Shadow Keep is a significant legacy dungeon within the "Shadow of the Erdtree" DLC for "Elden Ring", located in the Scadu Altus region. Here's a structured guide on how to approach and explore this dungeon:
Accessing Shadow Keep
•Location: After defeating Rellana, Twin Moon Knight in Castle Ensis, continue north into Scadu Altus. You'll find Shadow Keep at the northern part of this region.
•Entrance:
oMain Entrance: Use the Highroad Cross site of grace in Scadu Altus, and follow the road north to find the main gate of Shadow Keep. Inside, you'll encounter the Main Gate Plaza Site of Grace.
Key Areas and Walkthrough
•Main Gate Plaza: Clear out enemies here, including two Black Knights. Collect items like Golden Vow consumable and a Shadow Realm Rune [6].
Shadow Keep (Main Gate):
Explore around the plaza; use environmental elements to avoid or deal with enemies. Head up the stairs to face more enemies and gather items like the Ash of War: Wall of Sparks.
Specimen Storehouse:
This section is particularly challenging. Start at the Storehouse, First Floor Site of Grace. Navigate through, dealing with enemies, collecting items like Revered Spirit Ashes, and explore the verticality of the area for hidden items or paths.
Church District:
Located within Shadow Keep, this area has unique enemies and possibly secrets tied to NPC interactions.
Ancient Ruins of Rauh:
After progressing through Shadow Keep, you can move towards these ruins. This isn't part of the keep per se but is accessible from there, offering further exploration.
Important Items and Secrets
•Secret Paths: There are hidden routes like jumping off balconies or using certain gestures to uncover secret areas or items.
•Gestures: Performing the "O Mother" gesture in front of certain statues can unlock new areas or progress NPC quests.
Boss Fights
•Commander Gaius: Likely encountered during exploration.
•Messmer the Impaler: Found after navigating through key parts of the keep, leading to a significant boss fight.
Tips for Exploration 
•Vertical Exploration: Use the environment's verticality to your advantage. Many items or paths are hidden above or below the obvious routes.
•NPC Quests: Engaging with NPCs like those related to Miquella can lead to unique items or story progression.
•Be Stealthy: Sometimes, avoiding direct combat and using stealth can help in navigating through densely populated enemy areas.
•Map Usage: Keep an eye on your map as it fills out to spot any undiscovered areas or items that might be slightly off the main path.
Community Insights
Players on platforms like X have discussed the complexity and hidden nature of Shadow Keep, emphasizing the need to explore thoroughly. Some have highlighted the dungeon's design as reminiscent of expansive, non-linear exploration found in games like "Breath of the Wild", where secrets might be visible but accessing them can take time and ingenuity.
Conclusion
This guide provides a broad overview for exploring Shadow Keep, emphasizing the need for careful exploration, engagement with NPC quests, and readiness for challenging encounters, reflecting the depth and intricacy typical of FromSoftware's design philosophy.
