Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy, is an optional Demigod Boss in Elden Ring that resides within a giant cavern beneath the Volcano Manor. The boss will first appear as God-Devouring Serpent but reveal itself to be Rykard at the start of the second phase. There are two primary ways to reach Rykard, one of which involves completing the questline of the Volcano Manor's headmistress, Tanith.
Volcano Manor is located within the volcanic summit of Mt. Gelmir in the Atlus Plateau. Tarnished adventurers can travel to this location by fulfilling Rya's request in Liurnia or completing the perilous climb up the mountain. Once they arrive in the Volcano Manor, they can speak with Tanith, who can be found near the manor's Site of Grace. She will provide the protagonist with a Drawing-Room Key and give them their first assassination contract. If players complete all the contracts for Tanith, she will grant the player access to Rykard's lair. Alternatively, they can enter the first room on the right in the manor's side corridor using the key given by the mistress. On the right-most side of the room sits an Illusory Wall hiding a passageway that leads to the inner exterior of the manor.
Following along the main pathway should lead players to the Temple of Eiglay, where they will face a Godskin Noble mini-boss. This temple sits across in the southeast from the Prison Town Church. After defeating the noble, exit out the second floor and cross the magma river to reach a portal on the backside of the manor, which teleports the player to the Audience Pathway, the area of rest before facing Rykard. Adventurers can get to the portal by running straight across the river of lava while gulping down HP Flasks, or they can take the heavily guarded route through the overpass.
Once Tarnished enter the boss arena, the God-Devouring Serpent will be lying dormant in the wide-open room's center. On the way to the Demigod, players will notice a lootable Great Spear held by a corpse. The mysterious Elden Ring weapon is called the Serpent-Hunter and functions similarly to the Storm Ruler when fighting Yhorm the Giant in Dark Souls 3. When wielding the spear against Rykard, Tarnished can cast several special attacks that deal massive damage to the boss. Furthermore, the Serpent-Hunter has no stat requirements, meaning any build can use the Great Spear to defeat the boss. Nevertheless, some players, such as spellcasters, might not realize this when they enter the fight.
Equip the Serpent-Hunter and continuously use the staggering, slamming-stab ability on the giant serpent. Make sure to time the attacks properly to not let Rykard have a chance to retaliate. When fighting the Lord of Blasphemy with an ally wielding the Serpent-Hunter, the Elden Ring boss fight becomes even easier. Once the second phase begins, continue the exact attack as before to defeat the Rykard.
Elden Ring is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
