Elden Ring: How to Complete Sorcerer Thops' Quest
This guide will walk you through every step of Thops' questline, show you where to find him, and explain what you can expect in return, both in terms of Elden Ring Runes and lore.
Where to Find Sorcerer Thops
You'll first encounter Thops at the Church of Irith, located just above the cliffs that overlook Liurnia of the Lakes, after defeating Godrick the Grafted and entering the region for the first time. Sitting on a bench inside the church, Thops presents himself as a stranded sorcerer, a once-proud student of the academy now exiled and locked out of his scholarly sanctuary.
Thops offers to teach you some basic sorceries in exchange for a modest donation of 10 Elden Ring Runes. After you pay him, he reveals that his greatest wish is to return to Raya Lucaria Academy to resume his studies.
The Academy Glintstone Key
To help Thops fulfill his goal, you'll need to acquire a second Academy Glintstone Key. You'll need one yourself to enter the academy, so don't give away your only copy. Fortunately, a spare key can be found inside the academy itself.
After gaining access to Raya Lucaria, proceed through the level until you reach the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace. Nearby, you'll find a room with a chandelier. From the rafters above, look for a corpse hanging over the chandelier; this corpse holds the second Academy Glintstone Key, one of the more important Elden Ring Items for progressing Thops' storyline.
Once you have this second key, return to the Church of Irith and give it to Thops. As a reward, he grants you the Erudition Gesture, a unique emote that plays a role in specific magical puzzles throughout the game, particularly those involving the stone glintstone crowns worn by Raya Lucaria's elite scholars.
After you part ways, Thops departs the church, setting out on his final journey back to the academy.
Where Thops Ends Up
Once you've handed over the key and advanced far enough in the Raya Lucaria Academy, you can find Thops again, but not in the state you may have hoped.
Explore the area near the Schoolhouse Classroom Site of Grace, and just outside one of the nearby classrooms, you'll find Thops' body slumped at a desk. His dream of returning to his place of learning was realized, but not in the way he likely imagined. The quiet, tragic scene is easy to overlook, but it's one of the many subtle moments that make Elden Ring such a rich emotional experience.
On his body, you'll find several valuable Elden Ring Items, including:
Thops' Barrier – A sorcery that creates a defensive magic shield effective against other sorceries.
Academy Glintstone Staff – A reliable mid-game weapon for Intelligence-based builds.
Thops' Bell Bearing – Can be given to the Twin Maiden Husks at the Roundtable Hold, allowing you to purchase his previously available sorceries even after his death.
Why Thops' Quest Matters
While Thops' quest may not yield legendary weapons or thousands of Elden Ring Runes, it offers a moving narrative and several practical rewards. The Erudition Gesture, for instance, is necessary to solve at least two magical puzzles scattered across the world, usually requiring the use of a stone crown and performing the gesture in front of a magical seal.
Moreover, his spell Thops' Barrier provides a niche but useful defense in PvP or against sorcery-using enemies. The Academy Glintstone Staff, meanwhile, serves as a dependable casting tool for many Intelligence builds before acquiring higher-end catalysts like the Lusat's Glintstone Staff.
Finally, by returning Thops' Bell Bearing to the Twin Maiden Husks, you ensure that his knowledge, and by extension, his life's work, continues to serve other Tarnished, even after his untimely end.
Final Thoughts
Sorcerer Thops' quest is a microcosm of Elden Ring's world: subtle, tragic, and deeply rewarding for those who take the time to explore. His journey from humble dropout to a fallen scholar who reached his goal, only to be consumed by it, mirrors the larger themes of ambition, loss, and the pursuit of knowledge at all costs.
Though short in length, Thops' story adds another layer of emotional depth to Elden Ring, reinforcing FromSoftware's unparalleled talent for environmental storytelling. Helping him is not just about collecting Elden Ring Items or earning Elden Ring Runes, it's about fulfilling a quiet, noble dream in a world where such aspirations rarely end well.