Can I Kill Millicent to Get the Talisman?
Yes, you can kill Millicent in Elden Ring to obtain a talisman. Specifically, killing her at a certain point in her questline grants you the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia talisman. However, the decision to kill her versus completing her questline has significant consequences, impacting not just the talisman you receive but also other rewards and the narrative experience. This article will explore the implications of this choice in detail, helping you decide what’s best for your playthrough.
Millicent’s Questline: A Delicate Balance
Millicent’s questline is one of the most morally ambiguous and rewarding in Elden Ring. It revolves around her struggle with Scarlet Rot and her search for purpose. Making the right choices can lead to powerful rewards, while making the wrong ones can lead to heartbreak and missed opportunities.
The Two Paths: Choosing Her Fate
The crucial decision point arrives in the Mountaintops of the Giants, after you’ve defeated the Godskin Apostle at the Windmill Village and given Millicent the unalloyed gold needle. She will move to a site of grace near the Haligtree. Here, you will find two summon signs:
- Help Millicent: Summoning her allows you to fight alongside her against her sisters, eventually purifying the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia into the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom.
- Betray Millicent: This option allows you to invade her world and fight her. Defeating her this way grants you the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia talisman directly.
Rewards and Consequences: More Than Just a Talisman
The choice between helping and betraying Millicent significantly impacts the rewards you receive and the overall narrative:
- Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: Gained by killing Millicent. This talisman greatly raises attack power with successive attacks. It’s a powerful talisman, especially for builds that rely on rapid, multi-hit attacks.
- Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom: Gained by completing Millicent’s questline by helping her. This talisman raises your Dexterity by 5. This is useful for builds that need to reach the dexterity requirement for certain weapons or spells.
- Millicent’s Rune: Obtained when Millicent dies, either by your hand or by her succumbing to the Scarlet Rot after a “good” ending. This can be used for runes (currency).
- Sacred Scorpion Charm: If you complete Millicent’s questline on the “good” path, Gowry will give you this talisman after you reload the area. It boosts Holy damage but lowers your damage negation.
- Unalloyed Gold Needle: This key item is essential to the questline. After completing the quest on the “good” path, you can use this needle to cure Malenia after defeating her, granting you a Remembrance.
Killing Millicent cuts the quest short, preventing you from receiving the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom, the Sacred Scorpion Charm, and the opportunity to use the needle on Malenia.
Is Killing Millicent Worth It? A Build-Dependent Decision
The value of killing Millicent for the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia depends heavily on your build and playstyle.
- For Aggressive Builds: If you’re running a build that focuses on rapid, successive attacks, such as a dual-wielding or bleed build, the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia is often considered superior. The attack power boost it provides can significantly increase your damage output.
- For Dexterity-Focused Builds: If you need a boost to Dexterity to wield a specific weapon or cast a certain spell, the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom is more valuable. It can save you valuable stat points that can be allocated elsewhere.
- For Completionists: Players aiming to experience all aspects of the game and acquire all possible items will likely want to complete Millicent’s questline on the “good” path to obtain all rewards, including the Sacred Scorpion Charm and the chance to cure Malenia.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions about killing Millicent and her questline:
1. What happens if I accidentally hit Millicent early in the quest?
If you accidentally attack Millicent early in the quest, she will become hostile. You can absolve your sins at the Church of Vows with Celestial Dew to reset her disposition and continue the questline.
2. Where can I find the Unalloyed Gold Needle?
The Unalloyed Gold Needle is obtained from Gowry after completing his side quest, which involves defeating Commander O’Neil in the Swamp of Aeonia in Caelid.
3. Can I get both talismans in one playthrough?
No, you cannot obtain both the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and the Prosthesis-Wearer Heirloom in a single playthrough. You must choose one path.
4. Does killing Millicent affect any other quests?
Killing Millicent prevents you from completing Gowry’s questline, as he relies on her. It also prevents you from acquiring the Sacred Scorpion Charm and curing Malenia after defeating her.
5. Is the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia better than the Marika’s Soreseal?
It depends on your build and needs. The Rotten Winged Sword Insignia boosts attack power with successive attacks, while Marika’s Soreseal increases Mind, Intelligence, Faith, and Arcane, but also increases damage taken. For pure damage output, the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia is often preferred for suitable builds.
6. How do I trigger the invasion summon sign in the Mountaintops of the Giants?
To trigger the invasion summon sign, you must have given Millicent the Unalloyed Gold Needle after defeating the Godskin Apostle at the Windmill Village. She will then move to the Haligtree area in the Mountaintops of the Giants. Reload the area until the summon signs appear.
7. What level should I be to fight Millicent as an invader?
The recommended level is around level 80-100, with weapons upgraded to +18 or higher.
8. Can I still get the Cleanrot Knight Set if I kill Millicent?
Yes, the Cleanrot Knight Set is obtained by farming Cleanrot Knights in the Swamp of Aeonia, regardless of Millicent’s quest status.
9. What happens if I don’t give Millicent the Unalloyed Gold Needle?
If you don’t give Millicent the Unalloyed Gold Needle, her questline will stall, and she will eventually succumb to the Scarlet Rot.
10. Is there any way to reverse my decision after killing Millicent?
No, there is no way to reverse your decision after killing Millicent in a single playthrough. You would need to start a new game or NG+ to explore the other path.
11. Is the Sacred Scorpion Charm worth completing Millicent’s quest for?
The Sacred Scorpion Charm is beneficial for builds that heavily rely on Holy damage, such as Faith-based builds. However, the increased damage taken can be a significant drawback.
12. What is the significance of curing Malenia with the Unalloyed Gold Needle?
Curing Malenia with the Unalloyed Gold Needle after defeating her allows you to obtain a Remembrance, which can be used to acquire powerful weapons or spells from Enia at the Roundtable Hold.
13. Does Millicent’s questline affect the ending of the game?
Millicent’s questline does not directly affect the main endings of the game. However, it provides valuable items and lore that enriches the overall experience.
14. What is the lore behind Millicent and her connection to Malenia?
Millicent is revealed to be a daughter of Malenia, afflicted with the Scarlet Rot like her mother. Her questline explores her struggle against the Rot and her search for her own identity separate from her lineage.
15. Is the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia still good in the late game?
Yes, the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia remains a powerful talisman throughout the game, especially for builds that maintain consistent, successive attacks. It synergizes well with weapons and skills that have multiple hits, such as dual katanas or the Bloodhound’s Fang weapon skill.
Conclusion: A Tarnished Choice
Ultimately, the decision of whether to kill Millicent to get the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia is a personal one. Consider your build, playstyle, and desire for narrative completion. Weigh the benefits of the talisman against the missed rewards and the moral implications of ending her questline prematurely. Choose wisely, Tarnished, for your choices shape the Lands Between and your own journey within it.