How Dragon Communion altars work in Elden Ring

Elden Ring dragon communion altar
(Image credit: FromSoftware)
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(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring guide: Conquer the Lands Between
Elden Ring bosses: How to beat them
Elden Ring map fragmentsReveal the world
Elden Ring weapons: Arm yourself
Elden Ring armor: The best sets
Elden Ring Smithing Stone: Upgrade your gear
Elden Ring Ashes of War: Where to find them
Elden Ring classes: Which to choose

Want to know where to find an Elden Ring Dragon Communion altar? The Lands Between are infested with drakes of all different sizes, from humble Agheel in the lake next to where you start, to the gigantic Elder Dragon Greyoll. When you finally defeat one, you'll get a Dragon Heart, but isn't immediately clear what these items do.

That's where Dragon Communion comes in. If you defeat a named dragon in Elden Ring, it'll unlock an associated spell that you can purchase using its heart at a Dragon Communion Altar. These are anything from breathing poison to biting at foes with a dragon head, and can be powerful spells in PvP, or when utilized against certain bosses.

There are a couple of different Dragon Communion Altars located throughout the map, but you can unlock the first near the start of the game. This guide will also go through what spells you can purchase, as well as where to find each of the Elden Ring dragons.

Elden Ring Dragon Communion Altar locations 

There are two locations where you can find Dragon Communion Altars. You can check the screenshots below for maps of both locations. If the altar doesn't work, try switching the time to night. 

The Church of Dragon Communion is found on an island off to the southwest of Limgrave and is likely to be the first one you come across. You'll need to make your way through the Coastal Cave dungeon and beat the Demi-Human Chiefs boss to access it. Much like finding the Elden Ring Slumbering Wolf's Shack, you need to look for another exit from the dungeon after you're done. This brings you out onto the island where you'll find a Site of Grace and the church.

You can use Dragon Hearts to get the following spells:

  • Dragonclaw (Dragon Heart x1)
  • Dragonfire (Dragon Heart x1)
  • Dragonmaw (Dragon Heart x1)

The Cathedral of Dragon Communion is located in the southwest area of Caelid, south of the main roadway as it loops east. This Dragon Altar offers the same spells as the church, but with a couple of additions. You can also unlock more spells by defeating the associated dragons.

These are the spells you can purchase and unlock:

  • Dragonclaw (Dragon Heart x1)
  • Dragonfire (Dragon Heart x1)
  • Dragonmaw (Dragon Heart x1)
  • Glintstone Breath (Dragon Heart x1)
  • Magma Breath (Dragon Heart x1) After defeating the Seethewater Terminus Magma Wyrm.
  • Rotten Breath (Dragon Heart x1)
  • Dragonice (Dragon Heart x1)
  • Agheel's Flame (Dragon Heart x2): After beating Flying Dragon Agheel
  • Smarag's Glintstone Breath (Dragon Heart x2): After beating Glintstone Dragon Smarag
  • Ekzykes's Decay (Dragon Heart x2): After beating Decaying Ekzykes
  • Theoderix's Magma (Dragon Heart x2): After beating Great Wyrm Theoderix
  • Borealis's Mist (Dragon Heart x2): After beating Borealis, the Frozen Fog
  • Greyoll's Roar (Dragon Heart x3): After beating Elder Dragon Greyoll

Elden Ring dragon locations

Dragon Hearts are (unsurprisingly) dropped by dragons. Here are the locations of for all of the dragons in the game. There are also location screenshots above for the first few you are likely to encounter:

  • Flying Dragon Agheel This is likely to be the first dragon you encounter. He's in the middle of the lake in Limgrave.
  • Flying Dragon Greyll Found in Dragonbarrow on the big bridge that crosses over to the hill near the Bestial Sanctum.
  • Elder Dragon Greyoll The giant dragon that you find near the entrance to Dragonbarrow surrounded by smaller ones. He has a massive health pool, but if you get behind, you can chip it down to get five Dragon Hearts.
  • Borealis, the Freezing Fog This dragon will attack you on the fog-covered frozen lake in the Mountaintops of the Giants, near the First Church of Marika.
  • Decaying Ekzykes This dragon is found, rather handily, patrolling north of the Cathedral of Dragon Communion in southwest Caelid.
  • Glintstone Dragon Smarag This one is located on a small island to the west of Raya Lucaria Academy, close to the Academy Crystal Cave Site of Grace.
  • Glintstone Dragon Adula This dragon is found outside the Cathedral of Manus Celes in southwest Liurnia. You'll encounter it during Ranni's quest.

Magma Wyrms also drop Dragon Hearts, and you can find them in volcanic regions like Mt. Gelmir or in specific underground tunnels:

  • Two Magma Wyrms are located in Mt. Gelmir, in Volcano Manor and near Seethewater Terminus respectively, while another is in the Gael Tunnel dungeon in Caelid.
  • Magma Wyrm Makar is the boss of the Ruin-Strewn Precipice that leads into the Altus Plateau, while Great Wyrm Theoderix is a field boss in the Consecrated Snowfield, near the Cave of the Forlorn dungeon.
Sarah James
Guides Writer

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.