Within the region of Mount Gelmir in Elden Ring is where you will find the Legacy Dungeon known as Volcano Manor. It features a demigod as its boss, in addition to a plethora of challenges and perils, and an extensive sidequest. This page will contain walkthrough and guide information on how to reach Volcano Manor, as well as information on all of the treasures and items that can be found inside, tips for navigating the dungeon, and information on how to defeat its formidable bosses.
How to Get to Volcano Manor
You may have seen our warning about the Abductor Virgins if you read our guide to completing the Academy of Raya Lucaria. If so, thank you for reading it! We are going to take advantage of the fact that getting killed by one of these foes will cause them to bring you to the basement of the Volcano Manor, which will allow us to get to the manor itself more quickly. After you have been kidnapped and brought to the basement of the manor, you will need to use our guide on How to Escape the Aubductor’s Inquisition Chamber to defeat the two Virgin Abductor Bosses that are located beyond the site of grace so that you can escape and go to the Seethewater River Site of Grace for some rest.
We have a long journey ahead of us to the manor, during which we will encounter a number of dangerous adversaries. After leaving the Site of Grace, proceed straight north until you reach the canyon path. Keep an eye out for the Golden Seed that is located on the left side of the path as you ride, and collect as many Volcanic Stones as you can as you make your way through the area. Just keep an eye out for the lava geysers that are strewn about the ground. If you take the left fork when you reach the fork in the path, you should be able to reach the Seethewater Terminus Site of Grace without any problems. This site is located in the shadow of Fort Laiedd.
Ride your horse all the way up to the fort, but instead of going inside, ride your horse south across the enormous lava pool. Keep an eye out for a Magma Drake as you make your way through the opening; it will appear just as you get close to the middle. While you ride, Torrent will take damage from the lava, so make sure to drink from a flask whenever your health bar gets low.
If you keep to the left once you reach the opposite side of the lava, you will be able to ride between some cliffs and into a graveyard, where you will have the option to obtain some Golden Runes. If you continue along this path, you will come across an ambush set up by the enemy, which will include a powerful Rune Bear. As long as you maintain your sprinting pace, none of them should be able to catch you, and the Craftsman’s Shack Site of Grace will be right in front of you if you continue to move forward.
The Hermit Village is the next piece of scenery that we will encounter. After leaving the shack, continue climbing the path and going through the ramparts, making sure to stay clear of the Abductor Virgin that is located on the left. Pass through the gates of the village and continue straight between all of the houses, stopping only to obtain items if you believe it to be safe to do so. You will find Demi-Human Queen Maggie, your opponent and the boss, waiting for you at the opposite end of the tower. Ride your mount right through her and the other mages in her company to reach the Primeval Sorcerer Azur Site of Grace, which is hiding right behind her. It is also possible to obtain the Comet Azur spell by speaking with the sorcerer.
You are going to ride your horse along the natural stone bridge that is located next to the Site of Grace, and then you are going to jump off the cliff that is located on the other side. You will find the dungeon known as Gelmir Hero’s Grave right here; if you’d like, you can enter it and make use of the Site of Grace that’s located here.
Leave the Hero’s Grave and continue riding in the northern direction. After a short distance, you will come across a second enormous natural bridge, as well as some ramparts guarded by a siege machine. If you want to loot the Pulley Bow that is inside the siege machine, you will need to climb inside it, but otherwise you will need to ride over to the natural bridge and cross over to the other side.
On the other side of the river, you will come across an abandoned camp at the base of a steep cliff that has a long ladder strung up the side of it. When you get close to the ladder, a Grafted Scion will drop down from above to protect it. It is possible that you could lure it away from the ladder, then quickly run around it and climb it while it is distracted, but it is much simpler to simply defeat it. It is important to keep in mind that the majority of its attacks consist of multi-hit combos that culminate in a powerful slam. Because of this, you should avoid attempting to attack or guard counter until the combo has concluded. If the Scion rears up on its back legs, this indicates that it is about to launch a powerful attack, so retreat and keep your shield raised the entire time it does this. You will be rewarded with the Scavenger’s Curved Sword if you are successful in defeating it.
As soon as you reach the top of the ladder, there will be another ladder visible on the cliff wall to your left. Climb to the top of the first ladder. Climb this one, and you will find yourself in a small camp with some merchants. In addition to various types of armour and ammunition, he sells the Stonesword Key and the Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook 20. You should first climb the ladder behind him, then purchase anything else that you might require.
We are very close to reaching the peak of the mountain, but at the moment we are in a dangerous position with soldiers all around us. You ought to be able to see a sword monument on the hill in front of you once you have climbed to the top of the ladder. Climb up onto Torrent and ride in the direction of that monument while avoiding any nearby soldiers by running and jumping over them. When you look over the edge of the cliff behind the sword monument, you will see a wooden bridge and the Site of Grace at the Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite on the other side of the cliff. You can force the enemies to start over by jumping down to the bridge, crossing it, and then pausing here.
I swear we’re in the home stretch! But not before we face the adversary who poses the greatest threat to us. After you have scaled Torrent one more time, use the Spiritspring that is located nearby to make the jump up to the peak of the mountain, and there you will find the boss for this area, the Full-Grown Fallingstar Beast. It is imperative that you immediately face west and locate the long natural stone bridge that protrudes from the peak of his mountain, as we do not want to have ANY interaction with him. Riding across, you must make a daring leap in order to save your life and land on the mountain below.
But you aren’t completely out of harm’s way just yet! As soon as you set foot on the ground, a few marionette soldiers will rush forward and attack you. As you continue to ride down the hill, you will come across another golden tree that has a golden seed buried underneath it. Immediately after snatching it, turn your attention to your left and you should be able to spot the Volcano Manor in the distance. Consume a flask to restore your health, then continue to ride in that direction. Ignore the troll that is standing guard at the entrance, and dash on through the front door. Congratulations, you made it!
How to Access the Volcano Manor Dungeon
In a manner analogous to that of the Academy of Raya Lucaria, entering Volcano Manor will not immediately grant you access to the dungeon that is located within it. To begin, you will need to have a brief conversation with Lady Tanith, who is the head of the household. She will inquire as to whether or not you are interested in assisting the Volcano Manor in its fight against the Erdtree. If you respond with an affirmative, she will hand you the key to the Drawing Room, which allows you to enter a select number of the rooms located within the manor.
You can proceed in one of two different ways from this point forward. You can enter the Drawing Room, and once there, grab the Letter from Volcano Manor that’s sitting on the table to start the assassination missions sidequest. There are a total of three, and if you finish them all you will be able to bypass the lower-level enemies and go straight to the final boss of Volcano Manor, Lord Rykard. However, you won’t be able to access the final assassination target until after you have finished the main storyline in Leyndell, the Royal Capital.
For the time being, you will need to complete the first two quests, making sure to have a conversation with Lady Tanith and her maid between each mission. You can choose to ignore all of that and go straight to the walkthrough that is provided below if you don’t want to wait for her to tell you where the dungeon’s hidden entrance is. She will do so at some point in the future.
Volcano Manor Walkthrough
You will have access to the rooms in the hallway of the volcano manor if you have the Drawing-Room Key in your possession. When you open the first door on the right, you will enter a cramped space that features a body positioned in one of the corners. The purpose of this dead body is to act as a pointer to the concealed entrance of the building. The illusory wall can be destroyed by rolling into the wall that has the red painting on it, which you can do after you have taken the Perfume Bottle from the body.
It is recommended that you bring a torch or a lantern with you in order to illuminate the hidden passageway that lies behind you. In the first large room, there are a few feeble snails that are guarding a Budding Horn that has three copies. Put the nearby staircase out of your mind for the time being and leave through the doorway. You will find Nomadic Warrior’s Cookbook 21 at the end of this corridor, which you will need to reach by running through the snail ambush. You can get the Depraved Perfumer Carmaan Ashes by rolling into the wall next to the item to reveal another wall that is an illusion, and then looting the body that is inside the wall.
Going down the staircase in the first room will lead you to another large room that contains a Bloodhound Knight. Return to the staircase in the first room. In order to steal the Fireproof Dried Liver that he is guarding, you must sneak up on him and kill him. Now that the knight is dead, you are free to leave the corner room and continue down this hallway in order to reach the Site of Grace at the Prison Town Church.
Prison Town Church
When you leave the church through the door in the back, you will find yourself standing on the edge of a cliff that looks out over the mountain crater. If you turn right towards the village, you will run into a man-serpent there, but if you take the shortcut to the left, we won’t be able to use it until later. Although at first glance these foes appear to be of the sword and shield variety, you will quickly discover that they are capable of stretching out their bodies to increase their range and biting you to poison you. Despite this, they are vulnerable to being backstabbed and having their guard countered.
The next step is for us to investigate the surrounding area, and we will begin with the rooftops. Once you have climbed up onto the roof that the man-serpent was guarding, you will notice that another man-serpent is lurking on the roof in front of you. Kill him, and then make your way to the nearby hexagonal roof. You can see a roof below this one with two weak enemies on it, and the roof is connected to another one via a wooden bridge. First take out the foes at ground level, then ascend to the bridge and grab the Golden Rune [5].
If you look up, you’ll see that an adversary is raining poison bombs down on you from above. Climb to the tops of the nearby buildings and kill him, then eliminate the man-serpent that is chasing after him. After ascending to the next roof, look to the left to locate the Golden Rune [9], and then eliminate all of the foes that are located on this roof. When we eventually descend to the ground, this will make things simpler for us.
From the location where you discovered the Golden Rune [9], descend to the roof below, turn around, and look down; you will see an item perched atop an awning in the area below. Grab the Smithing Stone [5] by lowering yourself down.
We will descend to the street below us from this vantage point. It is important to take note of the powerful Omenkiller who is staring at the fire. You can start the fight by crouching and dropping down to get behind him and giving him a backstab, but you should be aware that this might also alert the dog that is watching the alleyway on the right. Before beginning the interaction, pay attention to when the dog turns around.
Concerning the Omenkiller, he will wildly swing his cleavers but will not have a shield to protect himself behind them. He is extremely vulnerable to attacks from behind. Just be wary of this fire breath, which can cause damage to the surrounding area, as well as his overhead slam (which he will perform three times in a row, roll away!). After you have vanquished him and obtained the Great Omenkiller Cleaver that he was guarding, search the bodies near the fire for the Drawstring Fire Grease and the Golden Rune [6].
Climb the stairs that are located behind the fire and once you find the open door to the prison, go inside to locate the Erdtree Seal. Next, let’s head back to the passageway behind the building where we saw those dogs earlier. Having eliminated both of them, proceed through the archway located on the opposite side of the room to reach the ledge that is situated above the lava. If you go down the wooden staircase that hangs off the edge of the ledge, you will be able to see an item that is resting on a ledge that is made of crumbling wooden planks below.
This jump can be completed, but only just, if you get off to a running start. Before you even attempt it, you need to make sure that your health is at its peak. If you are successful in making the jump, you will be rewarded with a Stonesword Key, and you will then be able to make the jump to the platform made of hardened rock behind you. If you are unsuccessful, you should be able to safely land on those rocks.
In either case, it is time to investigate the underground of the town! When you turn the corner, you will see that you are looking at a graveyard that has lava running through it. There are Soldjars dispersed throughout the area, some of which are of the standard variety while others are of the exploding variety. You can get a Smithing Stone [6] if you jump to the small island that is in the middle of the lava. Find the large Soldjar that is nearby and kill it to obtain the Smoldering Shield that it is guarding. After you have done that, climb up onto the ledge that is above him to obtain the Golden Rune [9].
Once you have finished looting the area, head to the opposite side of the graveyard and look for a path that slopes upwards. This path will allow you to climb over some houses and get back to the alleyway; however, you will need to jump carefully or you will fall into the lava below. In the event that you do not have any aggro on you, you will be able to teleport out of the lava and back to the Prison Church.
Make a U-turn and leave the town through the front gate this time after taking the left fork. If you go up the stairs, you will see a door that requires a Stonesword Key, but you can ignore that for the time being because we have to come back anyway. Instead, ascend the stairs to your right, where you will find an Abductor waiting for you there. To give yourself some extra room, lure it down onto the platform by the door that requires the Stonesword Key. Then, try to lure it out of its grab so that you can attack its vulnerable spot. Keep in mind that you need to completely escape the area if it uses its spin attack!
After the Abductor has been eliminated, you will be able to ascend the stairs and retrieve the ten Fire Arrows that are being guarded at the top by the dog. There is a Scarab that will drop a Somber Smithing Stone [5] if you kill it on the roof that is directly to the right of the arrows. Continue climbing the stairs, dispatch the dog that is attempting to ambush you, and then look to your right to find a structure with a roof in the shape of a hexagon. Climb up this structure to obtain a Smithing Stone [6] that is located at the very top. Land safely on the ground, and proceed to walk in the opposite direction of the path. You will come across an alleyway that has three dogs on your left; you will need to slaughter them in order to obtain a Furlcalling Finger Remedy.
Now that we have returned to the location where we began, it is time to head back down the stairs and unlock the door using the Stonesword Key; however, you should be careful. There is a second kidnapper right inside the entrance. You will have some time to prepare for the upcoming encounter thanks to the fact that this one does not appear to become hostile until you draw closer to it. After it has been dispatched, ascend the stairs and eliminate the foes that are stationed on the platform above to earn the Crimson Amber Medallion +1.
After leaving this building and crossing the nearby bridge, you will need to eliminate the serpent that is protecting the entrance to the next building. Because the front door is locked, you will need to head to the left side of the building, hop over the railing, and climb up onto the roof. There, you will find an Albinauric Bloodclot. After jumping the next railing, you will arrive at the side door that is open.
There are a number of unprotected foes inside, and one of them is standing guard over a vial of Beast Blood in one of the room’s corners. When you have finished clearing out the room, you can proceed to the front door and lock it, which will allow you to access the shortcut. After leaving the front door, turn around and look on the opposite side of the house; there should be a ladder there that leads up to the roof. A serpent defending a Smithing Stone can be found just around the corner [4]. Return to the ladder, and then climb up onto the roof. Continue walking in the direction you are facing and when you look down, you should see a ledge below you.
First, stoop down and then immediately crouch before entering the room. You should see something on the table to the left, and an Omenkiller should be in the corner of the room. Stealthily approach him to perform a backstab and make the fight easier on yourself. After that, seize the Albinauric Staff and the Albinauric Mask. You can leave this room via the door on the right side of the room, which will lead you to a ladder. After climbing up, you will arrive on a balcony where there is a Golden Rune [10].
You can get back inside the building by climbing back down the ladder, and then jumping off the balcony. As you make your way down these stairs, keep an eye out for the strange crawling creatures that are heading in your direction. They will do significant damage to you if they are able to grab you. Under the bottom staircase is where you’ll find the Golden Rune [9], which is guarded by even more foes. When you enter the room through the door near the bottom of the stairs, an enemy will be hanging there, alerting the other people in the room to your presence. Be prepared to face an onslaught of additional enemies that crawl.
Once the room is clear, you are free to explore the surrounding area. You will find the serpent and an explosive greatbolt x5 on the balcony. In the smaller room, you will find the Guest Hall Site of Grace.
Guest Hall
Leave the room that contains the Site of Grace and search the area for the closed double doors. If you open them, you will have the option to either descend from the ledge or descend the ladder to your left in order to reach the lower level. Because the majority of the enemies in this region are relatively weak slugs and soldiers, you can choose to eliminate them at your own pace or simply ignore them entirely.
As soon as you land, immediately turn to your right and check the area around the Guest Hall building’s side to locate some slugs that are guarding a Fire Dried Liver. You need to make a U-turn and climb the sloped path that leads between the mountainside and the building in front of you. Make use of this to ascend the building and reach the roof, where you can obtain a Somber Smithing Stone [6].
You are able to see down into the lava below you, where there is an altar with a Golden Rune [9] on it. After you have passed the alter, you will see a flight of stairs on the right and a building with a low hanging roof on the left. Climb to the roof of the building, and from there, leap to the long wall that is adjacent to the building. You can reach a new roof with a Golden Rune [6] on it by running along the wall in that direction.
Return to the stairs and climb them in order to reach the platform at the top of the area. Once there, you will find a new man-serpent guarding the platform, and this one is carrying a whip. Because of their erratic attacks and greater range, this variety of foe is even more frustrating than the sword variety. Hold your position behind the shield until the lizard has finished its erratic swinging, or make an attempt to get in a sneaky backstab.
A Magma Drake miniboss can be found just below this platform in direct line of sight. You can either get there by using the cage elevator that is located behind the serpent, or you can get there by simply dropping down. This dragon is more powerful than the others that you have faced in the past, and the confined space makes dealing with him even more challenging. If you intend to engage it in combat, you should first move it onto one of the larder platforms so that you have more room to manoeuvre around the arena.
You should only bother to defeat this drake if you are in desperate need of the dragon heart because the rewards for doing so are extremely meagre (a dragon heart, seven smithing stones, six smouldering butterflies, and a small number of souls). After that has been completed, ride the lift back up to the platform with the serpent, then ride the next cage elevator up to another platform located very high up. There is a staircase to the left that is guarded by a perfumer. However, you should go left first and grab the Somber Smithing Stone [5] that is hanging off the cracked ledge.
Return to the staircase and engage the perfumer in combat. These individuals have access to some potent attacks and magic, but after using their slam attack or when casting a spell, they leave themselves extremely vulnerable. Watch out for the spell that creates an explosion of black flame, and then strafe around the target to get in a critical back stab. At the top of the stairs, you should ignore the chapel and go left instead. There, you will find a giant level that you can pull to raise the bridge, which will create a shortcut back to the Prison Church Site of Grace. You’re going to need it because the thing that’s coming up after that is…
Godskin Noble Boss Fight
Due to the fact that the final boss of Volcano Manor is relatively easy to defeat, the Godskin Noble should probably be considered the true boss of this region. He is a formidable adversary who employs a variety of swift melee attacks as well as black fire magic, and his surprising speed enables him to cover a great distance in a short amount of time. When he enters his even more erratic second phase, it can be difficult to determine when you will have a chance to possibly launch an attack. This is especially true.
First things first, you are going to want a shield that blocks 100% of physical attacks, and it would be ideal if that shield also had the ability to barricade itself. Maintain your shield and be on the lookout for a variety of attacks, including the following:
This one is very obvious because of the exaggerated way he swings his sword in a circle for the first hit. After that, he immediately follows it up with a forward jab. You can either roll towards him and sneak in 1-2 attacks, block the circle swing, then guard counter the jab, or block the circle swing and then guard counter the jab.
Hilt slam: this one is risky due to the high damage it deals, but it can be punished in a variety of ways. He will bring the hilt of the sword up above his head while simultaneously lifting his foot, and then he will slam the hilt of the sword into the ground. If you want to avoid taking damage, you should dodge roll into him at the moment he makes impact, then immediately get in an attack or counter after that. He almost always does two slams.
When you are in the middle range, he will typically go for the lunge and jab combination. He begins his advance with an exaggerated stutter step and follows it up with a single, swift jab. Put up a barrier and watch your counterattack.
The backhand punch is probably the Noble’s most basic move. To execute it, he will slowly pull his arm back, twist his body, and then swing at you with the palm of his hand facing forward. You can easily beat the guard by blocking this.
In the event that he conjures the ring of fire, you should get out of there as quickly as you can. Do not put yourself in danger by entering the building with him because the flames could knock you out, leaving you vulnerable to further assaults. Watch out for the fireball attack he might use as well. If you see him putting more effort into it, you should start moving forward. If you can avoid being hit by the flaming projectile as it hurtles towards you, you might be able to land a hit on him while he’s waving the flames from his hand.
At approximately half of his health, he will float into the air and charge himself up with a fiery explosion before entering phase two; therefore, you should pull back to avoid taking damage from it. From this position, he will almost always start with one of his new attacks by inflating his body, which will cause you to be pushed back, and then he will either roll around the room like a wheel or slowly float into the air before slamming down on you. The float can be easily sidestepped by simply pulling back or dodging in the direction of the oncoming impact, whereas the roll requires a bit more dexterity to avoid. You can either just follow his movements and dodge roll whenever he gets close or block if you have enough stamina to hold up, but your best bet is to try to weave between the pillars and hope that he repeatedly bumps off of them and misses you. You can also just follow his movements and block if you have enough stamina to hold up.
During this phase, he will change up his combos somewhat, but for the most part, you should continue to watch out for the same attacks. At this point, another attack that can be easily neutralised by your defence is his powerful thrust forward. He will give you a heads-up about his impending attack by bringing his sword up above his head and then pointing it forward and downward. He will thrust his entire body forward with tremendous force, leaving himself defenceless for a few seconds afterward.
BUT, you shouldn’t confuse this move with his rapid thrusts in any way! After holding his sword vertically in front of himself for a brief moment before the rapid thrusts, he will then let loose a flurry of thrusts that will easily break your guard and then kill you. You will want to roll away or to the side as quickly as possible in order to avoid getting hit by this, which is likely his most dangerous attack because you only have a split second to recognise it and respond to it.
Always remember to have patience. Hold off for the right opportunities, and make sure to take care of your health as much as you can. You will be rewarded with the Noble’s Godskin Stitcher and Noble Presence, the key item for the Serpent’s Amnion, as well as a new Site of Grace, which is the Temple of Eiglay, if you are able to wear him down using these strategies.
Temple of Eiglay
You will find an elevator to your left of the Altar and the Site of Grace. This elevator will take you up to the upper level of the temple. You will find a Golden Rune [9] in the back of the second floor if you run around the entire floor. Next, proceed to the outdoor balcony and look down over the edge to locate a rocky platform that is covered in additional lava slugs. After dropping down, look behind the nearby Stake of Marika for a hidden path that leads to a Golden Rune [12]. Once you find it, retrieve it. After you have traversed the narrow river of lava, you will come across a body that contains four Smoldering Butterfly.
Follow the path up, and once you reach the natural bridge, which is guarded by four lava slugs, you can cross it. On the opposite side, you will come across a Furlcalling Finger Remedy. After that, descend onto the rocks below, and from there, you will be able to continue climbing up to the next level of the volcano. You find yourself staring at a body of molten rock, and to your right is a collection of sizable structures. When you get to the other side of the lava, there will be another Abductor waiting for you. You can choose to engage it in combat or you can choose to ignore it and run around it to the open window behind it.
You will find yourself in a large room that is very dark and has a floor that is broken. Once the door on your right has been opened, turn your attention to the nearby ledge, and you should be able to see a ladder poking up over the edge. As you descend the ladder, you will come across some additional enemies that resemble crawlers as well as two mages. You will also find a drawstring fire grease x4 in this area. After you have cleared out the room, check the prison that is located at the bottom to find Missionary’s Cookbook 6.
Climb back up the ladder, and then enter the room through the door that was previously open. In this area, a new and unique man-serpent will appear, armed with a flaming sword that has the ability to leave behind damaging flames on the ground. The fundamental approach to this situation has not changed; however, you should avoid standing in the flaming remnants of the battle, as doing so puts you at risk of being chain stunned and dying quickly. If you climb the stairs that are located behind the serpent, you will arrive in an additional dark room that is full of crawlers.
If you go through the door to the left of the entrance, you will find an elevator that will take you back to the Temple of Eiglay. However, if you look closely, you will see that there is another doorway hidden in the elevator shaft, just below the top. If you run through the door just as the elevator is going by, you will find a hidden room that contains one soldier foe that is not very strong as well as a Stonesword Key.
After leaving this room through the open window and returning to the outside world, continue walking along the lava and around the corner to locate an Ash Scarab that, when killed, will drop a Somber Smithing Stone [5]. One more narrow rock path can be found behind you. This one leads underneath some overhanging statues of snakes. As you continue along this path, you will come across another hidden room that is full of basilisks; however, you must be careful not to be ambushed by the two serpent-men who are hiding in the lava nearby. Bring them out into the open, dispose of them, and then approach the basilisks with caution. It is more prudent for you to lure them out into the open rather than trying to fight all of them in that confined space. After you have finished off all of the enemies, you will be able to take the Somber Smithing Stone [6] that they were guarding.
After you have eliminated all of those foes, you should make your way back to the window through which you exited the area. From there, you should be able to see another doorway on the other side of the lava. Following this will bring you to a ledge that has a ladder on it, which you can use to climb back up to the walkway above. Be careful around this group of zombies because their bodies release a toxic gas when they are killed, and their heads explode into poison. There is a second serpent-man wielding a whip, but this time it is a fire whip, making the situation even more perilous. Wait for him to get tired of swinging the whip around and creating lava pools everywhere before engaging in combat with him. He will swing the whip around and create lava pools everywhere. Once all of the adversaries have been eliminated, you can walk out onto the top of the snake statues that were previously mentioned to find a Commoner’s Headband.
We need to make one final detour in order to retrieve an item before going through the door that is located behind the whip serpent. Return to the bridge where you were attacked by the serpent wielding the flaming sword, and this time, peer over the side of the structure. You will find an additional hidden ledge with an item on it further below. Grab the Crimson Tear Scarab by lowering yourself down.
An entrance leading back into the manor can be found behind the fire whip serpent. Once you have traversed the first room and opened the door located in the room’s corner, you will have reached what appears to be the throne room. Kill them as soon as you walk in and you will be able to take the Man-Serpent Ashes that they were guarding. This area has a lot more of those poison zombies than the previous area. Next, direct your focus on the two serpent-men that are ascending the stairs as well as the serpent mage that is standing in front of the throne. After luring them out one by one and engaging them in combat at the base of the stairs, you will finally be able to make your way up to the throne and eliminate the serpent mage. Even though he has a lot of health, he shouldn’t pose much of a threat to you as long as you keep your distance from him and stop him from casting any spells. Just be wary of his head slam attack that is slow. If you kill him, you will receive the Gelmir Glintstone Staff as a reward.
There is a teleporter to the leader located behind the throne that can be accessed through the door, but we don’t want to go there just yet. Take the stairs that are directly across from the throne and ascend to the back of the room. There, you will find a doorway that leads to a door that requires a Stonesword Key. After using your keys to unlock the door, proceed inside, where you will discover that you are at the top of a dark room.
It might appear as though the only way to get to the bottom of the room is to jump across the hanging cages, but this is just a bait! Instead, turn your attention to the ledge that is located to the right of the door. Below you will be visible an illuminated platform. After dropping down, proceed through the nearby door to enter a dim corridor that is currently occupied by some serpent-men. Climb the stairs and exit through the door to return to the dark room. From here, you can reach the Dagger Talisman by walking along the portion of the floor that is still intact. From this point, descend until you reach the cage below, then descend once more until you reach a broken floor with a mage and a Rune Arc on it.
You are now able to bring the remaining cages to the ground so that you can make your way to the lower level of the room. Be prepared for an ambush as soon as you land on the bottom floor because it is crawling with enemies. The floor is absolutely covered in them. After you have eliminated every one of them with caution, you are free to investigate the room. You will find a door at one end that leads to a lit up room where you can loot the Ash of War: Royal Knight’s Resolve. This door is located on the opposite end of the room. When you leave this room and continue along the path until it dead ends, you will discover a shortcut that will take you directly to the reception area of the Volcano Manor.
You need to go back to the dark room and check the side that faces the opposite direction to find a Seedbed Curse. This is an important item that you need to show to Dungeater. After passing through the nearby door, you will find yourself on a balcony that looks out over the area occupied by the Prison Church, which is defended by another abductor. In addition to that, dangling precariously over the edge is a Somber Smithing Stone [7]. Our journey through the volcano manor’s interior is now at an end due to this development.
You need to make your way back to the throne room so that you can use the teleporter to get to the Site of Grace for the Audience Pathway.
Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Boss Fight
Rykard, also known as the Lord of Blasphemy, is a major boss in the game as well as the leader of the Volcano Manor. It would appear that he was once a human being, but he has since fused his body with that of the God-Devouring Serpent in the hopes of consuming all of the other gods.
Fights against Rykard are more entertaining than they are difficult, much like those against the Storm King in Demon’s Souls and Yhorm the Giant in Dark Souls III, respectively. As soon as you enter the room containing the boss, you will see a dead body lying there with the Serpent Hunter weapon. When used against Rykard, this weapon unleashes massive power, which makes this fight (mostly) easier than it would have been otherwise.
The first part of this conflict is going to be waged against the God-Devouring Serpent. Because the Serpent Hunter has such a long range, you do not have to get particularly close to him in order to hit him, and even if you did, you probably wouldn’t want to because of the magma. Find a position from which your light attack can strike the snake’s head, then raise your shield and begin swinging in that direction. Because using the light attack requires so little stamina, you should be able to keep attacking for a considerable amount of time without needing to rest.
The only things that need to be concerned about at this point are his grab and his poison breath, both of which he telegraphs by yelling while widening his mouth, and his grab, which he telegraphs by releasing poison smoke from his mouth. You shouldn’t be very close to the snake anyway, so just back up a little more if either of these attacks is about to come your way if you see it coming. When it is safe to do so, launch another assault and keep going until the first phase of the battle is over.
The second phase of the battle will see Rykard reveal his true form and equip his repulsive sword. From this point forward, Rykard will execute a mix of sweeping sword attacks, explosive spells (which you can see coming, run or roll away between attacks), and snake head jabs, all while inching closer to you. These attacks can be easily avoided with well-timed rolls; note the pause between his slam and sweep attack.
Thankfully, the strategy you used in the first phase can be used successfully here as well; all you need to do is add a few more dodging moves for when the spells start falling from the sky. The worst case scenario is when Rykard summons the red magic cloud above himself, which causes numerous homing spells to start chasing you down. If you have good luck, you can actually damage Rykard down and kill him before he can really cause any trouble. If you don’t have good luck, the worst case scenario is when Rykard summons the red magic cloud above himself.
This sequence of attacks becomes extremely difficult to avoid, and at this point it would almost be better for you to just give up and hope that it does not occur again in the future. If you are able to avoid being killed in the onslaught, he will bring his sword up into the air and bring it crashing down on you in one final devastating blow before the cloud dissipates.
However, as I previously stated, that is the worst possible outcome. Continue using the strategy from the first phase, which is to keep your shield up and spam light attacks. You will be able to block almost all of the damage that he deals out (especially if you have a shield equipped with the Barricade ability), and as a result, the only thing you really need to worry about is pausing for a few seconds here and there so that your stamina can recharge.
You will receive the Remembrance of the Blasphemous and Rykard’s Great Rune if you are successful in killing Rykard. To obtain the Eye Surcoat, activate the Site of Grace and then take it from the body that is nearby. You can now travel back to Volcano Manor and finish the chain quest at the manor by speaking with Lady Tanith after completing this objective (return to the boss room after speaking with her to see a disturbing final scene).