When you begin playing Elden Ring, it can be a bit daunting. You go from place to place, taking your own time to learn how to fight different power-tier enemies. The Lands Between hold important items, which you make a point to gain/gather. And you also stumble upon secrets you never expected a place to have.
If, like a true open-world RPG lover, you are being very thorough with exploration, then you know that just hacking your way through enemies will not work after the initial stages of the game. FromSoftware’s open-world RPG demands patience, not just when battling a boss, but also in learning the tricks to become powerful in The Lands Between.
In Elden Ring, you need to learn how to make use of important game items too, besides leveling up, to be able to stand your ground against tough adversaries later in the game. Several NPCs can help you here. This guide will focus on Merchant Kalé, an NPC you can find very early in the game.
Locating Merchant Kalé
Merchant Kalé is one of the most important early NPCs in Elden Ring. You can find him sitting beside a crackling fire inside the Church of Elleh. He looks like a slightly incongruous figure in the church, dressed up like Santa Claus. Any time of the day you visit the Church of Elleh, Merchant Kalé will be sitting in the exact same location.
Reaching the Church of Elleh should not be a problem as it is your next destination after you have a chat with Varré, who stands near the first Site of Grace in Limgrave. Just head north after talking with Varré.
It would be wise to avoid the Tree Sentinel as he is quite overpowered for a Tarnished like you who’s just come into the world of Elden Ring. Hence, sneak past him to reach the church.
Early-game Recommended Buys
If you have got plenty of runes to spend, then you can buy anything you like from Merchant Kalé. But in the early stages, we usually are a bit short on runes, so what’s the most judicious way to spend them? You should first go for the Crafting Kit. It is available for 300 runes and will let you craft several items.
Another important item you can buy is the Torch. Since you will be exploring various dungeons in the game, the Torch will help you immensely. The Telescope may seem like a worthy buy, but we do not recommend purchasing it early as it cannot help you see great distances.
Then, you should go for the Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbooks. Get one in the beginning. Try not to spend your runes on The Missionary’s Cookbook immediately afterward, as it is quite expensive.
If you plan on using a bow in the game, it would do you good to purchase some arrows. Each arrow costs 20 runes, so they are quite cheap. Note that you can equip arrows only on a bow and not on a crossbow. For crossbows, there are bolts. Be mindful of the distinction.
There are two notes also you can buy from Merchant Kalé that contain useful information. These are notes on the Flask of Wondrous Physik and Waypoint Runes.
At Kalé’s, Not all the items are worth spending your hard-earned runes on. Just pick the ones we recommended first, get rich in The Lands Between, and come later to Merchant Kalé for more purchases. You can sell your items to him as well.
About Merchant Kalé
Merchant Kalé looks the part of one being in a jovial (or sad) mood since he is sitting beside the fire with a stringed musical instrument. His pony (or mule?) stands close to him in the corner of the church with some heavy baggage on its back.
In the dialogue that happens with the Tarnished, Kalé refers to himself as the “purveyor of fine goods”. He tells the Tarnished that he comes from a nomadic stock and sells wares as he travels. He seems supportive of the Tarnished, whom he says “keep things from drying up entirely” in The Lands Between after the shattering of the Elden Ring.
Summing Up
That’s pretty much it about Merchant Kalé. He’s an important NPC in the game, allowing you to purchase various items for your journey in The Lands Between. Make sure to visit him every now and then to see what new wares he has for you to peruse. If possible, stock up on runes by killing the Sleeping Dragon in Elden Ring first. Follow our guide, and you can farm up to 60,000 runes in an instant!
In our other post, we have given you the directions to find Melina in Elden Ring, whom you cannot do without for the remainder of the game. Meet her, start leveling up, and resume your travels in The Lands Between.
