Call and Response: Mt. Gelmir and the Volcano Manor
Added 2023-02-14 18:58:01 +0000 UTCHey folks! It's time to write in with your responses on Mt. Gelmir and the Volcano Manor in Elden Ring. The relevant areas are the Seethewater River, the mountaintops, Sellen's quest, the Volcano Manor assassination quests, and the Volcano Manor legacy dungeon itself.. Submit your response as a comment on this post! As always, keep some guidelines in mind.
1. Keep your responses and stories specific to Mt. Gelmir.
2. Please keep your responses brief. Think two short paragraphs, or around 200 words. 3. Specificity is preferred over generalities.
4.We tend to get a lot of responses, so please don't feel bad if we omit your response, or edit it for length.
The deadline is the end of the day, Tuesday February 21st!
Comments
Unsure if the deadline is extended or not based on the last episode, but the Fire Giant was the biggest wall a souls game has ever presented me. I was stubborn about trying to beat the game with a pure strength build and spent about two weeks trying to bonk him down. I was using summons, messing with my buffs, changing weapons, none of it worked. I finally went in saying "if I can't beat him this time, I'm just going to respec into something that can". On my very last flask, dual wielding spiked clubs, I landed a jump attack that managed to proc bleed and bring him down. The single most soulsy experience I've ever had. Going up to the grace afterwards I saw a message reading "didn't expect weak foe" and laughed my head off.
Never Mind
2023-06-13 15:03:52 +0000 UTCI know this is an older comment, but you can get to Rykard without teleporting there. I only did it on one play through so don't remember details but I think you fall into the cave from somewhere in the manor.
Matthew Smith
2023-04-22 01:11:09 +0000 UTCMaybe they originally had the Godskin Apostle in the Temple, and the Noble was off in Windmill Village, and it was just easier for them to switch them around instead of figuring out how to make the Noble's Rollout attack work in an arena where it could fall out of bounds.
Zaynation
2023-03-16 23:14:21 +0000 UTCThis is a good note that came after we compiled responses! Just want to let you know, I'm basically with you. -GB
Duckfeed.tv
2023-03-09 18:37:42 +0000 UTCI have only one problem with Volcano Manor (it's not a huge deal and doesn't take too much away from a 10/10) I _hate_ the teleport to the boss. It's such a striking legacy dungeon -- it confounds me why From couldn't think of a way to connect the boss setpiece to the rest of the level. It could have just been at least 15-20 mins more of a gameplay connective tissue to take us to Rykard. Imagine glimpsing the mouth of the volcano, or even the great snake as you wind down to the boss room. Everything in this ecosystem looks amazing, so it's just a shame that you have to randomly teleport to a "room" to get to the final encounter. I love when Elden Ring teleports you to far off places to give you the sense of wonder, but sometimes they do the "teleport to a room" that clearly shows something was patched together in the last minute. It's a huge game and I'm sure the devs worked really hard and there were time constraints, so it's understandable in the larger picture, but still, just sticks out for me as a minor nit. (I can excuse the coffin teleports because they're funny at least)
Mystic Referee
2023-03-08 18:04:42 +0000 UTCThis is probably my wildest take in regards to ER, but I believe that the Patches in ER is the Patches that was missing in Dark Souls II. I know we had Pate, but the fact that this Patches begins to franchise highwaymen with rune payment (Essentially how Vendrick built his empire), and that he falls downbad for Tanith as bad as he does (Again, thematically in line with Vendrick and others in DS2), AND on top of that he is called Patches the Untethered, I think he somehow ended up here in the Lands Between from Drangleic.
Casey Francis Alger
2023-03-07 20:02:58 +0000 UTCYou talked about the Coil Shield as being a reference to Rykard/God-Devouring Serpent, and pondered if the descriptions reference to gladiatorial combat was a mis-translation, but if you look at the armor of the Duelist enemies, it's covered in snake-designs as well. The armor's description discusses how snakes are reviled under the Golden Order and thus the gladitors were fitted with armor that the crowds would want to see be beaten, so the shield's description seems sound. Of course, lore-wise it's possible that the hatred of snakes stems from hatred of the G.D. Serpent (probably pre-Rykard merger), and it doesn't explain why a shield that possibly belonged to a Duelist is sitting in a Demi-Human Cave in Gelmir, but just some food for thought. Love the show, love the network!
Erik Brown
2023-03-06 04:09:45 +0000 UTCWhen I first got to Volcano Manor and spoke with Tanith, I was extremely suspicious of her and Rykard’s intentions. Admittedly, I didn’t pay much attention to the lore yet, (That’s your job not mine!) but completing Rya’s questline changed my opinion of her. So I committed to carrying out all of the assassinations to have audience with Rykard. I genuinely thought there would be a Recusant ending to the game, and I could speak to him like an NPC. Nope, he just wanted to use my body for his tongue sword. I wasn’t even disappointed since the fight was so cool. It would’ve been a crime to omit. Fromsoft just keeps pulling wool over my eyes. It’s starting to hurt!
Chase
2023-03-05 23:33:00 +0000 UTCMt. Gelmir and Volcano Manor was the area in Elden Ring where I felt the tension between the gameplay and the storytelling and how they were affecting my enjoyment. What do you get when you combine Dark Souls 2's Iron Keep, Sekiro's Bad Snakes, and Demon's Souls Storm King? Mechanically, you get an A+ level with creepy aesthetics and a fantastic implementation of a cinematic boss fight. But narratively, you get a hotpot of From Software's pet themes that represent one apocalypse in a twelve-apocalypse-pileup, which is how I felt about Dark Souls 3's fragmented storytelling. While the story of Volcano Manor is much better told and has much more compelling characters woven throughout, it's the point where I lost the plot in Elden Ring's macro theming.
Eric Van Fleet
2023-03-05 18:08:17 +0000 UTCAfter completing the assassinations, I returned to Tanith for my audience with the Lord, only to be teleported directly to the Shardbearer boss fight before I had even explored the rest of Magma Mansion. Having played previous From games, I was anticipating something similar to meeting Nito early by climbing into a coffin, or like Rennala where we would fight the boss but still be able to converse with them afterwards. But no, all I did was end up undoing all of my hard work. By defeating the lord, I caused the family to disband, and locked myself out of finishing the Rya quest, which made my obligatory walk-of-shame through the rest of the Manor far less triumphant, knowing there would be nothing waiting for me at the end. To me, this anticlimactic end to my Recusant quest speaks to a larger issue with FromSoft not using Elden Ring to iterate further on Covenants. Rykard is already such a bit player in the grand scheme, that I don't understand why they didn't make him a covenant leader that you get to partner up with if you complete the quest. You could still betray and fight him by discovering the path to the Prison Town, so not making him an optional ally or giving him a secret ending feels like a missed opportunity for such a memorable faction. It's good as it is, but what I really wanted was to devour the Gods FOREVA!!!
ChipHand_Z
2023-02-21 21:31:36 +0000 UTCFirst off, love the show! I really appreciate the dedication and love you guys have for these games. I was hoping to ask two separate questions. The first is about Lusat’s orbacious head. He is said to have beheld the final moments of a great Star cluster before being broken. Given the similarities between the Lusat glintstone crown and the eye that moves inside the Astel’s skull, do you think that the star cluster he beheld could have been one of these creatures? The second question is unrelated to the area at large. I was wondering about the Elden Ring art books. I know both of you have talked about acquiring the equivalent books for past souls games and have had mixed experiences. Have y’all bought either of the Future Press art books for Elden Ring? If you have, what are your opinions? If you have not, why not? Thanks! Honorary Rykard quote: TOGETHAAAAA
Quin Tutor
2023-02-20 18:22:16 +0000 UTCThanks for doing the episode focused (mostly) on sellen. Such a stellar character, she's so wonderful. Has one of the best vocal performances in the game to boot, and one of the funniest moments in the game. Her "takeover" of raya lucaria made me laugh out loud, even though I was her more-than-willing accomplice, or rather because I was and would be again. Shove the queen behind a bookshelf #ThatsMyTeacher
Goldie
2023-02-20 06:20:02 +0000 UTCDuring my first play through, I tried as hard as I could to explore everything. I conquered the camps strewn around Mt. Gelmir, I tackled the town behind Magma Mansion, and I slaughtered the serpent god, though admittedly after too many attempts. I did all the hit man missions and thought I had seen it all. On my most recent play through, I was baffled to find that I had missed an entire half (at least) of the town behind the mansion. It’s amazing how much game you miss even when you’re trying to see it all. Also, Rykard might not be one of my fav overall fights in ER, but he’s so good. It feels like they finally perfected the gimmick fight with him, and the voice acting is unbelievably good.
Daniel Barclay
2023-02-20 01:34:40 +0000 UTCI like amount Gelmir but I LOVE Magma Mansion! Rykard has an All Time Iconic cutscene and is just Metal As Fuck conceptually and aesthetically. But mostly I just want to ask.. does anyone else wish the telescoping snakes made the spring sound from Sonic the Hedgehog?
Matt K
2023-02-15 16:07:11 +0000 UTCHave you noticed that the falling star beasts that are on Mt Gelmir and in the cave (Cellia Tunnels?) where it is a boss are different than the one on the Altus Plateau? The one on the plateau doesn't have an eye in the middle of its head, I guess presumably indicating it is younger than the others on Gelmir and the older "mini Astel" enemies that show up? I noticed it recently in a YouTube video and thought I remembered them having an eyeball, and had to go confirm there was a difference between the spots where you run into them. Not sure if it truly that significant but was interesting.
Limowreck
2023-02-15 03:46:38 +0000 UTCVolcano Manor's Man-Serpents are my favorite "fucked up little dude" in Elden Ring. I saw the resemblance to their brothers in Sen's, and was happy with how goofy they looked, but squealed with glee when he stretched out.
Jo
2023-02-15 02:59:38 +0000 UTCIs there a more metal cut scene in any From game than the one in the middle of the Rykard fight? A serpent man who lives in a volcano pulls a serpent tongued sword from the throat of the snake face on the back of his head. The skeletons of his past victims get dragged up from his stomach in the process, land in a pool of lava, and burst into flames. It's basically as metal as anything has ever been.
Matthew Bennett
2023-02-14 20:44:06 +0000 UTCOne of my favourite parts of this whole game, and a classic Souls-style moment, is going around that huge periphery outside the little chapel that leads from Volcano Manor only to hit a switch to create a bridge shortcut back to where you were before. Such a satisfying moment.
Charlie Frame
2023-02-14 20:35:24 +0000 UTCI think Rykard is the most successful gimmick boss they've done since Storm King. The weight and effortless power of Serpent-Hunter just feels so satisfying and the cut scene transition makes Rykard instantly the most memorable boss in the game for me. Before it became a meme, I thought Rykard's bizarre line delivery was chilling and sold the idea of his depravity: offering the player to join him as a new member of the "family," aka this week's meal.
Timeandwatch
2023-02-14 20:03:22 +0000 UTCOn my first playthrough, I took the advice of my good buddy Patches and entered Mt. Gelmir via the Abductor Virgin at the bottom of Raya Lucaria, so I ended up tackling this area before setting foot on the Altus Plateau or even fully exploring Liurnia. Consequently, I was quite under leveled. Mt. Gelmir became a harrowing gauntlet as I scurried around trying to avoid combat with enemies I was not really prepared to tackle and searching for the way into the Manor (never realizing that I had started in the basement). The Manor itself gave me big Resident Evil feels complete with the roaming Abductor Virgins playing the role of Mr. X. The fat Godskin Apostle in the chapel was my first encounter with a Godskin and I really struggled. My trusty wolf pack summon was useless as they would instantly be melted by black flame, leaving me to go mano y mano with the big boy. After many, many attempts I eventually prevailed and made my way to Rykard, who I decided to come back to after completing the assassination quests. On subsequent playthroughs I have always come here at a higher level and not really had any trouble, but I’ll never forget my harrowing first visit. Thanks Patches!
trent allen
2023-02-14 19:55:31 +0000 UTCMy first playthrough time played was about 30% sunbroing various bosses, and of those bosses, none were as fun to coop as Ryckard. Taking him on solo is a fun challenge, but in co-op he's a massive snake piñata to thwack with our serpent-hunter spears. Highly recommend throwing down a sign and spending some time playing whack-a-snake. Apologies to Barry White.
Naveen Sivakumar
2023-02-14 19:30:10 +0000 UTCHeading up Mt. Gelmir on my first playthrough, I saw a trail of rainbow stones -- in broad daylight -- leading suspiciously to the edge of a cliff. When I arrived at the cliff's edge, Patches appeared out of nowhere and kicked me over. In broad daylight. I was stupidly delighted, but I haven't been able to get Patches to show up there again in four subsequent playthroughs. The whole thing is beginning to feel like a dream. (I want Patches as a traveling companion. His trademark boot-in-the-back conveys immunity to fall damage, which would be very useful in many circumstances.)
Micah Tillman
2023-02-14 19:26:53 +0000 UTCI honestly love the assassination quests. I think it really makes you think about what you've decided. You're now a killer for the sake of spitefully hating on the golden order. I do think it's odd that the serpent girl says you're so nice and great in her quest line though. Like you do know what I'm doing here right? The area overall is one of my favorites. I love how you find Alexander just sitting in the lava living his best life. And the helmet?! Don't even get me started. I love the ambiance of this area
Erich Vaupel
2023-02-14 19:25:21 +0000 UTC
