Where to Find Patches in Limgrave (First Encounter)
The first time you run into Patches, you’ll be in Limgrave’s Murkwater Cave. When you reach the final chamber of this cave, you will find that it is completely empty with the exception of a chest. As soon as you open it, you will be chastised by a voice for having the arrogance to believe that you are free to take any treasure you come across.
At this point, Patches will fall from a ledge behind you, and his boss health bar will appear on your screen. Patches is the boss of this fight. Fight him until he has approximately one-fourth of his health remaining; at that point, he will beg you to let him surrender and end the fight. You have two choices available to you here.
Kill Patches: If you decide to continue the fight, he will start fighting you again as soon as he sees that you have chosen to do so. You are left with no other option but to end the battle with death at this point, as he will not revert to his calm state while this time period is still active. After you have successfully killed him, you will obtain his one-of-a-kind armour as well as his +7 spear, which is a powerful weapon at an early stage in the game. You will also receive the Patches Bell Bearing key item, which can be taken to the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable Hold to unlock his merchant inventory. This can be done by bringing the item to him. Nevertheless, this will bring an end to his questline.
Let Patches Live: If you stop attacking Patches when he grovels and begs for mercy (thus teaching you the Grovel for Mercy gesture), his boss health bar will disappear after a few seconds, and you will be able to speak to him. If you let Patches die, however, you will not be able to speak to him even if you learn the Grovel for Mercy gesture. He will seek your forgiveness in this matter. Regardless of the response you give, he will start working as a merchant at this location immediately.
If you decided to give Patches a chance at life, you will need to reload the area to discover that a new chest has appeared right next to Patches. This is a teleporter trap that will take you to an area in Limgrave that is close to the Mistwood Outskirts. Before you are allowed to use fast travel again, you will need to speak with a Site of Grace (the closest Site of Grace is the Mistwood Outskirts, just northwest of your destination location). You will need to repeat your conversation with him in the Murkwater Cave in order to wear him down to the point where he will move on to the next location.
Patches at the Scenic Isle Site of Grace in Liurnia
Visit Patches once more on the Scenic Isle that’s located in Liurnia. He is going to sell a couple of additional items, one of which is an Estoc. You can speak to him about both the Rya Questline and the Abductor Virgins at the bottom of the Academy of Raya Lucaria here. Both of these questlines are accessible from this location. The particular Abductor Virgin that he mentions will take you to a dungeon that is located below Volcano Manor, and in order to escape, you will need to navigate this lava-filled cavern. For more information, refer to our guide.
Note that this interaction is not required to advance his questline; even if you miss him here, he will still move to Mt. Gelmir as soon as you rest at a Site of Grace on the Altus Plateau. If you do not interact with him here, he will move there automatically.
Patches in Mt. Gelmir on the Altus Plateau
At some point in the future, patches will reappear atop Mt. Gelmir. You’ll find him to the north-northwest of the Site of Grace at the First Mt. Gelmir Campsite. You’ll notice a row of Rainbow Stones that extends all the way to the edge of a cliff. Patches, who is hiding in the bushes, will encourage you to take a look at the stones because they are shimmering if you talk to him (you can also just trigger the next action by heading past Patches and getting too close to the edge of the cliff).
A cutscene will start at this point, during which Patches will try to throw you off the edge of the cliff and warn you to stay away from Volcano Manor. If you go back to him, he will tell you that he is sorry and that you should avoid Volcano Manor like the plague.
Patches at Volcano Manor in Mt. Gelmir
Tanith is waiting for you when you arrive at the Volcano Manor, so speak with her to begin the Tanith Questline and become a member of the Volcano Manor. After having a conversation with Tanith, Patches will now appear in the entrance hallway. This happens regardless of whether or not you decide to accompany Tanith. You will now have the ability to ask him more about himself in addition to his increased merchant inventory, which will now include Great Arrows and Ballista Bolts. His merchant inventory will also be expanded.
After you have successfully carried out an assassination at Volcano Manor, Patches will send you a letter that contains a unique assassination request and will give you the opportunity to receive it. Return to Patches once you have carried out his request to eliminate the Great Horned Tragoth near the Ruin-Strrewn Precipice, and then enquire about the reward for successfully completing his mission. He will give you a candlestick shaped like a magma whip. After you have finished the Volcano Manor quest and defeated Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, you will be able to speak to him once more, at which point he will bid you farewell.
Patches at the Shaded Castle on Altus Plateau
Carry on with your travels until you arrive at the Shaded Castle, which can be found in a cove on the northern shore of the Altus Plateau. Take the lift up from the Shaded Castle Inner Gate Site of Grace until you reach a long hallway dotted with statues, at the end of which is a golden fog indicating a boss room. Proceed through this hallway until you reach the boss room (Elemer of the Briar, in this instance). Take a look to the left of the room, where you’ll find Patches dozing against the wall.
If you talk to him in this location, he will hand over the Dancer’s Castanets to you. Tanith can be found in Rykard’s chamber. It is important to note that giving them to Tanith does not appear to have any impact on either her questline or Patches’ questline. It would appear that he has passed away at this point; however, he does not leave behind any loot in this location, and his body vanishes if you reset the area. If you want to find him again, you need to go back to the Murkwater Cave in Limgrave.
Patches’ Return to Murkwater Cave in Limgrave
Any attempt to enter his arena will reveal that the boss fog has returned to its previous location. Navigate through the haze and engage in conversation with the chest, which is currently locked. Patches will once more fall to the ground below you, this time accompanied by a boss health bar, and attempt to attack you. After receiving only two or three blows from you, he will recognise who you are and put an end to the fight. If you refrain from attacking him for a moment, he will make the Patches’ Crouch gesture towards you.
Patches will reopen his emporium once the area has been loaded, at which point you will be able to access his shop and purchase any of the items that he has previously offered for sale. It is important to take note that his merchant inventory has not expanded from anything he offered previously at Volcano Manor at this point in time. It would appear that this brings an end to his questline, as he is going to remain in this location and continue working as a merchant.