Do I Join Volcano Manor Elden Ring Choice and Consequences
Navigating the treacherous landscapes of the Lands Between often forces players to make difficult moral and strategic decisions. One of the most significant choices arrives when you reach Mount Gelmir and receive an invitation from Lady Tanith. Deciding whether to align yourself with a faction that openly defies the Erdtree can deeply impact your journey and character progression.
The Immediate Benefits of Pledging Allegiance
Joining the manor instantly opens up a series of lucrative assassination contracts targeting fellow Tarnished across the map. These missions reward players with highly coveted armor sets, powerful weapons, and valuable runes that are difficult to find elsewhere. Furthermore, taking the pledge grants you immediate physical access to the drawing room key, which uncovers various hidden areas inside the estate.For players focused on character optimization, completing these tasks is highly recommended. Many of the rewards, such as the Scaled Armor or the Hoslow set, offer exceptional defensive stats for mid-game builds. Engaging in this dark storyline does not restrict your access to the main narrative endings, making it a very safe investment.
Understanding the Hidden Consequences
Many newcomers worry that assassinating other Tarnished NPCs will permanently lock them out of friendly questlines or provoke negative narrative outcomes. Fortunately, Elden Ring handles this faction with surprising flexibility, meaning your standing with the Roundtable Hold remains largely unaffected. However, failing to complete the individual assassination letters before defeating the demigod Rykard will cause those specific rewards to disappear forever.
To maximize your rewards, it is crucial to balance your exploration of the manor's secret legacy dungeon with your active contracts. Defeating the subterranean boss prematurely forces Tanith and her cohorts to depart from the area, abruptly ending any incomplete side content. Planning your progression ensures you gather every piece of elite armor before shifting your focus toward the shardbearer fight.
Alternative Routes to the Legacy Dungeon
If you choose to reject Lady Tanith's invitation due to roleplaying preferences, you are still not entirely locked out of the region's content. An illusionary wall hidden within one of the estate's side rooms allows adventurous players to bypass the formal pledge entirely. This secret path leads directly into the molten depths of the legacy dungeon, granting full access to the area's exploration and boss encounters.
Opting for this alternative route allows you to maintain a morally clean playthrough while still claiming Rykard's Great Rune. You will simply miss out on the specific armor pieces tied directly to the invasion letters given out in the drawing room. Ultimately, FromSoftware designed this mechanic to ensure freedom of choice, letting you conquer the mountain on your own terms.