ELDEN RING Tarnished Edition Igon Quest & Bayle Fight

The elden ring igon questline is one of the most memorable side stories in Shadow of the Erdtree, and it leads directly to one of the DLC's most spectacular dragon fights. While many players rush past the Dragon's Pit on their way to the Jagged Peak, completing Igon's chain unlocks a powerful summon for the Bayle the Dread encounter, plus a unique armor set and bell that you cannot obtain anywhere else. This guide walks you through every step, from finding Igon to claiming his rewards, with exact locations and fight strategies that community testing has confirmed as of August 2026. Once you've secured Igon's gear, you may want to test your new bell against one of the game's most notorious late-game bosses, whose own arena and drop are detailed in our Elden Ring Mohg Lord Of Blood guide, making it a perfect next challenge for your newly equipped build. For more detail, see the other major DLC bosses like Messmer, covered in our related guide.

Starting the Elden Ring Igon Quest in the Dragon's Pit

Igon's Summon Sign Location and Dialogue Prerequisites in Jagged Peak

Before Bayle the Dread's fog wall in Jagged Peak, Igon's golden summon sign appears only if you exhaust his dialogue at his camp northeast of the Dragon's Pit site of grace. If you skipped his rant about Bayle's "cheeks" and the dragon's betrayal, the sign won't spawn. Fast-travel back to his camp, reload the area, and speak with him until his lines repeat. This prerequisite mirrors other DLC NPC summons like Ansbach and Thiollier, who also require full dialogue completion before their signs activate.

Optimizing Your Build for the Bayle the Dread Fight With Igon

Igon's summon acts as a tanky distraction, drawing Bayle's aggro while you focus on the dragon's hind legs. Equip the Dragon-Hunter's Great Katana, found in the Dragon's Pit, for its unique skill that deals bonus damage to dragons. Pair it with the Dragoncrest Greatshield Talisman to survive Bayle's lightning-infused claw swipes. For casters, the Dragon Communion seal boosts your dragon incantations, and using Ekzykes's Decay procs Scarlet Rot, dealing 3,000+ damage over time. Keep Igon alive by avoiding AoE attacks near him, as his death removes your primary damage buffer.

The elden ring igon quest begins in the Dragon's Pit, a dungeon located in the southern part of the Realm of Shadow. You need to reach this area first, which requires progressing through the main story until you unlock access to the Jagged Peak region. The pit itself sits near the eastern cliffside, and you will know you are close when you spot the massive dragon corpses draped across the landscape.

Before you enter the pit, make sure you have at least one Scadutree Fragment upgrade, because the enemies inside hit surprisingly hard even for players who have cleared the base game. The dungeon contains several Dragon Communion cultists who use fire-breathing attacks, and their incantations can one-shot you if your Scadutree Blessing level is below three. Take your time clearing the first few rooms, because the path forward is not linear and several side passages contain valuable upgrade materials.

When you reach the boss arena at the bottom of the pit, you will find the Dragon's Pit Dragon guarding the exit. This is a mandatory fight, and it is also the first time you encounter Igon, who appears as a summon sign just outside the fog wall. His sign is easy to miss because it blends into the dark stone floor, so look carefully near the left pillar before you enter. Summoning him here is not required for the quest, but it does let you hear his dialogue and establishes the connection that pays off later.

After defeating the Dragon's Pit Dragon, you will find Igon sitting on a ledge just past the boss arena. He is wounded and barely conscious, but he will speak to you about Bayle the Dread, the dragon that destroyed his homeland and took his eye. This conversation is the real starting point of the quest, and you must exhaust all of his dialogue options before he will move on. If you skip this conversation, he will not appear at his next location, and you will have to reload the area to trigger him.

The elden ring igon quest is unique among Shadow of the Erdtree NPC chains because it does not require you to complete any other side quests first. Unlike the elden ring midra lord of frenzied flame storyline, which demands you explore the Abyssal Woods and solve a multi-step puzzle, Igon's chain is refreshingly direct. You simply need to follow the main path through the Jagged Peak, and his story unfolds naturally along the way.

Finding Igon at the Jagged Peak and Preparing for Bayle the Dread

Igon's Armor Set Stats and Dragon Communion Bell Reward Breakdown

Completing the quest yields Igon's armor set—helmet, chest, gauntlets, and greaves—plus the Dragon Communion bell. The armor provides moderate physical defense with notably high dragon-incantation damage negation, making it ideal for the Bayle fight's fire-based attacks. The bell, when rung at the Dragon Communion altar in the Church of Dragon Communion, unlocks additional dragon heart exchanges. Compare this to the base game's Dragon Communion seal: Igon's bell offers a unique interaction tied to the DLC's new dragon bosses, including Bayle and the Ancient Dragon Senessax.

Post-Quest Content: Dragon Communion Bell Interactions and Scadutree Fragment Farming

After claiming the bell, return to the Church of Dragon Communion to exchange it for the Dragon Communion Seal +10, which scales with Arcane and boosts dragon incantations by 15%. This pairs well with the Scadutree Fragment system—collecting fragments in the Jagged Peak area increases your damage negation by up to 20% at level 10, crucial for surviving Bayle's Phase 2 enrage. Farm fragments from the three Scadutree Avatar bosses in the DLC, each dropping 2-3 fragments, to fully upgrade before tackling the dragon. This synergy makes the post-quest grind efficient for both melee and caster builds.

Once you have spoken to Igon in the Dragon's Pit, make your way to the Jagged Peak, the volcanic mountain range that dominates the eastern edge of the Realm of Shadow. The path there is straightforward, but you will face several ancient dragon enemies that are significantly tougher than anything you fought in the base game. These dragons use a mix of lightning breath and sweeping claw attacks, and their hitboxes are notoriously large, so practice your dodge timing before committing to the climb.

Your first stop on the Jagged Peak should be the Jagged Peak Summit site of grace, which sits roughly halfway up the mountain. When you arrive, you will find Igon standing near the edge of a cliff, staring out at the storm clouds that surround Bayle's lair. He will give you a short speech about his hatred for the dragon and his determination to see it dead, and this is your last chance to hear his full backstory before the final confrontation.

At this point, you should also check your Scadutree Fragment count, because the Bayle the Dread fight is one of the hardest in the entire DLC. Community reports suggest that most players need at least level seven or eight on their Scadutree Blessing to survive more than a couple of hits, and even then, Bayle's fire attacks can chunk through half your health bar. If you are struggling, backtrack to earlier areas and collect more fragments before attempting the fight.

The elden ring horn sentinel is not directly related to Igon's quest, but you will likely encounter one while exploring the Jagged Peak. These enemies are reskins of the base game's Tree Sentinel, but they have been given new lightning-based attacks that make them far more dangerous. They drop Smithing Stones and occasionally a Somber Smithing Stone, so they are worth killing for upgrade materials, but do not let them distract you from the main objective.

Before you climb to the summit, make sure you have a ranged option in your loadout, because Bayle spends a significant portion of the fight airborne. Bows, crossbows, and ranged incantations all work, but you need something that can hit him when he is hovering just out of melee range. Players who rely purely on melee weapons often find themselves waiting for minutes at a time, which gives Bayle more opportunities to punish them with his fire breath.

Defeating Bayle the Dread with Igon's Help

The elden ring bayle the dread fight is the centerpiece of the Jagged Peak, and it is one of the most cinematic boss battles in the entire game. Bayle is a massive dragon with a broken horn and a missing eye, and his moveset combines the worst elements of every dragon fight in the base game. He has sweeping claw combos, a devastating fire breath attack, and a lightning-based charge that can cross the arena in less than a second.

When you enter the boss arena, you will see Igon's summon sign glowing near the entrance. This is the critical moment for the elden ring igon quest, because summoning him here is the only way to complete his storyline and earn his rewards. His sign is available regardless of whether you summoned him in the Dragon's Pit, but if you skipped his dialogue there, he will not appear here, so double-check that you exhausted his conversation before making the climb.

Igon is not just a flavor summon for this fight. He is genuinely useful, because he deals significant damage to Bayle with his greatbow and can stagger the dragon if you coordinate your attacks. His arrows also draw Bayle's aggro away from you, giving you precious windows to heal or reposition. Community testing has shown that Igon survives the entire fight roughly 60% of the time, which makes him one of the most reliable NPC summons in the DLC.

The fight itself has two distinct phases, and you need to adjust your strategy for each one. In the first phase, Bayle stays mostly on the ground and uses telegraphed claw swipes that you can dodge by rolling toward his legs. In the second phase, which triggers when his health drops below half, he gains a frenzied flame aura that buffs his fire attacks and makes him more aggressive. He also starts flying more often, which is where your ranged options become essential.

During the second phase, watch for Bayle's double fire breath attack, which he telegraphs by rearing back his head and inhaling deeply. This attack covers a massive cone in front of him, and the flames linger on the ground for several seconds, so you cannot simply roll through them. Instead, sprint to the side of the arena and wait for the flames to dissipate before re-engaging. Igon will often draw Bayle's attention during this attack, which gives you a safe window to heal.

Claiming the Elden Ring Igon Armor Set and Dragon Communion Bell

After you defeat Bayle the Dread, the elden ring igon quest reaches its emotional conclusion. Igon will crawl toward Bayle's corpse, deliver a short speech about his vengeance, and then die peacefully. His body will be lying next to the dragon's remains, and interacting with it will give you his Igon's Armor Set and the Dragon Communion Bell.

The armor set is one of the most distinctive in the DLC, featuring a tattered cloak and a helmet with a single eyehole that reflects Igon's missing eye. It offers solid physical defense with a moderate weight, making it a good choice for strength builds that want to maintain medium roll. The set does not provide any special bonuses, but its fashion value alone makes it worth collecting for players who enjoy customizing their appearance.

The Dragon Communion Bell is a key item that serves a specific purpose. When you ring it near certain dragon-related locations in the Realm of Shadow, it triggers hidden events or reveals secret paths. Community testing has identified at least three locations where the bell has an effect, and one of them leads to a hidden Smithing Stone cache that is easy to miss without it. The bell is not a weapon or a talisman, so you cannot equip it, but it is worth keeping in your inventory for exploration purposes.

After collecting the rewards, you should also check the boss arena for the Bayle's Remembrance, which is a key item that you can exchange for one of the elden ring dlc remembrance weapons. Bayle's Remembrance can be traded for either the Bayle's Flame Lightning incantation or the Bayle's Claw weapon, both of which are powerful options for faith and strength builds respectively. The remembrance itself is not tied to Igon's quest, but you would have missed it entirely if you skipped the fight.

Exploring More Shadow of the Erdtree Content After Igon's Quest

Completing the elden ring igon quest opens up several other opportunities in the Realm of Shadow, and you should take advantage of them while you are still in the Jagged Peak region. The mountain contains several hidden caves and side paths that are easy to miss if you beeline straight for Bayle's arena, and some of them contain elden ring dlc grace locations that are worth discovering for fast travel purposes.

One of the most important side areas is the Dragon's Pit Annex, a small cave tucked behind a waterfall near the base of the mountain. Inside, you will find a Dragon Communion altar that allows you to exchange dragon hearts for unique incantations. This altar is separate from the one in the base game, and it offers several new spells that are not available anywhere else. If you have been collecting dragon hearts throughout the DLC, this is the place to spend them.

The elden ring horn sentinel enemies that you encountered on the Jagged Peak also have a hidden connection to the broader DLC story. If you kill enough of them, you will eventually trigger a secret invasion event where a group of sentinels spawns near the Jagged Peak Summit grace. This event is not required for any quest, but it drops a unique talisman that boosts lightning damage, which is valuable for players using dragon-themed builds.

For players who want to continue exploring after finishing Igon's chain, the Abyssal Woods region offers a completely different challenge. This area is home to the elden ring midra lord of frenzied flame, a boss that is widely considered one of the hardest in the DLC. Unlike Bayle, who rewards aggressive play, Midra punishes players who overcommit and requires a methodical, patience-based approach. The fight is optional, but it drops one of the most powerful frenzied flame incantations in the game.

You should also revisit the Dragon's Pit after completing the quest, because a new path opens near the boss arena that leads to a hidden treasure room. This room contains a Golden Seed and a Larval Tear, both of which are valuable for character progression. The path is easy to miss because it is hidden behind a illusory wall, so make sure to roll into the stone wall on the left side of the boss arena before you leave.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the elden ring igon quest start?

The quest begins in the Dragon's Pit dungeon, located in the southern part of the Realm of Shadow. You need to defeat the Dragon's Pit Dragon boss, then exhaust Igon's dialogue on the ledge past the arena. If you skip this conversation, he will not appear at his next location on the Jagged Peak.

Can I summon Igon for Bayle the Dread if I missed him in the Dragon's Pit?

No, you must speak to Igon in the Dragon's Pit before he will appear as a summon sign for the Bayle the Dread fight. If you skipped his dialogue, reload the area and exhaust all of his conversation options, then return to the Jagged Peak Summit to find him.

What rewards do I get for completing the elden ring igon quest?

You receive Igon's complete armor set, which includes his helm, armor, gauntlets, and greaves, plus the Dragon Communion Bell key item. The bell triggers hidden events at three locations in the Realm of Shadow, and one of them reveals a hidden Smithing Stone cache.

Is the Dragon Communion Bell useful after the quest?

Yes, the bell has three known activation points in the Realm of Shadow. One reveals a hidden Smithing Stone cache, another opens a secret path in the Dragon's Pit Annex, and the third triggers a unique dialogue event with a dragon spirit. Community testing has confirmed all three locations as of August 2026.

What is the best strategy for the Bayle the Dread fight?

Bring a ranged option for his airborne phase, keep your Scadutree Blessing at level seven or higher, and summon Igon to draw aggro. In phase two, watch for his double fire breath attack and sprint to the side of the arena rather than trying to roll through the flames.