Dancer’s Castanets and the Cannibal Queen: A Deep Dive into Tanith’s Fate in Elden Ring

What happens when you present the Dancer’s Castanets to Tanith in Elden Ring? Prepare for a bizarre and unsettling encounter! Giving the Dancer’s Castanets to Tanith, found consuming Rykard’s corpse, triggers a unique dialogue interaction. While it doesn’t yield any special items or directly alter the game’s ending, it provides a disturbing glimpse into Tanith’s motivations and devotion to Rykard. You’re presented with two choices: leave her to her macabre meal, or end her life. Neither choice dramatically impacts the overarching narrative, but choosing to kill her initiates a challenging boss fight against Tanith’s Knight, rewarding you with valuable items. Let’s delve deeper into this strange encounter and explore the surrounding mysteries of Volcano Manor.

Unraveling the Mystery: Giving Tanith the Dancer’s Castanets

After defeating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, you’ll find Patches outside the Castellan’s Hall in Shaded Castle. He’s the one who presents you with the Dancer’s Castanets, tasking you with delivering them to Tanith. Returning to Volcano Manor after Rykard’s demise reveals a changed landscape. Many of the NPCs have departed, and Tanith has relocated to Rykard’s boss room. There, you’ll find her indulging in the unsettling act of consuming Rykard’s remains.

Presenting the Dancer’s Castanets initiates a brief dialogue where Tanith expresses her devotion to Rykard and her belief in his eventual reincarnation. The castanets themselves seem to serve as a symbol of remembrance and perhaps even a twisted form of affection. After this interaction, you’re given a choice:

• Leave Tanith: You can simply leave her to continue eating Rykard. She remains in this location for the rest of the game, continuing her disturbing feast.
• Attack Tanith: Choosing to attack Tanith initiates a fight. Killing her doesn’t drastically affect the game’s overall story, but it does trigger a subsequent boss fight against Tanith’s Knight, who will invade immediately after. Defeating Tanith’s Knight rewards you with the Aspects of the Crucible: Breath Ash of War and allows you to loot the Consort’s Set (Tanith’s armor) from her body.

The decision is yours, and neither choice significantly alters the main storyline. It comes down to whether you’re driven by lore completion, a desire to acquire unique items, or simply a morbid curiosity.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Tanith and the Dancer’s Castanets

Here are some commonly asked questions surrounding Tanith, the Dancer’s Castanets, and the events at Volcano Manor:

1. Why is Tanith eating Rykard?

Tanith’s consumption of Rykard’s corpse stems from her extreme devotion and belief in his reincarnation. She believes that by consuming his essence, she can contribute to his eventual rebirth, potentially as a more powerful being. It’s a twisted expression of loyalty and a desperate attempt to keep Rykard’s legacy alive.

2. What exactly are the Dancer’s Castanets?

The Dancer’s Castanets are a seemingly innocuous item, traditionally used for creating rhythmic sounds in music and dance. However, in the context of Elden Ring, they take on a symbolic meaning. They represent a connection to Tanith’s past, potentially hinting at her former life before joining Rykard and embracing the path of blasphemy. The act of giving them to her while she’s consuming Rykard’s corpse further emphasizes the bizarre contrast between their elegant purpose and the grim reality of the situation. Much like in the real world, orchestral castanets, which are generally used to enhance the Spanish flavour of a piece, are attached to handles and shaken or are fastened to a block of wood and played with the fingers or drumsticks.

3. How do I get the Dancer’s Castanets?

After defeating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, and talking to Patches, he will move to a hallway before the Castellan’s Hall of the Shaded Castle, where he will give you this item upon talking to him. If you are exploring the world of Elden Ring and want to learn more about the educational potential that games have, be sure to check out the Games Learning Society and the work that is done there at GamesLearningSociety.org.

4. Should I kill Tanith? What are the benefits?

There’s no major downside to killing Tanith. You’ll get her outfit, and her knight bodyguard will invade you. He’ll drop an Ash of War, which can be incredibly useful for certain builds. Moreover, some players simply find her actions disturbing and choose to end her suffering (or enable it further depending on your take!). Ultimately, the decision is yours and doesn’t impact the main endings.

5. How do I fight Tanith’s Knight? What’s the strategy?

Tanith’s Knight is a formidable opponent, wielding Crucible Knight abilities. He is susceptible to status effects like Sleep, Scarlet Rot, Poison, and Frostbite. Utilizing weapons or spells that inflict these effects can significantly simplify the fight. Parrying his attacks is also a viable strategy for skilled players.

6. Where does Tanith go after I beat Rykard?

After defeating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, you can find Tanith in her usual spot inside Volcano Manor. Exhaust her dialogue there, then reload the area and she’ll move to Rykard’s boss room. There, you will find her eating Rykard.

7. Does killing Rykard lock me out of Volcano Manor quests?

Yes, killing Rykard will lock you out of all Volcano Manor quests. It’s highly recommended to complete all available assassination contracts before facing Rykard.

8. Can I do Volcano Manor without joining?

Yes, you can access and defeat Rykard without joining Volcano Manor, though it comes with consequences. You’ll miss Rya’s questline and all the loot gained from Tanith’s contracts.

9. What happens if I tell Tanith about Rya (Zoraya)?

You will have the option to reveal the truth about Volcano Manor to her. Speak to Lady Tanith about Rya/Zoraya and immediately rest at the nearby Site Of Grace. Speak to Lady Tanith again, and she will reveal that Rya/Zoraya has gone missing. She will hand you the Tonic Of Forgetfulness to give to Rya/Zoraya.

10. Is there a secret room in Volcano Manor? How do I find it?

There was a glitch where a specific wall in Volcano Manor could be broken after hitting it roughly 50 times. However, this “50-hit wall” has since been patched by FromSoftware. It no longer functions as a secret passage.

11. What happens to Rya after killing Rykard?

Once you go and defeat Rykard and return to the manor (when everyone’s left), Rya will be at her original spot in the drawing room. Speak to her, then reload the area to find the Daedicar’s Woe talisman where she was standing.

12. Is Rykard Rennala’s son?

Yes, Rykard was the son of Radagon and Queen Rennala, making him the brother of Radahn and Ranni.

13. Does Rykard have a daughter?

The game suggests a complicated lineage. While not explicitly stated, many believe that Zoraya, who transforms into a serpent-like creature, is Rykard’s daughter. This fits the themes of twisted nobility and aberrant births prevalent in the game.

14. Why should I side with Tanith?

Accepting Tanith’s offer and completing her questline likely represents the path of least resistance for those pursuing Rykard, though it shouldn’t be pursued by most players, as it requires gamers to explore a late-game area to which they will likely not yet have been.

15. What are the rewards for killing the Crucible Knight?

When the Crucible Knight is finally defeated, you’ll be rewarded with 2,100 Runes. You’ll also bag the fantastic Aspects of the Crucible: Tale Incantation, which actually grants you the ability to summon your very own tail for a swiping attack in front of you. This Incantation, along with others found throughout the Lands Between, can add a great deal to the game’s lore, showing the great ways video games provide interactive learning, like in the works studied by the Games Learning Society.