Bernahl’s Questline
Knight Bernahl was once a Tarnished champion with a real shot at lordship, until his Finger Maiden threw herself into the flames. You first meet him as a gruff Ash of War dealer in the Warmaster’s Shack, but if you join Volcano Manor he shows his true colours as a recusant with plans of his own.
His story runs alongside the manor’s assassination contracts, takes you on a two-man hunt in Leyndell, and ends with him turning his blade on you in Crumbling Farum Azula. Along the way you pick up a strong fire incantation, two armour sets and the Blasphemous Claw.
Rewards
- Ashes of War from his shop: Stamp (Upward Cut), Kick, Endure, War Cry, Spinning Slash, Impaling Thrust, Quickstep, Storm Blade, Parry and No Skill
- Ash of War: Eruption and Ash of War: Assassin’s Gambit, added to his shop at Volcano Manor
- Raging Wolf set (helm, armor, gauntlets, greaves), from the hunt in Leyndell
- Gelmir’s Fury, for completing the hunt (if you never got it, he drops it in Farum Azula)
- Blasphemous Claw, Beast Champion set (helm, armor, gauntlets, greaves) and Devourer’s Scepter, when you defeat him in Crumbling Farum Azula
- Bernahl as a summon against the Godskin Duo
Walkthrough
- Meet him in the Warmaster’s Shack (optional). Bernahl waits in the Warmaster’s Shack in Limgrave. Talk to him and he opens his shop of Ashes of War, whatever you answer to his question.
- Join Volcano Manor. At Volcano Manor on Mt. Gelmir, speak to Tanith and choose to join. She gives you the Drawing-Room Key, and Bernahl moves into the manor, in the same part of it where you find Rya. See the Volcano Manor Questline for the contracts themselves.
- Complete the first contract. Hunt down Old Knight Istvan as the first letter asks, then talk to Bernahl. His shop opens again with his old stock plus two new Ashes of War, Eruption and Assassin’s Gambit.
- Complete the second contract. After you deal with Rileigh the Idle, talk to Bernahl again. He hands you the Letter to Bernahl and invites you to hunt Vargram the Raging Wolf and Errant Sorcerer Wilhelm with him.
- Hunt Vargram and Wilhelm. In Leyndell, Royal Capital, go to the first floor of the Fortified Manor. In front of the corpse that holds Alberich’s set there is an invasion sign. Use it and fight beside Bernahl against the two of them. Vargram leaves his Raging Wolf set behind.
- Collect your reward. Back at Volcano Manor, talk to Bernahl. He gives you Gelmir’s Fury, and his summon sign is now waiting for you in Crumbling Farum Azula.
- Watch him leave. Once you have defeated Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, talk to Bernahl until he has nothing left to say. He leaves the manor, but you can still use his shop through the sword he leaves on his chair.
- Summon him against the Godskin Duo (optional). If you did the hunt in Leyndell together, his summon sign appears outside the Dragon Temple in Crumbling Farum Azula for the fight against the Godskin Duo.
- Defeat him one last time. From the Great Bridge in Crumbling Farum Azula, take the path north. Before the tower with the chest holding the Old Lord’s Talisman, Bernahl invades you. Beat him to claim the Blasphemous Claw and his gear.
Missable steps & failure conditions
- Killing him in Limgrave ends his questline before it starts. He drops the Beast Champion set, the Devourer’s Scepter and Bernahl’s Bell Bearing.
- Skipping the Leyndell hunt means no Gelmir’s Fury from him at the manor and no summon sign against the Godskin Duo. You still get Gelmir’s Fury when he drops it after the invasion.
- Rykard reached early. If you kill Rykard by taking the Abductor Virgin route from Raya Lucaria before Bernahl has moved to Volcano Manor, his usual drops are left in the Warmaster’s Shack instead.
- Bell Bearing tip. If you hand his Bell Bearing to the Twin Maiden Husks after you have received the Drawing-Room Key rather than before, the stock they sell from it upgrades automatically.
Endings & consequences
- Bernahl turns on you. However close you were at the manor, his questline ends with him invading you in Crumbling Farum Azula, where you have to defeat him.
- Volcano Manor. His story is tied to the manor’s contracts, so it moves forward together with the Volcano Manor Questline.
- Vargram and Wilhelm. Both of them fall in the joint hunt in the Fortified Manor, the one contract you carry out together with Bernahl.