A Stonesword Key breaks the seal on an imp statue, the stone figure that holds a wall of fog shut in front of side rooms, catacombs and whole dungeons. Each key is used up when you place it, and some statues ask for two, so you never seem to have enough in the early game. This guide covers the keys you can pick up for free, every merchant that sells them and for how much, and which sealed areas actually pay you back.
| What it does | Breaks one imp statue seal |
| Reusable? | No, the key stays in the statue |
| Keys per statue | 1 or 2: count the lit imps on the statue |
| Cheapest price | 2,000 Runes (Weeping Peninsula and Siofra River merchants) |
| Easiest early source | Twin Maiden Husks, Roundtable Hold (3 keys, 4,000 Runes each) |
| Keepsake option | Yes, you can start the game with two keys |
| Best first statue | Fringefolk Hero’s Grave (2 keys, Golden Seed) |
Where to buy Stonesword Keys in Elden Ring
Buying is the reliable way to get keys. Merchant stock is limited, so visit the cheap sellers first and keep the Roundtable Hold for when you run dry.
| Merchant | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Patches | Murkwater Cave, Limgrave (after you spare him and he opens shop) | Varies |
| Nomadic Merchant | Eastern Weeping Peninsula, by the Castle Morne Rampart grace | 2,000 Runes |
| Isolated Merchant | Shack on the far west of the Weeping Peninsula | 2,000 Runes |
| Isolated Merchant | Near the Main Academy Gate, Liurnia (3 in stock) | Varies |
| Twin Maiden Husks | Roundtable Hold (3 in stock) | 4,000 Runes |
| Nomadic Merchant | Southern Caelid | 4,000 Runes |
| Nomadic Merchant | Western Altus Plateau | 4,000 Runes |
| Nomadic Merchant | Mt. Gelmir | 5,000 Runes |
| Nomadic Merchant | Siofra River (underground) | 2,000 Runes |
| Imprisoned Merchant | Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum | 5,000 Runes |
Short on Runes for a full set? Our rune farming guide lists the fastest spots for each stage of the game. The Castle Morne Rampart and Southern Caelid merchants also sell a Cracked Pot each, so check Cracked Pot locations before you leave their stalls. The western Weeping Peninsula shack, the Main Academy Gate and the Mohgwyn merchants each stock a Lost Ashes of War too; see Lost Ashes of War locations for how to duplicate an Ash of War with it.
Free Stonesword Keys you can pick up early
- Stormhill Shack (Limgrave): on a corpse on the ledge next to the shack, right beside the Site of Grace.
- Dragon-Burnt Ruins (Limgrave): on a corpse in a closed room guarded by a giant rat.
- Castle Morne (Weeping Peninsula): from the Behind the Castle grace, drop onto the platform below where a corpse hangs with the key.
- Stormveil Castle: the castle hides several keys, including one in the Rampart Tower area, so explore its roofs and side rooms before you face Godrick.
- Fringefolk Hero’s Grave: one key lies inside the dungeon, so you get part of your entry cost back.
How to use a Stonesword Key
- Walk up to an imp statue next to a fog wall.
- Look at the two small imps on it: if one is lit you need one key, if both are lit you need two.
- Interact with the statue while holding enough keys. You cannot place one key now and the second later.
- The fog wall fades for good, and the key stays in the statue.
Which imp statues are worth your keys?
| Imp statue | Keys | Reward | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fringefolk Hero’s Grave, Stranded Graveyard (Limgrave) | 2 | Ulcerated Tree Spirit fight: Golden Seed and Banished Knight Oleg Spirit Ash | Worth it, but go in at a decent level |
| Stormveil Castle cellar | 1 | Godskin Prayerbook (Black Flame incantations via Brother Corhyn) | Worth it for Faith builds |
| Tombsward Catacombs (Limgrave) | 1 | Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook [9] | Skip early, keys are better spent elsewhere |
The Golden Seed from Fringefolk Hero’s Grave is one of the earliest flask upgrades; see Golden Seed and Sacred Tear locations for the rest. Do not confuse these statues with the sending gates at the Four Belfries: those need an Imbued Sword Key instead.
Related: Talisman Pouch and Memory Stone locations, since several sealed rooms hold talismans, and Elden Ring map fragment locations, so you can see each region before you go hunting for statues.
FAQ
Should I take the Stonesword Key Keepsake?
It gives you two keys at the start, enough to open Fringefolk Hero’s Grave right away. Keys are cheap to buy once you reach the Weeping Peninsula and the Roundtable Hold, so the Golden Seed Keepsake is often the better long-term pick.
Can you get a Stonesword Key back after using it?
No. The key stays embedded in the imp statue, and the seal it broke stays open for the rest of that playthrough.
What is the cheapest place to buy Stonesword Keys?
The merchants in the Weeping Peninsula and the Nomadic Merchant in Siofra River sell them for 2,000 Runes, half the Roundtable Hold price.
Source: merchant prices, pickup spots and statue rewards checked against Fextralife’s Elden Ring wiki, GGRecon, PowerPyx and Windows Central. Prices we could only confirm in one source are listed as “Varies”.
Further reading: Stonesword Key on the Fextralife Elden Ring wiki.