackguard Big Boggart’s Involvement)

• Where to Go: The “outer moat” references the body of water surrounding Leyndell’s walls.
• Site of Grace: Start from Capital Rampart and head northwest to reach the first large moat on the map.
• Blackguard Big Boggart:
  • If you previously encountered this NPC (e.g., at Boilprawn Shack) and followed his short questline, you may find him near the moat.
  • Warning: Continuing Dung Eater’s quest can lead to Boggart’s death or a forced encounter, locking you out of any further interactions with him.

Once you step into the moat, Dung Eater will invade. Defeating him awards you the Sword of Milos. However, the quest isn’t over.

Seluvis’s Potion vs. Pursuing Dung Eater’s Ending

Before proceeding with collecting more Seedbed Curses, note that you can give Dung Eater Seluvis’s potion if you’re also pursuing Preceptor Seluvis’s storyline. Doing so:

• Locks You Out of Dung Eater’s full questline and the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse.
• Converts Dung Eater into a puppet that you can eventually summon (if you’re collecting all puppets).

Most players choose to side with Dung Eater’s quest if they want all endings. But if puppet collection is your priority, keep in mind the consequences of bypassing Dung Eater’s storyline.

Where to Find All Five Seedbed Curses

You’ll ultimately need five Seedbed Curses to fully complete Dung Eater’s quest (though six exist in total, one can be missed if you advance too far in certain areas). Here’s where to find the remaining ones, including the first location if you haven’t already grabbed it:

1. Leyndell, Royal Capital — Fortified Manor (Mirrored Roundtable Hold)
   • Described above. Usually the easiest one to find.
2. Leyndell, Royal Capital — East Rampart
   • Directions:
     1. Start at the East Capital Rampart Site of Grace.
     2. Proceed inward; look for an elevator on the right.
     3. Ride it down, fight through the next room, and climb the ladder to the top floor.
     4. Loot the body in the center of the circular room to get another seedbed curse.
3. Volcano Manor
   • Temple of Eiglay route:
     1. From the Temple of Eiglay Site of Grace, take the elevator up.
     2. Carefully drop to a ledge on the right side.
     3. Maneuver through enemies and use a Stonesword Key to open a locked area.
     4. Fall down a series of cages until you reach the bottom, where you’ll find the Seedbed Curse on a corpse.
4. Haligtree (Near the Prayer Room) — First Haligtree Curse
   • Directions:
     1. Start at the Prayer Room Site of Grace.
     2. Head northeast, then descend the stairs.
     3. Before encountering the first enemy on the balcony, drop onto the architecture below.
     4. Jump toward where a scarab might spawn, then climb up a slope to find a corpse with a seedbed curse.
5. Haligtree (Under the Balcony)—The Second Haligtree Curse
   • Directions:
     1. Reset to the Prayer Room Site of Grace again.
     2. Go down the same set of stairs, all the way to the bottom, where two knights guard a room.
     3. Instead of entering that room, jump off the right side onto a roof below.
     4. Turn around to find a downward path leading under the platform you came from.
     5. Follow it to a balcony edge where another corpse holds the final Seedbed Curse.

Returning the Seedbed Curses to Dung Eater

After defeating Dung Eater’s invasion and collecting all five Seedbed Curses, return to Roundtable Hold. You’ll find him back in his usual spot. Hand over all five to receive the Mending Rune of the Fell Curse.

• Note: You cannot use this rune until you have defeated the final boss. If you choose to do so, you’ll trigger the Blessing of Despair ending, often considered a grim fate for the Lands Between.

Tactical Tips for Fighting Dung Eater

1. Invasion Location: The moat’s open area can make the fight tricky if you accidentally pull other enemies into the fray. Try to clear or avoid them before triggering the invasion.
2. Attack Patterns:
   • Slow but Heavy Attacks: Dung Eater uses hefty strikes that can break your guard if you rely on blocking.
   • Grab Attack: Extremely punishing if you’re caught, especially at lower vigor levels.
3. Recommended Strategy:
   • Spirit Summons: Summon a tanky Ash (like Lhutel the Headless or Banished Knight Oleg) to distract him.
   • Ranged Offense: If you’re a magic or bow user, use the open space to chip away while keeping your distance.
   • Melee Users: Bait his heavy swings, then roll behind him for safe punishments.

Potential Tie-Ins with Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Although details remain scarce, many fans speculate that certain NPC storylines—including Dung Eater’s twisted obsession with curses—might see new developments in the upcoming Shadow of the Earth DLC. Observe the following:

• Additional Lore: We may learn more about the origins of the Seedbed Curses or their role in the fate of the Lands Between.
• Extended Questlines: FromSoftware has a track record of expanding existing storylines in DLC (as seen in Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne). There’s a chance Dung Eater’s quest could see further elaboration.

Conclusion and Additional Resources

Dung Eater’s quest is one of the more unsettling journeys in Elden Ring, culminating in the Blessing of Despair ending if you use his Mending Rune. Along the way, you’ll:

• Collect multiple seedbed curses from treacherous zones like the Subterranean Shunning Grounds, Volcano Manor, and Haligtree.
• Encounter Blackguard Big Boggart at the moat, an optional but notable NPC who can become entangled in Dung Eater’s story.
• Choose between Seluvis’s puppet route or Dung Eater’s path to unlock a unique final ending.

If you’re striving for 100% completion, keep Dung Eater’s quest in mind to see one of the darker conclusions Elden Ring has to offer. For more strategies and walkthroughs, check out our other Elden Ring guides:

• Elden Ring Boss Order Guide (Link Placeholder)
• Best Spirit Ashes for Tough Fights (Link Placeholder)
• NPC Questlines You Shouldn’t Miss (Link Placeholder)

Stay tuned for any DLC updates that might expand on the twisted tale of the Dung Eater. Good luck in your journey through the Lands Between!