Stakes of Marika are respawn checkpoints. When you die close to one, you can choose to come back to life at the stake instead of at the last Site of Grace you rested at, which can save you a long walk back.
How they work
Normally, dying sends you back to your last grace. But if there is a Stake of Marika near the spot where you died, the game gives you a choice: respawn at the stake, or at the grace. While you are within range of a stake, a small icon appears below your stamina bar, so you always know whether you are covered.
Where to find them
Stakes tend to sit just outside boss arenas and in areas packed with enemies. Those are exactly the places where a long runback would otherwise eat into your patience, and where losing your runes hurts most.
They look like small statues of Queen Marika with her arms held out in welcome. The statues come in different states of damage, but she always has a single braid and her legs bound in golden vines.
Stakes and your runes
A stake is not a grace. You cannot rest, level up or fast travel there, and it never becomes your default respawn point. What it does is put you back on your feet close to where you fell, which makes recovering your dropped runes much easier.
Tips
- Before a boss you expect to retry many times, check whether the stake icon shows near the fog gate.
- If the stake would drop you right back into a group of enemies, picking the grace can sometimes be the calmer choice.
- For a fight you keep losing, consider calling in help through a Summoning Pool.