How to get and use Lands Between Runes in Elden Ring

gamepur.com:

Before players dive into Elden Ring and the Lands Between, players must first create a character and make a few key choices. Players will need to pick the class they want to play and which keepsake item to bring with them. While there is one keepsake item that is clearly the best choice, some players might pick up the Lands Between Rune, which is still an excellent keepsake item. Here is what is and when to use it.

While there are other items in the game that grant players runes, the Lands Between Rune can only be acquired by picking it as the starting keepsake at the beginning of the game. This item, once consumed, grants the player 3,000 runes, which can be used to buy items or, more importantly, get a few early levels without grinding. The important thing to do here is to not use the item right away, since once it is consumed, you will drop the runes if you die.

Instead, players will need to wait until they reach the third “mainline” Site of Grace, which is located right outside the a large gate. If you don’t know where this is, follow the gold trail of light from the first two Sites of Grace until you find it. Once there, players will meet potential Waifu Melina, who will become their maiden and allow players to spend runes to level up. At this point, use the Lands Between Rune to gain 3,000 runes and level up a few times.