Lords of the Fallen where to find blacksmith Gerlinde and how to free her

Trying to find blacksmith Gerlinde in Lords of the Fallen? Every good Souls-like RPG has a blacksmith. Just like Iji and Andre before her, Hexwork’s newest title continues this proud legacy with Gerlinde, a stubborn and confident old lady who may or may not be just a little bit evil. But where is she?

As you’ll have noticed by the time you make it to Skyrest Bridge, the blacksmith is nowhere to be seen. So here, we’re going to walk you through where to find blacksmith Gerlinde in Lords of the Fallen, and how you can get her back to Skyrest bridge so she can upgrade weapons for you. This will be a challenging journey though, so make sure you’ve got the best weapons and levelled up a bit with the best farming spots before heading out.

Where to find Gerlinde the blacksmith in Lords of the Fallen

You can can find Gerlinde in a caged prison cell at the end of the Pilgrim’s Ascent, just before you fight Gentle Gaverus, Mistress of Hounds. From here, you’ll need to pick up the Prison Cell Key to get her out. Follow these steps and you’ll have her freed in no time.

• Begin from the Bellroom Vestige in Pilgrim’s Perch, also called the Vestige of Blind Agatha. If you haven’t made it here yet, continue to progress through Pilgrim’s Ascent until you reach the cave.

• Face the opposite direction to the Vestige. If you’ve unlocked it, take the elevator shortcut down to the cavern.

• If you haven’t unlocked the elevator shortcut, go left, and traverse through the main path. You’ll need to navigate wooden platforms, stairs and beams, and get past a slew of enemies. This will take some time and patience, and you’ll also need to contend with some Umbral Entities in the Umbral realm to progress. Eventually though, the path will lead you to a large cavern with a wooden platform on the top floor.

• Confirm you’re in the right location. On the ground floor there will be a door you can Soulflay and a door opened by the Pilgrim’s Perch Key at roughly opposite ends of the room. There will also be a number of dog enemies, and a powerful knight patrolling the space. If these are present, you’re in the right area.

• Take the ladder next to the shortcut elevator to reach the bottom of the cavern. Keep a careful eye out below, the shield and mace-wielding Pureblade Knight makes a habit of waiting at the bottom for you.

• In the corner against one wall will be a large cage. Here you’ll find blacksmith Gerlinde and her prisoner/associate Sparky trapped inside.

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Did you know?

As you near the location of her prison cell, you’ll be able to pick up an audio cue altering you to Gerlinde’s presence. She’ll be hammering away on an anvil, a sound which will ring out through the cavern.

There will be a number of enemies to defeat in here, though you may be able to speak to Gerlinde if you’re careful. She’ll be imprisoned alongside her ancient eldritch horror pet/friend, Sparky. They’ll ask you to free them, which you’ll need the Prison Cell key to do.

How to get the Prison Cell key to free Gerlinde

To get the Prison Cell Key, you need to defeat the mace-wielding Pureblade Knight in the cavern. He will drop the key when killed. Speak to Gerlinde again, and you’ll be able to hand the key open. The next time you rest and return, the cell will be empty. Be sure to exhaust all her dialogue options too, or she might not move on.

How to beat the Knight with the Prison Cell Key.

If you’re having trouble with the Pureblade Knight, here are some tips to help you out.

The knight can be a challenging opponent for this stage in the game, so be sure you’ve optimised your gear. Equipping the best rings and making sure you upgrade the Sanguinarix as much as you can will greatly boost your survivability. He isn’t too difficult to parry once you learn his timings, as he only has a small and reliable pool of attack moves. Alternatively you can dodge most attacks due to their long telegraphs, but be careful not to get pinned against the wall. Range is also your best friend here. Make use of heavy bolts or arrows if you can, and try to snipe any dogs who might interfere if you’ve got the ammunition.

As we said, once you’ve beaten him and handed over the key, blacksmith Gerlinde will depart her cage. At this point, Gerlinde will turn up in Skyrest Bridge, where she’ll act as your faithful blacksmith for the remainder of your playthrough.

What does Blacksmith Gerlinde do?

As her title implies, Gerlinde is your blacksmith in Lords of the Fallen. You’ll be able to upgrade shields, melee, and ranged weapons from her by trading Vigor and Deralium fragments and chunks, improving their scaling, protection and damage. She also allows you to slot runes into your weapons as you upgrade them, which give certain bonuses and change key aspects of the weapon. She’s also the one to go to in order to hand in the Rune Tablets you may come across on your journey.

That covers where to find blacksmith Gerlinde in Lords of the Fallen. We’ve got plenty more guides to help you out if you get stuck during this game though. From general tips and tricks to specifics like how to kick to boss guides like how to beat Spurned Progeny, the Infernal Enchantress, or the Hushed Saint we’ve got you covered.

Do you need to free Gerlinde in order to upgrade weapons in Lords of the Fallen?

Yes. You cannot upgrade weapons and equipment without freeing Gerlinde first.

Why is Gerlinde imprisoned in Lords of the Fallen?

We don’t know the exact details of Gerlinde’s imprisonment, but it seems like the knights of the Pilgrim’s Path locked her up to force her to produce and repair bells, weapons, and other equipment for them.

Who is Sparky in Lords of the Fallen?

Sparky is a once-mortal creature that possesses valuable arcane knowladge and secrets. After finding him wounded and near death, Gerlinde nursed him back to health, but imprisoned him in magical shackles to try and learn his secrets.