Count Ymir’s Questline
Count Ymir is the soft-spoken High Priest of the Cathedral of Manus Metyr, a glintstone sorcerer who sells spells and seems happy to help any visitor. He sends you to ring hanging bells in three Finger Ruins, one map at a time, and he is always very pleased when you do.
Of course, a kindly priest with a hidden passage under his throne is never just a kindly priest. The road ends with Metyr, Mother of Fingers and a fight against Ymir himself, which pays out his sorcerer set, his staff and the Cherishing Fingers. His story is tangled tightly with that of his loyal knight Jolán, so keep an eye on her too.
Rewards
- Hole-Laden Necklace and the first Ruins Map, when you first meet him
- Crimson Seed Talisman +1, for ringing the bell at Rhia
- Beloved Stardust and the second Ruins Map, from Ymir after the first bell
- Cerulean Seed Talisman +1, for ringing the bell at Dheo, and the third Ruins Map from Ymir afterwards
- Claws of Night, from Anna’s invasion below the throne
- Remembrance of the Mother of Fingers and 420,000 runes, for Metyr
- Maternal Staff, Ymir’s Bell Bearing and the High Priest set (Hat, Robe, Gloves, Undergarments), for defeating Ymir
- Cherishing Fingers, in the cathedral graveyard at the end
Shop: Ymir sells Glintstone Pebble, Great Glintstone Shard, Glintblade Phalanx, Carian Phalanx, Carian Retaliation and Miriam’s Vanishing from the start. Glintstone Nail and Glintstone Nails unlock after the first bell, and Fleeting Microcosm after the second.
Walkthrough
- Meet Ymir in the cathedral. Find him seated behind closed doors inside the Cathedral of Manus Metyr. He greets you with the first Ruins Map and the Hole-Laden Necklace, the key item you need to ring the bells. Talk him through, since he also runs a sorcery shop.
- Ring the bell at the Finger Ruins of Rhia. Travel to the Finger Ruins of Rhia, get past the Fingercreepers and leech-like creatures and ring the bell. You get the Crimson Seed Talisman +1.
- Report back. Return to Ymir for the second Ruins Map and the Beloved Stardust talisman. Jolán now leans against a pillar in the cathedral (reload the area if she is not there). Speak to her after each step of this quest.
- Open the way to Scaduview. The second bell lies beyond Scaduview. Go to the Shadow Keep, Back Gate Site of Grace at the Shadow Keep, head left past the Summoning Pool into a small room and take the Scadutree Fragment from the altar. Perform the O Mother gesture in front of the altar to open a hidden tunnel to the Hinterland. The gesture itself is found north of Bonny Village, in front of a headless statue.
- Ring the bell at the Finger Ruins of Dheo. Fight through the Hinterland and its two Tree Sentinels. Jolán’s golden summon sign sits just before the first one. Ring the bell at the Finger Ruins of Dheo to receive the Cerulean Seed Talisman +1. If you ring the bells in the other order, Ymir simply comments on it and still gives you his reward.
- Get the third map. Go back to Ymir for the third Ruins Map. Ask him about the nature of the world, then rest or reload the area. If he is still on his throne, exhaust his dialogue and rest again.
- Descend beneath the throne. Once the throne is empty, examine it. It slides back to reveal a rope ladder down to the Finger Ruins of Miyr. On the way down, Swordhand of Night Anna invades. Beat her for the Claws of Night, and tell Jolán about it afterwards for extra dialogue.
- Face the Mother of Fingers. Work through the ruins, where Finger-Weaver’s Cookbook 2 lies on a body along the lower left walkway. Activate the Summoning Pool near the bell, then ring the bell to be taken to Metyr, Mother of Fingers. Victory gives you the Remembrance of the Mother of Fingers.
- Fight Jolán and Ymir. Travel back to the cathedral and touch the throne once more. Jolán invades first. After she falls, Ymir takes on the power of the Mother of Fingers and fights you as Ymir, Mother of Fingers.
- Collect the Cherishing Fingers. Head to the graveyard on the west side of the cathedral to pick up the Cherishing Fingers. That ends Ymir’s story. Rest and speak to Jolán, now slumped at her pillar, to finish hers.
Missable steps & failure conditions
- Ymir missing from his throne. Sometimes he wanders off (players have spotted him by Yuri’s grave outside) and the quest seems stuck. Repeating your current step, ringing the bell at the Finger Ruins you last visited, is reported to put him back on the throne.
- Buy his spells first. The quest ends with you killing him, so pick up anything you want from his shop before you return to the throne after beating Metyr. His bell bearing lets you buy them later from the Twin Maiden Husks.
- Jolán’s summons disappear. Beating Metyr removes Jolán’s golden summon signs for Messmer, the Hinterland Tree Sentinels and the Ghostflame Dragon. Use her help before you take on Metyr.
Endings & consequences
- Jolán. Her questline runs in parallel with Ymir’s. She turns on you to defend him and must be beaten before you face him. Afterwards she sits blinded by her pillar, and what you give her decides her fate. See Jolán’s Questline.
- Swordhand of Night Anna. Jolán’s sister is the invader beneath the throne, and telling Jolán about her adds dialogue.
- Ymir’s fate. He dies in the fight at his throne, and the Cherishing Fingers in the graveyard close his story.