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Wandering around the various gazebos and islands amid Liurnia’s lakes, you may have heard the cries of a young woman claiming she’s been robbed. While this may seem like a pretty standard opportunity for heroism, this woman, Rya, is much more than she first appears.
This guide will give you a little more information about exactly who or what Rya is and a walkthrough on handling her associated questline. A warning ahead of time, this guide will contain spoilers about Rya and her story.
Lore
Rya first appears as a hunchbacked young woman serving as a scout for the Volcano Manor. Her job is to seek out Tarnished willing and capable to kill other Tarnished.
It is likely that the player’s first encounter with Rya, when she asks them to retrieve her necklace from Blackguard Big Boggart, is a test to see if the player will kill another Tarnished.
Whether Rya is aware of the fact that Boggart also offers to sell the necklace back is unknown.
Upon reaching Volcano Manor, it quickly becomes clear that Rya is not all she seems. First of all, she is Lady Tanith’s adopted daughter. Later in her quest, the player sees Rya in her serpent form, calling herself Zorayas and bearing a striking resemblance to the man-serpents outside the manor.
The fact that Rya is friendly and the Snake-Men are hostile is a matter of some debate. Some speculate that Rya is the only sapient member of her race or that she was simply the only man-serpent raised to serve humans. A more fitting reason may be found in the reality of Rya’s creation.
If the player makes their way through the dungeon leading to Praetor Rykard, they eventually come across an entire church filled with man-serpents, a couple of which are sporting huge heads and seem to be controlling a small horde of previously-human followers.
Rykard’s distinct obsession as a demigod and Praetor was with order and control, hence why the entire town below his manor became a prison.
To put all of this information into perspective, Rykard began using rituals to create not only a race in mockery of Marika and the Greater Will but with the ability to manifest control over humans.
The snake-men originally came to exist when the “great serpent” within mount Gelmir devoured a demigod. One can assume due to Rykard’s snake-like form, that this demigod was Rykard. It is not mentioned exactly how this caused the snake-men to be created.
It may well be that Rya is the first man-serpent, created in Rykard’s image but still retaining a human form. Whether it was Rykard or Tanith’s doing or if her human side was intentional was unknown.
It could also be that Rya is the first attempt to turn humans into man-serpents, but this doesn’t entirely match what Rya says about being created and never born.
Lastly, Rya could have just been a mistake. Something went wrong in the process of creating a man-serpent and resulted in one with a human form, whom Tanith adopted.
Rya’s Quest
- Quest givers:
- Rya
- Lady Tanith
- Bosses:
- Godskin Noble
- Rewards:
- Daedicar’s Woe
Starting the Quest
To begin Rya’s quest, head to Liurnia of the Lakes and look for a gazebo near the birdseye telescope on the southwestern edge of the lake. You should find Rya here, just east of the Scenic Isle site of grace. Speak to Rya and she will tell you about a thief who stole a necklace from her before asking you to retrieve it.
The thief, Blackguard Big Boggart, is located a short way to the northwest sitting at a fire near the Boilprawn Shack and the associated site of grace. Talk to Boggart and he will offer to sell you the necklace for 1000 runes.
If you don’t feel like ponying up or are just feeling particularly murderous, you can also choose to kill Boggart and take the necklace from his corpse. Either method will allow you to continue Rya’s quest, but killing Boggart will lock you out of his questline later.
Once you have the necklace, return it to Rya and she will hand you an invitation to the Volcano Manor and explain how to reach the Altus Plateau, where the Erdtree resides. It may be some time before you can continue with Rya’s quest since you will need to make your way to the Altus Plateau to speak with her again.
The Volcano Manor
Once you have made your way to the Altus Plateau, you can find Rya near where you entered, depending on which method you took to reach the plateau. If you used the Dectus Medallion and took the Grand Lift of Dectus, Rya will be near the pavilion where the lift deposits you.
If you made your way up through the cliffside ruins, Rya will be near the bottom of the steps leading up to the Lux Ruins, near the Erdtree Gazing Hill site of grace.
Speak to her again and she will offer to take you to the Volcano Manor. Accepting this invitation will teleport you into the main hall of Volcano Manor, near Lady Tanith’s throne room.
Speak to Lady Tanith and accept her contract to assassinate Old Knight Istvan. You will have to kill Istvan to progress Rya’s questline.
After defeating Istvan, Rya will reappear in one of the side rooms inside the manor, this time in an entirely different form. Speak to her in this new guise before returning to Tanith and completing the second part of her questline. This will require you to locate and kill Rileigh the Idle.
With Rileigh dead, return to Rya in the same room she was last in and speak to her again. Now she will mention hearing noises from the adjacent room and prompt you to investigate.
Head into the room directly to the right of Rya’s and look for a corpse in the far right corner. Roll into the wall here and a secret passage will reveal itself.
Move cautiously once inside, as this hidden dungeon isn’t uninhabited. Lurking inside are poisonous Serpent Snails and a Bloodhound Knight. The snails aren’t much to worry about, but the Bloodhound Knight is a deadly opponent in the confined space of the dungeon, particularly for ranged combatants.
There are two exits to this dungeon: the one at the end of the ascending staircase will lead you back into the manor, while the descending staircase, guarded by the Bloodhound Knight, will let you out in the Prison Town Church.
You will need to reach the church, rest at its site of grace, and open the front doors to continue the quest. Once you have done this, return to Rya and explain your findings to her. After this, speak to Tanith about Rya/Zorayas’ troubles.
Temple of Eiglay
Now you will need to explore the town outside Volcano Manor for a while. Specifically, you need to travel from Prison Town Church to the Temple of Eiglay.
Assuming you have not already activated the drawbridge between these two buildings, you will have to go through town. The safest option is to stick to the rooftops. Look to the left of the church doors to see a roof close enough to jump to.
You aren’t alone up here. A few Snake-Men and several angry nobles hang out on the rooftops. But as long as you don’t lose your footing, it’s better than facing the monsters in the confined alleyways.
Follow the left side of the rooftops until you see a bridge just ahead, then drop down to your right, near the town gate.
You don’t need to go through the gate unless you wish to face the Omenkiller inside and claim his cleaver. If he isn’t bad enough, he is aided by a couple of wandering nobles and mangy strays. On the bright side, entering from the gate puts you at his back and allows you to surprise him.
If you aren’t keen on facing the Omenkiller, head up the stairs and across the bridge. Be extremely careful around the doors to the building at the edge of the bloody plaza, inside is an Abductor Virgin hidden by a fog wall.
Head across the bridge and into the spooky guest hall. This hall is filled with first-generation albinaurics, several of which are suspended from the ceiling in cages.
These may not be threats by themselves, but upon spotting you they will ring bells to alert the other insane albinaurics that will swarm the player on being alerted. Target lock will be your friend here. After exiting the guest hall, climb down to the lava floe’s below and continue forwards.
Mind your footing here, as the floor is, in fact, lava. Additionally, the area is surrounded by herds of burning slugs and wandering nobles who prefer throwing bombs over civil conversation.
Keep to the right until you see a stone staircase leading up to a platform. On this platform are two cage elevators.
The one on the right will take you down to a boss fight with a Magma Wyrm, while the one on the left will take you up to the Temple of Eiglay, where you should be headed. At the top, you will find the entrance to the temple guarded by a Blackflame Monk. Inside, the Godskin Noble awaits you.
Godskin Noble
You must defeat the Godskin Noble and retrieve the Serpent’s Amnion to continue Rya’s quest.
The Godskin Noble is a powerful foe that even high-level characters may struggle with. Like other Godskin enemies, Nobles rely on their black-flame spells and blade attacks during their first phase, striking rapidly in melee and creating bursts of damaging fire at range.
Once they have been reduced to 60% or less of their health, the Godskin Noble enters their second phase. During this phase, the noble can inflate their belly to knock nearby characters back and perform a rolling charge that follows the target around.
While there is no safe area around the Godskin Noble due to its many AoE attacks, the safest location seems to be behind him. Maintaining distance from this boss is crucial to avoiding his most damaging shove attacks, so melee fighters should wait for openings after he leaps into the air or after dodging thrusts from his rapier.
During these openings, stick close to the noble’s side and withdraw when he finishes his animation.
The Godskin Noble is highly resistant to damage from blunt weapons, fire, and holy attacks. However, the noble is vulnerable to slashing attacks and bleeding and is very susceptible to sleep.
After defeating the Godskin Noble, bring the Serpent’s Amnion back to Rya.
Rya’s Fate
After she has the Amnion, Rya will relocate one final time to within the dungeon that leads to Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. I recommend speaking to Tanith one last time about Rya and getting the Tonic of Forgetfulness from her so you can choose from any of the endings to Rya’s quest.
To find Rya, return to the Temple of Eiglay site of grace and proceed either out the door to the left of the altar or up the stone elevator to the right.
You can go to the left if you have already activated the elevator next to the temple. Exit the lift through the door just below the entrance to the top floor. The elevator will not stop at this door, so move quickly.
Once you make it through, head out the window at the back of the room and keep straight until you reach Rya’s chamber.
If you use the lift inside the temple, head out and off the balcony to the lava pits. Keep following the path until you see a building with an open window at ground level guarded by an Abductor Virgin.
If you choose to avoid the abductor and run straight for the window, be aware that it can still throw its blades into the room, so stay away from the wall.
Head through the door and across the bridge until you see a window on the left-hand wall with a rope ladder. That ladder will set you right outside Rya’s chamber.
When you speak to Rya, she will explain how she was created through a ritual and was never actually born. Then she will ask you to kill her. You have three options for how Rya’s quest can end. No matter which ending you choose, you will receive Daedicar’s Woe, a strange Talisman that doubles all damage taken by the player.
Option 1: Kill Her
You can choose to grant Rya’s wish then and there. Doing this will cause her to shift back into her true form and thank you for killing her. Beside her body, you can find the Daedicar’s Woe talisman.
Option 2: Help Her Forget
If you did as I recommended and received the Tonic of Forgetfulness from Tanith, you will now have the option to give it to Rya. After drinking it, she will fall asleep. If you return to the Volcano Manor after killing Rykard, you will find Rya in the hall. Speak to her and reload the area. Rya will leave and drop Daedicar’s Woe in her place.
Option 3: Leave Her Be
If you choose not to kill Rya or wipe her memories, you can find her where you left her after defeating Rykard. Speak to her until her dialogue is exhausted and reload the area. When you come back, she will be gone, leaving behind Daedicar’s Woe.
Other Ways to Reach the Manor
There are two routes to reach the Volcano Manor without Rya’s assistance, but note that these paths are more dangerous and may complicate her questline. For more detailed instructions, take a look at our Volcano Manor Guide.
The Long Way
Hoof it. The route to reach the Volcano Manor on foot is long and dangerous, but will give you more stopping points and won’t trap you there. Start at a downward sloping pillar of stone at the southwestern edge of the Altus Plateau. Follow the trench around the base of the volcano until you reach a castle.
Turn left here and keep following the loop. Be careful, as this area is occupied by fire monks and their Flame Chariots. Make your way through the lava fields to the Hermit Village and look for another stone pillar leaning out across the gap between you and a large stone building.
Drop down onto the next area and follow this series of bridges until you reach an absurdly tall ladder. Take the ladders up until you find yourself on the opposite side of the destroyed bridge.
Once there, simply follow the road up to the front gate of the Manor.
The Short Way
This way might be shorter, but its tricky and a fair bit more dangerous. Head to Raya Lucaria Academy and look for this giant waterwheel thing. Ride the platforms all the way down until it drops you off in front of an Abductor Virgin.
Let the machine grab you and pull you inside of it. Your character will black out and you will be teleported deep inside the volcano manor. Warning: Doing this will prevent you from fast traveling anywhere until you reach a site of grace.Â
FAQs
Question: Is Rya Rykard’s Daughter?
Answer: Probably not. While it is possible that Rykard created Rya, she claims to have never actually been born, so it is unlikely she is his daughter.
Question: Are there Different Rewards Depending on how You Finish Rya’s Quest?
Answer: No. Regardless of how you choose to handle Rya at the end of her quest, you will always receive Daedicar’s Woe?
Question: Can You Fail Rya’s Quest?
Answer: Yes. By speaking to Tanith before Rya brings you to the Volcano Manor or by killing Rykard before Rya relocates to his legacy dungeon.
Wrapping Up
Rya is a fascinating character with an unclear origin. I hope this guide helped shed some light on her background and offered some assistance in handling her quest. If you found this interesting or helpful, be sure to check out our other Elden Ring guides. Best of luck on your journeys Tarnished.
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