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Gatekeeper Gostoc is a worn and battered-looking NPC, an old codger, if you will. Players can encounter the NPC early on in the game upon reachingElden Ring’s first legacy dungeon, Castle Stormveil. To say that Gatekeeper Gostoc is a bit shady would be an understatement; however, the NPC claims to want to help you andwill sell you a valuable item if you finish his questline.
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Now, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to kill Gostoc on the spot or keep him alive in order to complete his questline. Many players choose the former just because of how untrustworthy the NPC is, but we recommend keeping him alive, at least until you finish his quest.
A Helping Hand
True to his name,Gatekeeper Gostoc can initially be found near Castle Stormveil’s main gate. Upon reaching the gate, you’ll find that it’s closed, and the only way to progress is by going through the gateside chamber — that’s where you’ll find Gostoc.
Upon first interacting with him, Gostoc will advise you against entering the castle through the main gate as it is heavily guarded and suggests an alternative that will allow you to get in undetected. While the guy is clearly a bit sus, he’s not lying when he saysthe main gate is heavily fortified. You’ll have a difficult time reaching the inner courtyard by taking the direct approach, especially if you’re currently on your first playthrough of Elden Ring.
Having said all that, your decision won’t have a major impact on the rest of this questline. If you accept his offer,the gate remains closed, and you’ll have to make your way inside Stormveil via the side path. We strongly recommend taking the side path because it will make navigating the castle so much easier. But if you decide to refuse the offer,he’ll open the main game for you and will become available as a merchant. Don’t worry about missing out on anything because you’ll encounter the NPC later on and can still buy items from him even if you take the side path.
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Dastardly Sort
After that short interaction with Gostoc, make your way inside Stormveil along the outer wall and go up a couple of floors until you reach a dark room. This room contains aRusty Key, which is required to open a door on the previous floor that will allow you to progress further inside the castle. However, the room also contains aBanished Knight, an enemy that can be difficult to deal with at this stage of the game if you’re new to Elden Ring.
You could try sneaking inside the room and grabbing the key before the knight notices, but as soon as you enter, the door closes behind you. Wouldn’t you know it,the one who locks you into the room is none other than Gostoc, who laughs maleficently as he locks the doors. If you die during the fight with the Banished Knight, you may notice something strange when you return to pick up your runes. It turns out thatthe old codger will steal 30% of your runes whenever you die in Stormveil Castle,and there’s no way to stop him from doing so. Well, unless you decide to kill him, of course.
Gostoc appears at various places throughout Stormveil, seemly stalking you from afar. He likes to stay out of sight, but you can spot him atop the tower next to the Stormveil Cliffside Site of Grace, inside the rampart tower, and then once more on the chapel roof, the same chapel where you’ll first encounter Rogier. Although creepy, Gostoc is more of a thief than a murderer, so you don’t have to worry about him attacking you and can just ignore him.
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Gostoc The Spiteful
To progress Gatekeeper Gostoc’s questline,you’ll first need to kill Godrick the Grafted. Once the boss is dead, the NPC will show up in the throne room and begin kicking around his remains while throwing insults and his former lord. At this point, the quest is seemingly over; however, it picks up again a bit later on. Your next order of business is to completeNepheli Loux’s questline, which also involves completing somequests for Kenneth Haight.
Once that’s out of the way, both Nepheli and Kenneth will show up in the throne room, and Gostoc becomes Nepehli’s attendant. Talk to him and let him show you his wares. Among the bits and baubles he usually peddles, you’ll now find a rare and valuableAncient Dragon Smithing Stone, an item that allows you to strengthen armaments up to max level.
There areonly 13 of these smithing stones availablein Elden Ring, most of which are quite difficult to come by. This one isn’t, but it will cost you20,000 runesif you decide to buy it. Certainly not cheap, but, as it happens, 20,000 is the exact amount of runes you’ll get for defeating Godrick. Don’t hesitate to spend them on the smithing stone because it’s a worthwhile investment.
