Elden Ring Thops Quest: How To Get The Erudition Gesture

The Elden Ring Thops quest is one of the shorter questlines in the game, with it only having a few steps required for completion. Not all of the Elden Ring quests have a major effect on the game, but they are always worth following for the rewards that can be earned. The Elden Ring Thops quest gives players a gesture that is vital for solving some puzzles, so read on to learn how to finish it.

• Looking to complete quests that gives you alternate endings? Check out our Elden Ring Fia quest walkthrough.

Elden Ring Thops Quest: Starting The Quest 

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To start Thops quest, you'll just need to find him in the world. He's initially located at the Church of Irith, which is located just behind Stormveil Castle, found before you venture into the Liurnia region. The best way to get there is by taking the elevator down Godrick's throne room which can be done after defeating him in the Elden Ring Godrick boss fight, then taking a left turn after coming back outside. He'll be found just inside the ruins of the church, sat against the wall. 

• If you need to get your hands on one of the most powerful weapons in the game, check out our guide on the Elden Ring Mooveil Katana.

Elden Ring Thops Quest: Quest Walkthrough

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Speaking to Thops and exhausting his dialogue options will give you access to a shop with some sorceries, and he'll ask you to get him an Academy Glintstone Key, which is used to gain entry to the Raya Lucaria Academy. There are two of these in the game, and you'll need to use the first one you'll find to enter the academy yourself. 

To get the first one, from the Raya Lucaria Academy entrance, travel west into the shallow waters and you'll find the Glintstone Dragon Smarag. You don't need to kill him, but the key is behind where he was initially sleeping. After this, you can gain entrance to the academy, where you'll need to find the second key.

This second key is located on a dead body in the Church of Cuckoo. However, the body is on top of a chandelier which can only be accessed from the roofs. The best way to get here is by starting from the Debate Hall site of grace and going directly outside. Take a left to head up to a balcony, and jump over onto a set of stairs. Climb up and follow the path until you can jump onto a roof. From here the path is mostly linear, and you can follow the rooftops until you get on top of the Church. Locate a broken window to get inside, drop onto the wooden beams, and then look for the chandelier to drop onto and claim your key. 

You can now head back to Thops to give him the key. Once you hand it over, he will thank you, and you'll get the Erudition gesture which is key to solving some of the puzzles in Liurnia. Next time you return he will have set off to the academy. 

• We also have a primer on the Elden Ring Smithing Stones if you need to understand how weapon upgrades work.

Elden Ring Thops Quest: Rewards

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Besides the Erudition gesture, if you travel back to the Raya Lucaria Academy, you'll be able to find the dead body of Thops. He's located next to a desk outside the Schoolhouse Classroom site of grace, and looting him will net you an Academy Glintstone Staff and Thops's Bell Bearing.

That's our breakdown of how to finish the Elden Ring Thops quest, and now you know how to find both Academy Glintstone Keys.

Make sure you win every battle with the Elden Ring Black Knife Tiche ashes.