How to Get the Blasphemous Blade in Elden Ring: Volcano Manor, Rykard and Enia

The Blasphemous Blade is one of Elden Ring's best weapons for Faith builds: a flaming greatsword that heals you every time you kill an enemy and whose skill, Taker's Flames, sends out a wave of fire that heals you when it hits. You get it by beating Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy at the bottom of Volcano Manor and trading his Remembrance with Finger Reader Enia at Roundtable Hold.

Everything here applies to the current version of the game, including the Shadow of the Erdtree patches.

Quick answer

Requirements

• Stats to wield it: 22 Strength, 15 Dexterity, 21 Faith. Holding it with both hands lowers the effective Strength need, but Faith 21 is a must.
• Recommended level: guides put Rykard at roughly level 70–80. You can go lower thanks to the Serpent-Hunter, but phase two punishes low Vigor.
• Access to the Altus Plateau, through the Grand Lift of Dectus or the Ruin-Strewn Precipice.
• Upgrades: the blade uses Somber Smithing Stones, so you can't change its affinity or Ash of War.

Step 1: Get to Volcano Manor

Volcano Manor sits on Mt. Gelmir, the volcano on the western side of the Altus Plateau. There are three common ways in.

1. Rya's invitation (easiest). Talk to Rya near the Laskyar Ruins grace in Liurnia. Get her necklace back from Blackguard Big Boggart at Boilprawn Shack (buy it or kill him), return it to her and accept the invitation. Meet her again on the Altus Plateau and she'll take you straight into the manor.
2. On foot via Seethewater Terminus. From the Erdtree-Gazing Hill grace, head north to Wyndham Ruins and the Seethewater River, then follow the river west to Seethewater Terminus. Push on past Fort Laiedd and up the mountain to the Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite, then down to the manor.
3. On foot via the Road of Iniquity. From the Bridge of Iniquity grace in the north of the plateau, climb the road past the First Mt. Gelmir Campsite toward the summit and on to the manor.

Step 2: Reach Rykard

Inside, talk to Tanith and agree to join the manor. She gives you the Drawing Room Key, and joining costs you nothing.

• Exploration route: go through the door on the right of the main hall and roll through the illusory painting wall. That opens up the hidden wing: Prison Town Church, a Godskin Noble boss fight and then the Temple of Eiglay grace. A path from there leads to Rykard's arena.
• Assassination route: finish Tanith's three assassination contracts. After the third (Juno Hoslow in the Mountaintops of the Giants), Tanith offers to send you to Rykard's door directly.

Before you go in: finish everything you want from the Volcano Manor questlines, including Tanith's and Rya's. Killing Rykard ends them and you lose those rewards.

Step 3: Beat Rykard with the Serpent-Hunter

As you walk into the arena, look on the ground just in front of you, slightly to the left: that's the Serpent-Hunter, a great spear with no stat requirements. Equip it in your right hand. Its attacks extend into a long wind slash, which lets you hit the giant serpent from a safe distance.

1. Phase 1 – God-Devouring Serpent. Its bites, grabs, lava waves and poison spit are slow and well telegraphed. Keep moving sideways and use the spear's charged skill whenever it stops; a few hits stagger it.
2. Phase 2 – Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. He adds a huge sword and fire magic, including homing skulls. When he raises his sword he summons a firestorm of geysers and skulls – run in a wide circle until it ends. He's harder to stagger now, so play safer.
3. Prepare for fire and poison. The Flamedrake Talisman and fire-resistant armor cut the damage a lot, and Neutralizing Boluses fix poison. Spirit Ashes are allowed.

Rykard drops the Remembrance of the Blasphemous and Rykard's Great Rune. Grab the Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy grace, then fast travel to Roundtable Hold.

Step 4: Trade the Remembrance with Enia

Speak to Finger Reader Enia in Roundtable Hold and choose "Trade Remembrances". You can pick the Blasphemous Blade or the sorcery Rykard's Rancor. Consuming the Remembrance for runes instead would lose you both, so don't use it from your inventory.

You get one Remembrance per playthrough. Duplicating it at a Walking Mausoleum lets you take the other reward too, but you still can't get a second Blasphemous Blade in the same run.

Blasphemous Blade stats

Taker's Flames was toned down in patch 1.12 (the Shadow of the Erdtree launch): it now deals less poise damage and no longer knocks enemies down. It's still a strong, self-healing ranged skill, just not the stagger machine it was at launch.

Tips and common mistakes

• Trading for Rykard's Rancor by accident. Read the menu carefully – both rewards are listed in the same screen.
• Killing Rykard too early. Do Tanith's and Rya's questlines first if you care about their rewards.
• Ignoring the spear. Fighting the serpent with a short weapon is slow and dangerous. Use the Serpent-Hunter, then switch back.
• Under-leveling Faith. The blade's best scaling is Faith (B at +10), so it shines in Strength/Faith or Quality/Faith builds.
• Forgetting Somber Stones. It upgrades to +10 with Somber Smithing Stones, so you'll want Somber Stone 9 and a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone for the final step.