Elden Ring Should I Join Volcano Manor And The Consequences Explained
Navigating the treacherous world of Elden Ring often requires players to make heavy narrative choices that seem to alter their standing with various factions. When you finally reach the volcanic peaks of Mt. Gelmir and step into the ominous Volcano Manor, Lady Tanith will present you with an immediate invitation to join her rebellion against the Erdtree. While the proposition sounds like a dangerous betrayal of your core mission, understanding the mechanics behind this choice can save you a lot of undue stress during your playthrough.
Understanding the Choice to Join Volcano Manor
Choosing to join the Volcano Manor is highly recommended for any player who wants to experience everything FromSoftware has packed into this legacy dungeon. Accepting Lady Tanith's invitation does not lock you out of any specific game endings or ruin your standing with alternative factions like Ranni the Witch. Instead, aligning with these dissidents serves as the primary gateway to a massive questline filled with unique assassination contracts and incredible armor sets.
If you choose to reject the invitation, you will find your immediate progression through the manor heavily restricted. You will still be able to explore the upper floors and fight off local invaders, but you will miss out on the structured bounties that lead to rare weapons. Fortunately, the game is highly forgiving, and you can speak to Lady Tanith again at any time if you initially change your mind about joining her cause.
The Core Benefits and Assassination Contracts
Once you officially join the faction, you will receive the Drawing Room Key to unlock the rest of the facility and locate your first assassination assignments. These requests appear as letters waiting for you on the long dining table, detailing specific Tarnished targets located across the Lands Between. Hunting down these targets rewards you with some of the best high-tier scaling gear, specialized ashes of war, and unique talismans in the entire game.
Participating in these invasions allows you to duel powerful adversaries without facing major negative impacts on your main story path. It provides an excellent gameplay loop that encourages thorough exploration of distant regions before returning to the manor for your rewards. Furthermore, popular characters like Patches and Knight Bernahl will offer their own exclusive side requests once you are an established member of the household.
Consequences of Defeating Rykard Early
The single most important consequence to keep in mind revolves around the master of the manor, Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. While you can bypass the assassination contracts entirely by discovering an illusory wall and completing the legacy dungeon on your own, fighting the final boss too early will permanently halt your progress. Defeating Rykard immediately disperses the members of the manor and prematurely terminates all uncompleted letters and related NPC side stories.
To maximize your rewards, you should ensure that all available bounty letters from the drawing room are completely cleared before entering the main boss arena. This careful pacing guarantees you do not miss out on exclusive weapons or armor sets that cannot be obtained anywhere else in a single playthrough. Taking your time to finish every contract first yields the absolute best outcome for your character's gear progression.