Every time you defeat a shardbearer in Elden Ring, you’ll obtain a Great Rune – a special piece of equipment that buffs your stats. However, every Great Rune has to be activated at a specific Divine Tower before you can use it. After defeating Rykard, you’ll have to activate his Great Rune at the Divine Tower of West Altus, which is perhaps the trickiest Divine Tower to find in the game.
To get to this tower, you’ll have to travel through the Sealed Tunnel, a dungeon located on the outskirts of Leyndell in Altus Plateau. We’ve marked the location of the dungeon entrance on the map below.
Inside the dungeon, you’ll discover a lone Site of Grace in a seemingly enclosed room. However, all is not as it seems; there is an illusory wall in this room that you’ll have to hit to access the rest of the dungeon. The wall is to the left of a lit brazier.
In the next room, you should find a treasure chest containing Smithing-Stone Miner’s Bell Bearing [2]. Behind this chest is another illusory wall. Hit it to reveal a path leading towards an elevator.
Take the elevator down, and you’ll see another path that seemingly leads towards a dead end. As you might have suspected, you have another illusory wall to find. Thankfully, this one is pretty straightforward. Just hit the wall at the end of the path to reveal a way forward.
In this next room, you’ll have to watch your footing, as you’ll have to walk on top of several narrow branches. Make your way to the suspended platform on the other side of the room, which will be guarded by a Vulgar Militiaman.
In the next room, you’ll see a staircase leading down, but it will be blocked by some branches. Head to your right to find an opening in the floor that you can drop through. Be advised that you’ll fall right on top of some exploding enemies, so roll away as soon as you land to avoid damage.
In the southeast part of the room, you’ll find another hidden wall. This one is located behind an exploding enemy. Hit it to reveal another room.
In here, you’ll need to drop down on top of various platforms as you work your way towards the bottom. Once you’ve finished this section, you’ll see a path in front of you; ahead lies the Onyx Lord’s arena.
Fortunately, the Onyx Lord goes down pretty easily. His animations can be interrupted with heavy attacks, and he’s particularly susceptible to being staggered, allowing you to get some critical hits in.
After you beat the Onyx Lord, go through the door behind him, and you’ll arrive at the Divine Tower. Now, just take the elevator up, head up the stairs, and activate Rykard’s Great Rune at the top of the tower.
