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Elden Ring NPC guide: Sorcerer Thops

Help the Church of Irith sorcerer go back to school, and solve the Converted Tower puzzle while you’re at it

Sorcerer Thops, sitting sadly in Elden Ring Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Raya Lucaria Academy is Elden Ring’s take on Hogwarts, if the school for witchcraft and wizardry was filled with psychotic murderers who want to kill you. Just don’t tell that to Thops, the sad sorcerer sitting in the Church of Irith who you’re likely to meet as you emerge from Stormveil Castle into Liurnia of the Lakes for the first time. Thops wants nothing more than to go back to school, and with this Elden Ring Thops guide, you’re going to help him get there — and solve the “别谤耻诲颈迟颈辞苍” puzzle in the Converted Tower while you’re at it.

If that doesn’t work out so hot for Thops in the end, well, it’s not like it’s your fault.


Table of contents

Chapter 1: Meeting Thops
Chapter 2: Back to school
Chapter 3: Cleaning up

Chapter 1: Meeting Thops

Thops location on Elden Ring’s map in the Church of Irith Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Step 1: Reach Liurnia of the Lakes

If you’re looking at this guide, chances are you’ve already met Thops and are searching for a Glintstone Key so you can help him get back into the academy. But just in case, here’s how to find him.

Thops is sitting in the Church of Irith, a location at the southern tip of the Liurnia region. There are two distinct ways to reach Liurnia:

  1. You can defeat Godrick in Stormveil Castle and emerge from the throne room into the region
  2. You can skirt around Stormveil’s eastern side, under the great bridge, and skulk into Liurnia without facing Godrick at all.

Step 2: Speak to Thops

Once you reach the Church of Irith, you’ll find Thops sitting along one wall. He’s the guy who looks like Harry Potter combined with the sad Keanu meme. After making a small rune donation and chatting him up, you’ll learn that he got locked out of Raya Lucaria when the school sealed its gates after the shattering of the Elden Ring (hey, that’s the name of the game!).

You’ll also learn that Thops considers himself a pretty crappy sorcerer, and judging by the low-grade magic he sells, that self-assessment is likely accurate. Regardless, he believes his place is at the academy, and you’re going to help him get back in.


Chapter 2: Back to school

Step 3: Getting into Raya Lucaria

Thops asks you for a Glintstone Key, but you’ll actually have to find two if you want to move his quest along. The first, found behind a vicious glintstone dragon in the water on Raya Lucaria’s western side, will get you into the school.

Step 4: The second key

Elden Ring map, showing the location of the Glintstone Key west of the Academy of Raya Lucaria Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Once you’re in, the second can be found among the rafters of the Church of the Cuckoo, a location within the academy.

To reach the second key, start at the Debate Parlor site of grace. (This requires defeating the Red Wolf of Radagon, so if you’d like help with that, check out our Red Wolf of Radagon guide.)

Head out the door to the north and into the large courtyard, then beeline for the rubble-strewn stairs to your left. Head up the next flight of stairs, past some enemies and sorcerers, then jump over the short wall on your left to the walkway below. Follow the path and jump onto the rooftops, proceed past the marionettes, and climb the ladder. Fight past several avian marionettes and a sorcerer, skirt around the structure, and keep dropping down the rooftops until you encounter more marionette soldiers.

Look carefully at the northwest corner of the roof where one of those marionettes was stationed, and you’ll find another path to drop down to. Follow that around until you see the Church of the Cuckoo’s roof, then drop to it and enter through a window. You’ll be on the rafters; look for the body with an item on a chandelier below you. That’s your spare key.

Step 5: A triumphant (ish) return

Return to the Church of Irith and give Thops the key, and he’ll teach you the “别谤耻诲颈迟颈辞苍” gesture and be gone the next time you return after resting at a site of grace.

Thops sitting down in Elden Ring Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Unfortunately, that’s curtains for Thops, as Raya Lucaria is a much more dangerous place since the last time he set foot in its hallowed halls. Travel to the Schoolhouse Classroom site of grace and backtrack outside and around the corner; you’ll find Thops dead (or maybe just really, really sleepy?) sitting at a desk, and be able to claim his bell bearing, his staff, and the Thops’ Barrier sorcery.


Chapter 3: Cleaning up

With the subject of this quest deceased, there are just a few more items to wrap up.

Step 6: Thops’, um, other barrier

Return to the Church of Irith one last time to pay your final respects to Raya Lucaria’s least talented sorcerer — oh, and also to kill the newly spawned scarab there to receive the Thops’ Barrier Ash of War.

Step 7: To the Converted Tower(s)

Elden Ring’s map showing the location of the Converted Tower
The Converted Tower (not to be confused with the Converted Fringe Tower).
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Lastly, with the erudition gesture in your repertoire, you can now solve the puzzle at the Converted Tower in southern Liurnia. Use the gesture in front of the statue and a ladder will appear behind it, leading you to a chest with a Memory Stone.

Elden Ring’s map showing the location of the Converted Fringe Tower
The Converted Fringe Tower (not to be confused with the Converted Tower).
Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Then, head to the other converted tower, Converted Fringe Tower in eastern Liurnia. For this puzzle, use the gesture while wearing any Glintstone Crown helm, like the Olivinus Glintstone Crown or the Twinsage Glintstone Crown, both found within Raya Lucaria. You’ll get a couple of spells at the top of the tower, and your journey with Thops has reached its conclusion.

Thops Elden Ring quest screenshot saying that “the seal on the rise opened” Image: FromSoftware/Bandai Namco via Polygon

Looking for an Elden Ring side quest that’s a bit meatier? Check out our guide to completing Millicent’s quest.

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.

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