As you explore the world of Elden Ring, and especially the first Legacy dungeon, Castle Stormveil, you may have heard of “a sinister secret hidden deep within Castle Stormveil.” Here is an explanation for this.
Sources of knowledge can be found when you read item descriptions and talk to NPCs.
Table of Contents
Intriguing item descriptions
Corrupted Leather Shield:

Leather shield of Stormveil Soldiers. Just like a castle
it is tainted with spotting and thorns.Some say it’s the curse of vaccination that causes such misfortune,
while others say that its root is something more
sinister, hidden deep in the castle.Item description of Torn Leather Shield
This shield is very easy to find because it is dropped by exiled soldiers in Stormveil.
Pustule of the Prince of Death
Fetid pustule extracted from the skin of the face.
Raises vitality.
(Life force regulates resistance to Death effects.)This pustule is said to have come from the face of the Prince of Death, who was formerly called Godwin. It is said that he, the First Dead among the demigods, is buried deep beneath the capital, at the roots of the Tree of Erd.
Item description Death Prince’s Pustule
It is hidden deep underground in Stormveil, and is guarded by the Corrupted Tree Spirit. This item can be found next to the “tentacle face”. So it’s somewhat difficult to come across.
Disease of the sorcerer Rogier
After you clear Stormvale Castle and return to the Round Table Keep, you can find Wizard Rohyr sitting on a chair on the balcony. He cannot move because he is infected with a deadly blight.
He talks about the corpse under Stormvale and how it is the cause of his illness.
A shapeless corpse beneath Stormveil? This is a sacred relic. Black knife conspiracy. As the famous night of the murder is known.
This happened during the Golden Age of Erdtree, long before the destruction of the Old Ring. Someone has stolen a fragment of the Death Rune from Maliket, the Ebon Blade. And in a bitter night he killed Godwin the Golden.Sorcerer Rogier on Godwin’s corpse outside Stormveil.
Summing up the mysteries of Stormveil Castle
It is clear that the Secret of Stormvale Castle is the Death Rot caused by Godwin’s corpse and the Tree Spirit. This affects the soldiers and the castle itself.
But how did this corpse get into the castle? It’s still a mystery.
Watch this video of the Witch Zulli about Godwin’s odd shape:
You may find out that exiled soldiers also have spikes on their bodies.
Like most locations in Elden Ring, there is a lot more lore and secrets in Stormveil Castle, and they are often associated with this secret.
Over-explaining things can ruin your game experience. Therefore, I implore you to explore and uncover these sinister secrets on your own!