Volcano Manor Questline
Tanith runs Volcano Manor on Mt. Gelmir. She is the consort of Rykard and leader of the Recusants, Tarnished who have turned against the Erdtree and hunt down their own kind. Join her family and she hands you a series of contracts: invade the worlds of chosen Tarnished, kill them, and come back for a reward.
The three hunts take you from Limgrave to the Mountaintops of the Giants and pay out a sorcery, a weapon and a talisman. After the last one, Tanith opens the way to her lord, Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, and what she does after his fall is one of the strangest sights in the game. This page also covers Old Knight Istvan, your first target.
Rewards
- Drawing-Room Key, for joining the Recusants
- Recusant Finger, in the drawing room
- Scaled armour (Scaled Helm, Scaled Armor, Scaled Gauntlets, Scaled Greaves), from Old Knight Istvan
- Magma Shot, from Tanith after Istvan
- Serpentbone Blade, from Tanith after Rileigh
- Taker’s Cameo, from Tanith after Juno Hoslow
- Tonic of Forgetfulness, from Tanith for Rya, or from Tanith’s chair after Rykard
- Aspects of the Crucible: Breath and the Consort’s set (Consort’s Mask, Consort’s Robe, Consort’s Trousers), only if you attack Tanith and defeat the knight who comes for you
Walkthrough
- Summon Istvan at Coastal Cave (optional). Long before the manor, you can call Old Knight Istvan to help you against the two Demi-Human Chiefs and their gang in Coastal Cave in Limgrave.
- Join the family. Tanith sits to the right of the Site of Grace when you first enter Volcano Manor. Talk to her and agree to join. She gives you the Drawing-Room Key.
- Pick up the first letter. In the corridor to the right of Tanith, open the first door on the left. Take the Letter from Volcano Manor on the table and the Recusant Finger. Istvan’s invasion sign is now marked in red on your map.
- Hunt Old Knight Istvan. Go to the entrance of the Limgrave Colosseum in Stormhill and use the invasion sign. Beat Istvan and he leaves his Scaled armour behind. Report to Tanith for Magma Shot.
- Hunt Rileigh the Idle. Pick up the next Letter from Volcano Manor in the drawing room. On the Altus Plateau, find the invasion sign at the bottom of the gorge that leads to The Shaded Castle. Defeat Rileigh the Idle and Tanith rewards you with the Serpentbone Blade.
- Take the tonic for Rya (optional). If you have met Rya in her serpent form and rested at a Site of Grace in the main part of the manor, Tanith gives you the Tonic of Forgetfulness for her. See Rya’s Questline.
- Hunt Juno Hoslow. Collect the Red Letter from the drawing room and travel to the Shack of the Lofty in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Use the invasion sign there and defeat Juno Hoslow, Knight of Blood. Tanith gives you the Taker’s Cameo.
- Meet her lord. Tanith now offers to send you straight to Rykard, skipping the rest of the manor. Defeat Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, then go back to Tanith and talk to her until she has nothing more to say.
- See what became of Tanith. Travel to the Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy Site of Grace. Tanith is there, feeding on the remains of her lord in the hope of becoming his serpent.
- Bring her the castanets (optional). If you got the Dancer’s Castanets from Patches in The Shaded Castle, offer them to Tanith. She turns them down, there is no reward, and the castanets leave your inventory.
Missable steps & failure conditions
- Rykard locks the questline. Defeating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy at any point locks every step you have not reached yet. Rya’s story in the manor locks with it, so finish the hunts before you go for him.
- Istvan is the one exception. You can still beat Istvan after Rykard is dead, and his reward waits where his letter used to lie. The Rileigh letter and the Red Letter will not appear any more, though.
- Juno Hoslow and Rya’s tonic. If you kill Juno before you have given Rya the Serpent’s Amnion, Tanith will not hand you the Tonic of Forgetfulness.
- Tanith dies in one hit. Attacking her kills her instantly, and her knight invades you. Only do it if you want the Crucible incantation and her clothes.
Endings & consequences
- Tanith’s fate. After Rykard falls, she thanks you for showing her lord was still weak, then retreats to his chamber to devour his body, hoping to become his serpent so they can one day devour the gods together.
- Rya. Tanith is Rya‘s adoptive mother. Her tonic is one of the three ways Rya’s Questline can end.
- Diallos and Patches. Knight Diallos and Patches both turn up in the manor as Recusants, and their stories move on as you work for Tanith. See Diallos’s Questline and Patches’ Questline.
- Juno Hoslow. Your last target is the older brother of Knight Diallos.