Scarlet Rot (朱い腐敗, Akai Fuhai) is a status effect in Elden Ring, inflicting damage over time to the player and serving as a more dangerous variant of the Poison status effect. The player's resistance to this status ailment is determined by their Immunity stat, which is increased by the Vigor stat.
Contents
- 1 Overview
- 2 Mechanics
- 3 Curing and Mitigation
- 4 Utilization
- 5 Environment
- 5.1 Swamps
- 6 Enemies
- 7 Trivia
- 8 References
Overview[]
Scarlet Rot is an old legend in the Lands Between,[1] a dangerous sickness that eats away life like a vicious plague.[2] It corrupts men and beasts who come into contact with it, deforming their bodies and eating away their wits, driving them to madness and causing them to act like wild animals.[3][4][5] Those afflicted with the Scarlet Rot such as Millicent also suffer from nightmares due to the affliction.[6] Areas afflicted with Scarlet Rot sprout fungal growths or flower buds. As such, Scarlet Rot is often fended off using fire.[7][8]
The Empyrean and demigod, Malenia, Blade of Miquella harbored the affliction of Scarlet Rot within her body from birth,[9] which has decayed her body and caused her to lose her limbs. Her will, pride, dignity, and sense of self, along with the help of her brother Miquella of the Haligtree's Unalloyed Gold Needle assisted with resisting the call of the Scarlet Rot.[10] However, at the Battle of Aeonia, the final battle of the Shattering,[11] she abandoned this pride to meet Starscourge Radahn's measure.[10] This resulted in the blooming of the first flower of Aeonia[12][13] causing both Caelid and Radahn to become blighted by the Scarlet Rot.[14] Upon Malenia's return to Miquella's Haligtree, it too was infected and malformed by the Scarlet Rot.[15] The Swamp of Aeonia spawned by the flower in Caelid gave rise to Kindred of Rot,[16] also known as "Pests."
Despite the horrific effects of the sickness, some worship the Scarlet Rot as a god.[17] The sickly Maleigh Marais of the Shaded Castle was a private believer, and considered Malenia his personal goddess.[1] To those enraptured by the Scarlet Rot, the mushrooms that spawn from it growing on their bodies are holy vestments that root them to the earth.[18] Long ago, great lords served the Scarlet Rot, perhaps with such large fungal bodies serving as their crowns.[19] Ever since the Battle of Aeonia, Sage Gowry has dedicated himself to the resplendence of the Order of Rot, the cycle of decay and rebirth,[20] desiring Malenia to bloom into a goddess, and her daughters to join her as scarlet valkyries.[21]
Long ago, Malenia's mentor, the Blind Swordsman, sealed away an ancient god that was Rot itself using a flowing sword bestowed upon him by a fairy in legend.[22][23] The divine essence of this Outer God was sealed in the Lake of Rot in the Ainsel River deep below Liurnia of the Lakes.[24]
The head confessor Crepus, an assassin of the Roundtable Hold serving the Two Fingers, used bolts imbued with Scarlet Rot with his Black-Key Crossbow.[25][26]
Mechanics[]
Scarlet Rot accumulates gradually and comes into effect once the threshold is reached. The higher the player's Immunity stat, the longer it will take for Scarlet Rot to become effective. Immunity can be increased by increasing the Vigor stat. Once effective, the player will receive continual damage over time until the effect wears off.
Curing and Mitigation[]
Curing
Mitigation
| Image | Name | Type | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Preserving Boluses | Consumable | Armorer's Cookbook 6 2x Dewkissed Herba Crystal Cave Moss Sacramental Bud |
 | Speckled Hardtear | Physic Flask Tear | |
 | Flame, Cleanse Me | Incantation | 14 FP 12 Faith |
 | Law of Regression | Incantation | 55 FP 37 Intelligence |
| Image | Name | Type | Amount | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Immunizing Cured Meat | Body Buff | +100 Immunity | 60 Seconds |
 | Immunizing White Cured Meat | Body Buff | +75 Immunity | 120 Seconds |
 | Dappled Cured Meat | Body Buff | +100 Immunity +100 Robustness +100 Focus | 60 Seconds |
 | Dappled White Cured Meat | Body Buff | +75 Immunity +75 Robustness +75 Focus | 120 Seconds |
| Speckled Hardtear | Wondrous Physic Buff | +90 Immunity +90 Robustness +90 Focus +90 Vitality | 180 Seconds |
 | Immutable Shield | Shield Buff | Reduces Buildup when blocking | 30 Seconds Or if shield gets un-equipped |
 | Dragonbolt Blessing | Body Buff | +30 Immunity +30 Robustness +30 Focus | 70 Seconds |
 | Perfumer's Shield | Passive | +40 Immunity | Until un-equipped |
 | Spiralhorn Shield | Passive | +50 Immunity +50 Robustness +50 Focus | Until un-equipped |
 | Coil Shield | Passive | +40 Immunity | Until un-equipped |
 | Eclipse Crest Greatshield | Passive | +50 Immunity +50 Robustness +50 Focus | Until un-equipped |
 | Ant's Skull Plate | Passive | +60 Immunity | Until un-equipped |
 | Immunizing Horn Charm | Passive (Cannot stack with +1 variant) | +90 Immunity | Until un-equipped |
 | Immunizing Horn Charm +1 | Passive (Cannot stack with +0 variant) | +140 Immunity | Until un-equipped |
 | Mottled Necklace | Passive (Cannot stack with +1 variant) | +40 Immunity +40 Robustness +40 Focus | Until un-equipped |
 | Mottled Necklace +1 | Passive (Cannot stack with +0 variant) | +60 Immunity +60 Robustness +60 Focus | Until un-equipped |
Utilization[]
Tools
Spells
Skills
Weapons
Ammunition
Buffs related to Scarlet Rot
| Image | Name | Type | Amount | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rot Pot | Projectile AOE | + Scarlet Rot | ?? Seconds |
 | Rot Grease | Weapon Buff | + Scarlet Rot | ?? Seconds |
 | Drawstring Rot Grease | Weapon Buff | + Scarlet Rot | ?? Seconds |
| Image | Name | Amount |
|---|---|---|
 | Rotten Stray Ashes | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Cleanrot Knight Finlay | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Mimic Tear Ashes (If the player is wielding rot equipment as the Mimic Tear forms) | + Scarlet Rot |
| Image | Name | Type | Amount | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Scarlet Aeonia | Incantation AOE Attack | + Scarlet Rot | |
 | Rotten Breath | Incantation | + Scarlet Rot | |
 | Ekzykes's Decay | Incantation | + Scarlet Rot |
There are currently no skills in the game that apply Scarlet Rot.
| Image | Name | Amount |
|---|---|---|
 | Scorpion's Stinger | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Rotten Crystal Sword | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Antspur Rapier | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Rotten Battle Hammer | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Rotten Greataxe | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Rotten Crystal Spear | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Rotten Crystal Staff | + Scarlet Rot |
| Image | Name | Amount |
|---|---|---|
 | Rotbone Arrow | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Rotbone Arrow (Fletched) | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Rotbone Bolt | + Scarlet Rot |
 | Black-Key Bolt | + Scarlet Rot |
There are certain equipment that gives the player buffs when scarlet rot has been inflicted in the general vicinity, they do not discriminate between what has been poisoned in order to activate, it can be friend, foe and even oneself and generally lasts for around 20 seconds since the last rot infliction.
| Image | Name | Type | Damage increase |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Mushroom Crown | Head | +10% |
 | Kindred of Rot's Exultation | Talisman | +20% |
Environment[]
Swamps[]
Rot swamps can be found in several locations throughout the Lands Between.They generally comprise of bodies of filthy sludge that continuously build up Scarlet Rot as the player is standing in them. Rolling around in said sludge will also cover the player-character's body with the fluids, which will slowly yet consistently build up Scarlet Rot even if the player is no longer directly standing in the liquid itself or even tries to cure their Rot ailment with boluses. While these stains will gradually wear off over time, they can be removed immediately if it's raining, the player rolls around in clean water or uses Soap.
Throughout the Minor Erdtree Catacombs by the northern cliffs of Caelid.
Throughout the Abandoned Cave in Caelid.
Swamp of Aeonia found at the heart of Caelid.
Throughout Caelid Catacombs by the southern cliffs of Caelid.
Throughout War-Dead Catacombs in the north-eastern corner of Wailing Dunes.
The entirety of Lake of Rot south of Noxtella, Eternal City by Ainsel River.
Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree between the Elphael Inner Wall and Drainage Channel Sites of Grace.
Enemies[]
Enemies
NPCs
Bosses
Enemies capable of inflicting Scarlet Rot include:
- Giant Land Squirt (Swamp of Aeonia)
- Cleanrot Knight
- Putrid Crystalian
- Putrid Corpse (Scarlet Rot, Giant Scarlet Rot, and Mushroom Variants)
- Putrid Tree Spirit
- Putrid Avatar
- Rotten Duelist
- Rotten Stray
- Miranda Sprout (Rot Variant)
- Miranda Blossom (Rot Variant)
NPCs capable of inflicting Scarlet Rot include:
- Great-Jar Warrior (If the player is in online-mode and the game picks a character from another player that utilizes scarlet rot inducing equipment.)
- Maleigh Marais, Shaded Castle Castellan
- Rileigh the Idle
Bosses capable of inflicting Scarlet Rot include:
- Cleanrot Knight
- Decaying Ekzykes
- Commander O'Neil
- Mimic Tear (If the player is wielding rot equipment as the Mimic Tear forms).
- Putrid Grave Warden Duelist
- Putrid Crystalian
- Putrid Tree Spirit
- Putrid Avatar
- Fia's Champions (If the player is in online-mode and the game picks a character from another player that utilizes scarlet rot inducing equipment.)
- Malenia, Blade of Miquella (Phase 2 only)
- Sir Gideon Ofnir, the All-Knowing (if Malenia, Blade of Miquella is defeated prior to Maliketh, the Black Blade.)
Trivia[]
- Despite the Antspur Rapier indicating that the Giant Ants can inflict Scarlet Rot, they don't in actual gameplay.
- Despite being afflicted with Scarlet Rot, Starscourge Radahn does not spread the infection.
- "朱い" in the Japanese "朱い腐敗" is a spelling of the word "赤い" (red) which indicates the color vermilion, rather than scarlet.[27]
