Elden Ring is a title that has been all the rage ever since its release in 2022. The title took the industry by storm as the game had the most in-depth world-building thanks to FromSoftware’s collaboration with George R.R. Martin. The game was also awarded various accolades, including the prestigious Game of The Year at TGA 2022.
Now, the expansion for Elden Ring titled Shadow of the Erdtree has fans’ attention as they wonder what the latter will entail. From various clues the fans have received, from promotional art to lore threads in the game, speculation is currently going on over the expansion.
Volcano Manor’s Boss, Rykard’s lore in Elden Ring
Rykard is the optional boss awaiting the player’s arrival in Volcano Manor. The fight takes place in two phases, but something even more interesting is the lore concerning the boss. Rykard’s parents were Radagon and Queen Rennala. The former was a champion of the Erdtree, while the latter was the chief of the Carian Royal Family.
Radagon, in a strategic move to grab power and achieve godly status, became a consort to Queen Marika. Thus, Rykard was partly raised by his father, Radagon, and stepmother, Marika, after committing acts of blasphemy against the Golden Order. He and his sister Ranni orchestrated Night of the Black Knives. Following the shattering of the Elden Ring, he once again launched a blasphemous campaign against the Greater Will. The most horrific battle after the shattering took place at Volcano Manor.
During the shattering, Rykard also fed himself and the great Run to the God-eating blasphemous serpent who devoured him, and this led to Rykard merging with him. Then Rykard devoured the other champions with the help of the God-eating serpent.
Will Rykard return in Shadow of Erdtree?
After the Tarnished kills Rykard, the latter laughs nefariously and states that a serpent never dies. Tanith, Rykard’s consort, can be found consuming his corpse, and the whole visual is graphic. She is also seen exclaiming that she is doing so in the hope that Rykard will live inside her like he lived inside the serpent. Even If one kills her and then her bodyguard and then goes back to where the boss fight takes place, we also see that Rykard’s head is being regenerated.
This indicates that Rykard’s return in the expansion might be possible. Also, Tanith’s questline seems incomplete; even if one strikes her while she is eating Rykard’s remains, it triggers a mini-boss fight against her bodyguard.
But if she consumes Rykard and has her remains inside, killing her might not finish the story. Rykard may regenerate again, and we may see Tanith, Rykard, and the blasphemous serpent returning in the expansion. This is even more possible because Rykard states that a serpent never dies. And since it is evident from the expansion’s title that it will be about the Erdtree, a demigod whose purpose was to revolt against Elden Ring, it sounds indispensable.
Follow us for more entertainment coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
