Should You Aid or Betray Millicent in Elden Ring? A Tarnished Dilemma
The decision to aid or betray Millicent in Elden Ring is a pivotal one, fraught with consequences that impact your character build, ending possibilities, and even your emotional investment in the game’s narrative. There’s no single “right” answer, as the optimal choice depends on your priorities as a player. However, assisting Millicent generally leads to a more rewarding experience, unlocking a powerful talisman (the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia), advancing the storyline, and potentially opening the door to specific ending conditions. Betraying her grants the Millicent’s Prosthesis talisman immediately but cuts short her questline and locks you out of potential future events and character development. Ultimately, the “best” option depends on your build, your preferred ending, and your moral compass.
Understanding the Consequences
Before making your choice, it’s crucial to understand the immediate and long-term ramifications of your actions.
Assisting Millicent: The Path of Cooperation
Choosing to help Millicent in her fight against her sisters leads to several benefits:
- Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: After defeating the invaders, Millicent will reward you with this talisman. It significantly boosts attack power with successive attacks, making it invaluable for builds that focus on rapid, continuous offense.
- Advancing the Questline: Helping Millicent allows you to continue her questline. This provides opportunities for further character development, dialogue, and lore exploration.
- Ending Implications: Completing Millicent’s questline, particularly if you choose to assist her, is a prerequisite for unlocking certain alternate endings, specifically those related to removing the Frenzied Flame.
- Gowry’s Fate: Gowry, her mentor, continues to live (at least for a little while longer) if you take this path.
Betraying Millicent: The Path of Expediency
Choosing to challenge and defeat Millicent offers a more immediate reward but at a significant cost:
- Millicent’s Prosthesis: Defeating Millicent immediately grants you this talisman. It boosts Dexterity by 5 and also slightly increases attack power with successive attacks.
- Questline Termination: This decision abruptly ends Millicent’s questline, preventing you from experiencing its conclusion and missing out on the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia.
- Gowry’s Demise: Returning to Gowry’s shack after betraying Millicent will reveal his dead body, further emphasizing the consequences of your actions.
- Locked Ending Potential: Betraying Millicent makes it impossible to unlock certain alternate endings.
Weighing the Talismans: Rotten Winged Sword Insignia vs. Millicent’s Prosthesis
The choice between aiding or betraying Millicent often boils down to which talisman better suits your build and playstyle.
- Rotten Winged Sword Insignia: This talisman provides a higher overall attack power boost with successive attacks compared to Millicent’s Prosthesis. It’s ideal for builds that excel at sustained damage output, such as those using katanas, curved swords, or dual-wielded weapons. However, it offers no direct stat boosts.
- Millicent’s Prosthesis: While its attack power boost is slightly weaker, the +5 Dexterity is a significant advantage for Dexterity-focused builds. It can allow you to meet weapon requirements, improve casting speed, and increase the effectiveness of skills. Some players prefer this for the stat boost alone.
Consider your build carefully. If you’re already maximizing your Dexterity and prioritize pure damage output, the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia is likely the better choice. If you need a Dexterity boost or prefer a more balanced approach, Millicent’s Prosthesis might be more appealing.
Min-Maxing: Can You Have Both?
Yes, it is possible to obtain both talismans! To do this, assist Millicent in her quest line and defeat her sisters. After this, do not reload the area. Instead, travel back to where Millicent is, and kill her. This will reward you with both talismans.
The Moral Dimension
Beyond the mechanical benefits and drawbacks, the choice to aid or betray Millicent also carries a moral weight. Millicent is a tragic character struggling against her own fate and the influence of the Scarlet Rot. Assisting her represents a commitment to helping those in need, even in the face of overwhelming odds. Betraying her, while potentially advantageous, is an act of selfishness that reinforces the bleak and unforgiving nature of the Lands Between. This ties into the wider themes of Games Learning Society, wherein difficult moral choices are offered to the player to better understand their own character.
Conclusion: Choose Wisely, Tarnished
The decision to aid or betray Millicent is a significant one in Elden Ring, impacting your character build, ending possibilities, and moral alignment. Carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks of each choice, weigh the value of the talismans, and reflect on the moral implications of your actions. Ultimately, the “best” choice is the one that aligns with your goals and values as a player.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Millicent’s quest worth doing?
Yes, absolutely! Millicent’s questline is rich in lore, character development, and rewards. It offers a compelling narrative that explores the themes of fate, identity, and the corrupting influence of the Scarlet Rot. Furthermore, it’s essential for unlocking certain alternate endings.
2. Can I still do Millicent’s quest after defeating Malenia?
Yes, Millicent’s questline can be completed even after defeating Malenia. Her questline is largely independent of your progress through the main storyline.
3. What happens if I kill Millicent before starting her quest?
If you kill Millicent before starting her quest, you will obtain Millicent’s Prosthesis, but you will permanently lock yourself out of her questline, and you won’t be able to obtain the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia.
4. What is Millicent weak to?
Millicent, like other NPC enemies, is vulnerable to jump attacks. You can also interrupt her attacks by striking before she completes them.
5. Can you undo killing Millicent?
No, unlike some other NPCs, Millicent cannot be revived after being killed. Once she’s gone, she’s gone for good.
6. Does going to Altus Plateau ruin any quests?
No, progressing to the Altus Plateau does not inherently ruin any quests, including Millicent’s. The most common ways to accidentally ruin quests are by obtaining the Finger Slayer Blade or by killing Rykard prematurely.
7. What if I invade Millicent?
If you invade and kill Millicent, you will obtain Millicent’s Prosthesis. However, this will end her questline prematurely, preventing you from obtaining the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and experiencing the rest of her story.
8. Should I give Millicent the arm (Valkyrie’s Prosthesis)?
Yes, giving Millicent the Valkyrie’s Prosthesis is essential for progressing her questline.
9. Can you do Millicent’s quest without Gowry?
No, you cannot start Millicent’s quest without first speaking to Gowry at his shack in Caelid. He’s the key to initiating the questline.
10. Can I finish Millicent’s quest after killing the Fire Giant?
Yes, you can complete Millicent’s quest at any point in the game, even after defeating the Fire Giant or even the final boss.
11. Where does Gowry go after saving Millicent?
After you progress Millicent’s questline to the point where you must choose to invade or assist her, Gowry can be found crying in his shack.
12. Does Millicent’s Prosthesis stack with the Winged Sword Insignia?
Yes, Millicent’s Prosthesis stacks with both the Winged Sword Insignia and the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, allowing for a significant cumulative boost to attack power with successive attacks.
13. Does the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia stack with Millicent’s Prosthesis?
Yes, the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia and Millicent’s Prosthesis do stack, providing both the Dexterity boost and enhanced attack power scaling.
14. Is Millicent a daughter of Malenia?
Gowry strongly implies that Millicent is a daughter, sister, or “offshoot” of Malenia, the Goddess of Rot. Millicent herself acknowledges this potential connection, adding to the questline’s intrigue.
15. Can I get the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia if I killed Millicent?
No, if you kill Millicent early on, you can never obtain the Rotten Winged Sword Insignia. The only way to acquire it is by assisting her at the swamp fight.