What are the spirit candles in Elden Ring and how do they work?

gamepur.com:

Elden Ring’s The Lands Between is filled with mysteries you must uncover and many enemies to cut your way through. However, after a while, you develop a healthy fear of the unknown and touching objects that look like they could summon a boss. This guide explains the spirit candles dotting the landscape and how they work.

Spirit candles are tall glowing candelabras found throughout The Lands Between. You’ll see them from a distance, acting as a beacon for you to head towards, though they also look like something a group of enemies would use as a lure before springing an ambush.

You must interact with spirit candles to activate them. They’ll trigger the appearance of a golden ghost NPC nearby. That NPC will then begin to walk away from you, and you must follow it. The NPC leaves golden footprints, so look for those if you can’t see it. Eventually, this NPC will lead you to a nearby secret, which might be a cave, weapon, or interesting character, for example.

The next time you see spirit candles out while exploring The Lands Between, don’t be afraid to visit them and uncover the secret they’re hiding. However, if you interact with a set and don’t see a golden NPC, then it means that you’ve already discovered the secret the spirit candles are linked to.