Elden Ring: Should You Join Volcano Manor

gamerant.com:

Those who’ve made their way up Elden Ring’s treacherous Mt. Gelmir may have been met with an unexpected conundrum; after speaking with Tanith, the apparent matriarch of Volcano Manor, she asks the player to join her in defiance of the Erdtree. This goes against the wishes of the Two Fingers and the Greater Will, entities the player had hitherto been serving. However, refusing Tanith’s request seemingly blocks players from accessing the rest of Volcano Manor. With little to go on, it's hard for players to tell what the ramifications of this decision may be and how they may impact the endgame of Elden Ring.

There are three paths from which players looking to explore Volcano Manor and challenge Rykard Lord of Blasphemy may choose. While they vary wildly in length and difficulty, they culminate in the same result, and none of them seem to have an indelible impact on Elden Ring’s late-game or its multiple endings.

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Accepting Tanith’s offer and completing her questline likely represents the path of least resistance for those pursuing Rykard, though it shouldn't be pursued by most players, as it requires gamers to explore a late-game area to which they will likely not yet have been.

Begin by speaking with Tanith and vowing to join Volcano Manor. This can be done even after initially refusing her quest. Tanith follows the doctrine of Rykard, who despises the Golden Order and strives to destroy all Tarnished who seek to gain the throne and restore it.

As a result, she’ll surreptitiously task the player with hunting down and killing other Tarnished NPCs, of which there are three in total. Though the quest requires invading others, at no point does this questline necessitate