Location
Coastal Cave is located on the western shores of Limgrave. Travel northwest of the Stranded Graveyard, where you start the game, until you run into downward slopes that lead to a beach. If you're coming to this area early you'll run into enemies along the way (a Troll and some Giant Land Octopuses) that will be too tough for you to beat. Avoid them and travel southeast along the beach.
As the path bends slightly you'll start to run into Demi-Humans that will attack you. The entrance to the Coastal Cave is near them, snugged up into the cliff walls. Continue south of the entrance and you'll find a Nomadic Merchant whom you may want to buy from before you enter the dungeon.
Coastal Cave
Head inside to find the Site of Grace and a Summoning Pool. The first thing to note beyond the Site of Grace is that Coastal Cave is quite dark, and if you didn't bring a light source of some kind you'll be stumbling in the shadows a little. Try locking on to potential enemies if you refuse to light your way and you'll pick out Demi-Humans that you can't otherwise see.
Make your way deeper into the cave until you see a faint source of light ahead. There's a ledge here, and a Demi-Human is standing beside it. Kill the Demi-Human, then veer to the right. There's a side path here that will take you to the ground below, and you'll find several loitering Demi-Humans along the way. By taking the side path you'll avoid being ambushed by eight-plus Demi-Humans, and can retrieve the Land Octopus Ovary at the bottom in safety.
The light source turns out to be a much larger section of the cave, and you'll see a summon sign for Old Knight Istvan just outside the entrance. This should be a sign that, yes, you've already come upon the boss of Coastal Cave.
Demi-Human Chiefs
Sporting a significant size difference when compared to other Demi-Humans, the two Demi-Human Chiefs of Coastal Cave are a good challenge for new players to cut their teeth on. Supported by several normal-sized Demi-Humans, the two Chiefs will not aggro you until they spot you coming, which gives you a bit of an advantage when it comes to tackling this fight. Once you're in the thick of it they used heavy melee attacks and quick movements to try and bring you down. Some tips:
- Stay near the first section of the cave to fight the first Chief. Going too deep will bring the second one out to play, and between the two Chiefs and their cohort of normal Demi-Humans you can quickly become overwhelmed.
- Try to pick off the normal Demi-Humans from a distance before they can get into the fight with the Chiefs. They can be a major irritation when fighting the Chiefs. If you can't kill them at range then try to take them out first.
- If you have a shield, use it. The Chiefs hit hard, but they leave room in their attacks for counterattacks that will dish out lots of damage. (You can also parry their attacks without a ton of trouble, though if you know how to parry then you probably don't need this guide.)
- Call in Istvan. He can handle most of the enemies in this cave on his own. Spirit Ashes of any level will also make the Chiefs a piece of cake.
You'll receive 1,200 Runes, some Tailoring Tools, and a Sewing Needle that belongs to an NPC for defeating the Demi-Human Chiefs. You'll also cow any remaining Demi-Humans into leaving you alone.
As with every dungeon, a wispy teleporter will appear at the rear of the cave once you finish the boss fight. This will take you back to the entrance. Ignore it and go through the cave beside it instead. The long path will take you to a Smoldering Butterfly, as well as a few more Demi-Humans (who are not cowed, it should be noted). At the end of this path you'll emerge on a small island off the coast of Limgrave.
Climb the slopes of the island to the south. You'll find the Church of Dragon Communion Site of Grace, beyond which are the ruins of the church itself. Inside is a sort of burgundy flame that allows you to undergo the Ritual of Dragon Communion. Here you can exchange any Dragon Hearts you've collected for dragon-related Incantations. Dragon Hearts are acquired by killing dragons, all of which are quite tough. More Incantations will unlock here as you kill the many dragons scattered throughout Elden Ring.