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Where to get Ekzyke’s Decay in Elden Ring

Breathe Scarlet Rot all over your opponents with Ekzyke’s Decay.

The player stands in front of the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in Elden Ring
Image credit: VG247/FromSoftware

Scarlet Rot, whether you love it or hate it, is a force to be reckoned with in Elden Ring. It might be annoying to come up against, especially when Malenia is involved, but you can also use it to your advantage with some powerful Incantations such as Ekzyke’s Decay.

There’s something satisfying about watching your opponent slowly succumb to Scarlet Rot while you dance around their attacks, especially given how much The Lands Between makes us suffer from Rot and Poison ourselves, and Ekzyke’s Decay allows you to do just that. To get started, here’s where to get Ekzyke’s Decay in Elden Ring.


Where to get Ekzyke’s Decay in Elden Ring

Ekzyke’s Decay will become available once you have defeated Decaying Ekzykes in Elden Ring. This particular dragon is found in southwest Caelid, just north of the Cathedral of Dragon Communion.

The location of Decaying Ekzyke's in Caelid is marked on the Elden Ring map
Ekzykes is found slightly north of the Cathedral of Dragon Communion. | Image credit: VG247/FromSoftware

From the Cathedral of Dragon Communion Site of Grace, exit the Cathedral and look north. You should see the white, decaying dragon not too far from you.

The player faces the dragon, Decaying Ekzyke's, in Elden Ring
Image credit: VG247/FromSoftware

Beating him isn’t too hard given that the creature is weak to just about everything other than Scarlet Rot and Poison, though you'll need to be careful of him breathing Rot at you. You can take an Incantation such as Flame, Cleanse Me, to rid yourself of Rot during the fight.

Once Ekzykes is dead, you’ll be notified that a new draconic power is available from the Cathedral of Dragon Communion. You’ll also be rewarded with a Dragon Heart, which will come in use shortly.

Return back to the Cathedral and interact with the altar to view the shop, and you should now see that Ekzyke’s Decay is available for just two Dragon Hearts. If you’ve only got the one, you can always go about beating up Greyoll - also in Caelid - who’ll drop five Dragon Hearts and an exceptional amount of Runes for you.

The Incantations available at the Cathedral of Dragon Communion, including Ekzyke's Decay, are shown
Ekzyke’s Decay costs 2 Dragon Hearts from the Cathedral of Dragon Communion. | Image credit: VG247/FromSoftware

Once in your possession, Ekzyke’s Decay requires 15 Arcane and 23 Faith to use, and will unleash a Rot-breathing dragon upon use. You can also use the Incantation for as long as your FP will let you.

If you’re yet to meet the stat requirement for it, you can also try Rotten Breath, which only needs 12 Arcane and 15 Faith to use, and performs similarly while using less FP. The main difference is that Ekzyke’s Decay will deal significantly more Physical damage than Rotten breath.


For more on Elden Ring, don’t neglect the Flame, Cleanse Me, or Golden Vow Incantations. These can be incredibly useful throughout The Lands Between.

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