Elden Ring: How To Solve The Heretical Rise Puzzle
If you've been playing "Elden Ring" for a while, then you've no doubt come across a few of the mysterious stone towers that are locked by magic barriers. These towers will often have a small pedestal beside their entrance, which (when interacted with) will give the player a puzzle or riddle that they must solve in order to remove the magical barrier.
The difficulty of these puzzles varies wildly throughout the game. Sometimes they require the player to use a specific Spirit Summon in front of the door, or they'll otherwise require the player to use a nearby Spirit Spring in order to get in through an upper window.
There's even one tower that will send players on a scavenger hunt across Liurnia of the Lakes, searching for three giant ghostly turtles which have to be shot with arrows in order to open the tower door. Heretical Rise is one such tower, located very late in the game within the Mountaintops of the Giants. Thankfully, despite how long it will take most players to reach this area, the Heretical Rise puzzle is actually quite simple — but also a bit dangerous, if you're not careful.
Cross the invisible bridge behind the tower
Heretical Rise overlooks the ravine that leads players to the "Freezing Lake" Site of Grace, and to complete the tower's puzzle you'll need to start on the northern side of said ravine, directly opposite the tower. Once you're there, simply start walking forward. There is actually an invisible bridge that spans the length of the ravine, leading straight to the back of the tower.
Make your way across the ravine until you reach the base of the tower, and then turn left. You should see small clouds of mist indicating that there is a winding ramp that leads into the tower's upper window. These are incredibly hard to spot, so you may want to use Rainbow Stones or Arrows to check where the next curve of the path leads, as stepping off will lead to immediate death. Once you've reached the balcony above, hop inside the tower to remove the magical barrier. Inside the tower, you'll be faced with a few enemies. Once you defeat them, you'll find a chest and be rewarded with a Sorcery called "Founding Rain of Stars," which causes a series of stars to fall down from the sky in front of you.
There are plenty more of these puzzle towers hidden throughout the world of Elden Ring, so make sure you are taking the time to explore each and every one you find.