RuneScape: How to Unlock the Enriched Pontifex Shadow Ring
This guide breaks down everything you need to know — from obtaining the base Pontifex Shadow Ring to fully enriching it for maximum power.
1. What Is the Pontifex Shadow Ring?
The Pontifex Shadow Ring is an upgradeable artifact tied to the Elder God Wars Dungeon and the City of Senntisten storyline. It was first introduced with the Azzanadra’s Quest and later expanded through the Elder God Wars updates.
At its core, the ring enhances your interaction with Elder God-related content, including improving drop rates for Elder Troves, increasing clue scroll chances, and boosting XP gains from certain activities.
When enriched, the ring’s benefits multiply, granting players:
Increased drop rates in the Elder God Wars Dungeon.
Teleport access directly to Senntisten, the Cathedral, and relevant boss arenas.
Buffs against Elder God minions and improved loot from Elder Troves.
Hidden effects like higher luck-tier bonuses when fighting Elder bosses.
2. Prerequisites Before You Begin
Before you can create or enrich the Pontifex Shadow Ring, make sure you’ve completed or unlocked the following:
Quest requirement: Azzanadra’s Quest – Required to unlock the base ring.
Skill requirements:
Archaeology level 75+ (recommended 83+ for smoother progression).
Divination level 75+ (for item synthesis and enrichment materials).
Access to Senntisten: You’ll need to unlock the City of Senntisten by completing the quest of the same name.
Fragments and currency: You’ll need Chronotes, materials, and Elder Trove fragments as you progress.
Having completed City of Senntisten and Extinction gives you additional ring upgrade options later on.
3. Step 1 – Obtaining the Base Pontifex Shadow Ring
The first version of the Pontifex Shadow Ring is created during Azzanadra’s Quest. Follow these steps to acquire it:
Complete Azzanadra’s Quest – This is the first major step. The quest rewards you with the Pontifex Observation Ring, which can later be upgraded into the Shadow Ring.
Excavate the Pontifex Observation Site – This Archaeology site is located in Kharid-et Dig Site, and you’ll need to collect Pontifex Signet Fragments.
Restore the Pontifex Signet Ring using the Archaeology workbench.
Combine the Pontifex Observation Ring with the restored Pontifex Signet Ring to create the Pontifex Shadow Ring.
Once you have it, the ring already grants passive buffs such as increased archaeology XP when excavating in Senntisten and better drop chances for Elder Troves.
4. Step 2 – Unlocking the Enrichment Process
After obtaining the base ring, your goal is to enrich it to unlock its full power. To do this, you must progress through the Elder God Wars Dungeon and gather specific components.
The enrichment process is accessed through the Elder God Wars – Nodon Front and later Senntisten Cathedral upgrades. Here’s how:
Unlock the Pontifex Monolith Upgrades – The Pontifex Monolith, located south of the Senntisten Cathedral, allows you to invest Chronotes to enhance the ring’s potential.
Complete the “City of Senntisten” Quest – This unlocks the Monolith interaction and the ability to infuse the ring with Elder energies.
Collect Elder Trove drops – These are obtained by defeating bosses in the Elder God Wars Dungeon (like Kerapac, the Nodon General) and by opening Troves. They contain Elder Fragments, Divine Energy, and Boss-specific components used for enrichment.
Once you have access to the Monolith and the right items, you can begin the upgrade process.
5. Step 3 – Crafting the Enriched Pontifex Shadow Ring
With all prerequisites complete, follow these steps to enrich your Pontifex Shadow Ring:
Required Materials:
5000 Divination energy (any tier works, but higher tiers yield faster synthesis).
1500 Chronotes.
Elder Trove components (from bosses in the Elder God Wars Dungeon).
Pontifex Shadow Ring (base version).
Process:
Go to the Pontifex Monolith near the Cathedral in Senntisten.
Select the Enrich Pontifex Shadow Ring option.
Provide the required resources when prompted.
Wait for the infusion process to complete — you’ll now receive the Enriched Pontifex Shadow Ring.
6. Benefits of the Enriched Pontifex Shadow Ring
Once the ring is enriched, you’ll gain access to a wide range of valuable effects:
Teleportation Power: Instantly travel to Senntisten Cathedral, City of Senntisten, or any active Elder God Wars Dungeon front.
Enhanced Drop Rates: Substantially improves your odds of receiving Elder Troves and rare boss loot.
Luck Enhancement: Acts as a Tier 4 Luck item, similar to the Luck of the Dwarves, but its bonuses apply specifically within Elder God Wars areas.
XP Boosts: Grants a small, passive experience bonus to Archaeology and Divination when exploring Elder God-related zones.
Combat Perks: Slightly reduces damage taken from Elder minions and improves accuracy when fighting Elder bosses.
Lore Interaction: Unlocks hidden dialogue, story elements, and new interactions with Elder NPCs and ancient relics.
These combined effects make the Enriched Pontifex Shadow Ring a perfect mix of power, convenience, and lore immersion.
7. Optional: Further Enhancements
After enriching the ring, you can further empower it by completing additional content:
Completing Extinction Quest grants new teleport options and stronger drop buffs.
Killing more Elder God Wars bosses scales up your ring’s passive drop-rate bonuses.
Performing Shadow Infusion with more fragments and Chronotes enhances Elder Trove rewards even further.
Once fully upgraded, the Enriched Pontifex Shadow Ring becomes one of RuneScape’s most potent all-purpose rings — combining exploration, combat, and efficiency bonuses seamlessly.
8. Tips for Efficient Unlocking
Farm Elder Troves daily in the Elder God Wars Dungeon; they drop consistent enrichment materials.
Use high-tier Divination energy for quicker crafting.
Keep a stockpile of Chronotes — they’re needed for multiple Pontifex Monolith upgrades.
Always wear the ring during boss fights to ensure the drop bonuses apply.
9. Final Thoughts
The Enriched Pontifex Shadow Ring is a cornerstone of late-game RuneScape progression. It symbolizes your mastery of Archaeology, Divination, and Elder God Wars content, granting unmatched convenience and value across multiple gameplay areas.
Whether you’re teleporting across Senntisten, farming for Troves, or unlocking hidden lore, this ring makes the grind more rewarding. Unlocking and enriching it might take dedication, but once complete, you’ll find it’s one of the most useful and cheap OSRS gold satisfying upgrades in all of RuneScape.
