Patches's Quest

Key takeaways

The quest is optional, location-based, and easy to interrupt by killing Patches or advancing related events without speaking to him.

• Spare Patches in Murkwater Cave Stop attacking after Patches surrenders and speak with him. This keeps his merchant services and later appearances available.
• Check his current location after progression Patches relocates rather than remaining in one hub. Revisit Liurnia of the Lakes, Mt. Gelmir, Volcano Manor, and the Shaded Castle as the story advances.
• Complete his Volcano Manor request After Patches becomes involved with Volcano Manor, accept his request involving Great Horned Tragoth if you want the associated reward.
• Do not treat every encounter as harmless Patches's traps can separate the player from the intended route or place them in danger. Approach suspicious items and cliffside setups cautiously.
• Killing him is an irreversible quest choice Patches's Bell Bearing can be obtained by killing him, but doing so ends his remaining quest encounters and prevents later dialogue and rewards.

Overview

Patches's Quest is a deliberately unreliable side quest that moves Patches between several regions rather than presenting as one continuous objective chain.

The quest begins in Murkwater Cave, where Patches appears as the apparent owner of a treasure chest and attacks when the player opens it. Reducing his health far enough causes him to surrender. The important decision comes immediately afterward: sparing Patches preserves the later stages of his story and allows him to become a recurring merchant, while killing him ends the quest line and provides his Bell Bearing instead. This first encounter is the point at which the player determines whether Patches remains available for future meetings.

After Murkwater Cave, Patches relocates to locations in Liurnia of the Lakes and Mt. Gelmir before becoming associated with Volcano Manor. His behavior remains consistent throughout: he offers advice or an apparent opportunity, then turns the situation into a trap or a test. The quest therefore matters less as a conventional chain of combat objectives and more as a series of location checks, dialogue conversations, and decisions about whether to trust him.

The Volcano Manor portion connects Patches's personal storyline to the manor's assassination requests. Patches eventually asks the player to defeat Great Horned Tragoth, and completing that request advances Patches's rewards independently of simply finding him as a merchant. Later, Patches can also be found at the Shaded Castle, where his dialogue and an item intended for Tanith provide the quest's aftermath. These stages are easiest to miss if the player finishes or disrupts Volcano Manor before checking Patches's current location.

The quest is distinctive because its progress is not communicated through a single formal quest marker. The player must revisit Patches after major regional developments, listen to his dialogue, and inspect the locations where his encounters are known to occur. The most consequential failure is attacking him after he yields in Murkwater Cave or killing him at a later location; either choice removes the remaining Patches-specific encounters from that playthrough.

Where this sits

Requirements

The opening encounter has no special prerequisite, but later stages depend on preserving Patches and reaching the regions and story hubs where he relocates.

• RequiredReach Murkwater CaveEnter the cave and investigate the treasure chest to trigger Patches's opening encounter.
• RequiredSpare PatchesAllow the surrender sequence to complete and speak with him instead of continuing the attack.
• RequiredReach Liurnia of the Lakes and Mt. GelmirLater meetings occur outside Murkwater Cave, so regional access is needed to continue the chain.
• RequiredReach Volcano ManorPatches's assassination-related request becomes available through his Volcano Manor appearance.
• RequiredProgress the Volcano Manor requestsThe request involving Great Horned Tragoth is tied to the manor's progression and must be available before it can be completed.

Objectives

1. Investigate the treasure chest in Murkwater CaveOpening the chest starts the first confrontation with Patches.
2. Decide Patches's fateSparing him preserves the quest; killing him ends it and gives access to his Bell Bearing.
3. Find Patches after he relocatesSearch his later positions in Liurnia of the Lakes and Mt. Gelmir rather than returning only to Murkwater Cave.
4. Meet Patches at Volcano ManorSpeak with him during the manor's progression to access his special request.
5. Defeat Great Horned TragothComplete the invasion request associated with Patches.
6. Reach the Shaded Castle aftermathFind Patches at the Shaded Castle and resolve the item handoff connected to Tanith.Optional

WalkthroughSpoilers

1. 01

   Trigger the first encounter with Patches.

   Enter Murkwater Cave

   Travel into Murkwater Cave and follow the cave route until you reach the room containing a treasure chest. Opening that chest triggers Patches's ambush, so heal and prepare before interacting with it.

   Location: Murkwater Cave

   TipDo not assume the chest is a normal reward container; the encounter begins as soon as it is opened.

   Watch outKilling Patches here permanently removes the later stages of Patches's Quest.

2. 02

   End the ambush without killing Patches.

   Fight Patches until he surrenders

   Attack Patches during the ambush, but stop once he yields and the surrender state is clear. Continuing to attack after that point kills him instead of allowing the quest to continue.

   Location: Murkwater Cave

   TipUse controlled attacks rather than a long combo so you can stop immediately when the surrender occurs.

   Watch outDo not land another attack after Patches has surrendered if you want his later appearances and rewards.

3. 03

   Complete the opening dialogue.

   Speak with the spared Patches

   After the fight, talk to Patches and exhaust the available conversation. This establishes him as a merchant and confirms that the non-lethal route has been preserved.

   Location: Murkwater Cave

   TipReturn to the room after the encounter if Patches is not immediately obvious; the quest depends on speaking with him after the fight.

   Watch outLeaving without resolving the encounter can make it unclear whether the quest has advanced, so confirm the dialogue before moving on.

4. 04

   Trigger the next Patches conversation.

   Find Patches in Liurnia of the Lakes

   After the Murkwater Cave stage, Patches relocates to Liurnia of the Lakes. Locate him at his new position and speak with him to continue the sequence rather than treating the cave as his permanent home.

   Location: Liurnia of the Lakes

   TipCheck Patches's new location after making progress through the opening regions if he is no longer present in Murkwater Cave.

   Watch outThe quest's location changes are easy to miss because the game does not present a single persistent quest marker for Patches.

5. 05

   Complete Patches's cliffside trap encounter.

   Follow the Mt. Gelmir setup

   Patches later appears on Mt. Gelmir near a trail marked by rainbow stones. Investigating the apparent route causes Patches to reveal another trap and sends the player away from the approach point.

   Location: Mt. Gelmir

   TipTreat the rainbow-stone trail as a warning rather than proof that the route is safe, and be ready for Patches to act once you approach.

   Watch outThe trap can displace the player and leave them exposed in unfamiliar terrain; recover your bearings before attempting to retrace the route.

6. 06

   Advance Patches's Volcano Manor stage.

   Reach Volcano Manor

   Travel to Volcano Manor and progress far enough for Patches to appear there. Speak with him at the manor so his dialogue and request become available.

   Location: Volcano Manor

   TipCheck the manor's occupants after major progression changes, because Patches's presence is tied to the hub's evolving state.

   Watch outAdvancing or completing the manor's storyline without checking Patches can make his request and later interactions unavailable or difficult to recover.

7. 07

   Obtain the request involving Great Horned Tragoth.

   Accept Patches's request

   Patches provides a request connected to the Volcano Manor assassination system. Read the target information and confirm that the request concerns Great Horned Tragoth before leaving the manor.

   Location: Volcano Manor

   TipKeep the request's target distinct from the manor's other assignments; Patches's reward is tied to this specific target.

   Watch outDo not assume that completing a different Volcano Manor request completes Patches's objective.

8. 08

   Complete Patches's assassination request.

   Defeat Great Horned Tragoth

   Use the invasion sign associated with the request to enter Great Horned Tragoth's encounter and defeat the target. Return to Volcano Manor afterward and speak with Patches to register the completion.

   Location: Volcano Manor request area

   TipConfirm the invasion reward and then revisit Patches rather than leaving the manor immediately after the fight.

   Watch outIf the relevant Volcano Manor progression has been closed, the invasion request may no longer be available in the current playthrough.

9. 09

   Resolve Patches's reward dialogue.

   Collect the Magma Whip Candlestick

   After the Great Horned Tragoth request is completed and Patches is updated, return to him at Volcano Manor to receive the associated reward. The reward is a weapon, not a consumable or upgrade material.

   Location: Volcano Manor

   TipSpeak with Patches after the target is defeated even if no obvious new map marker appears.

   Watch outDo not leave the manor's quest state unresolved if you are planning to advance its major storyline.

10. 10

    Complete Patches's final known base-game appearance.

    Find Patches at the Shaded Castle

    Patches later relocates to the Shaded Castle. Speak with him there to receive the Dancer's Castanets, an item intended for Tanith, and then pursue the handoff as part of the quest aftermath.

    Location: Shaded Castle

    TipSearch the castle after the Volcano Manor stage rather than expecting Patches to remain at the manor.

    Watch outThis encounter is tied to late Volcano Manor progression, so completing related events first may prevent the meeting from appearing.

Mission mechanics

Patches's Quest advances through state changes rather than a conventional quest log. The key triggers are sparing Patches, exhausting his dialogue, reaching the next region, and returning to him after the relevant Volcano Manor request. When he disappears from one location, that is usually a relocation rather than a failure, but the game provides limited direction about where to look next.

The quest also uses deception as its central interaction pattern. The chest in Murkwater Cave starts the first ambush, the Mt. Gelmir rainbow-stone trail leads into a trap, and later rewards depend on recognizing which dialogue belongs to Patches's personal request. Players who are deciding whether to trust him should treat every apparent shortcut or piece of advice as a possible encounter trigger, not as a guaranteed safe route.

The Volcano Manor section has two separate actions that should not be conflated: accepting Patches's request and defeating Great Horned Tragoth. The quest is not complete merely because the target has been defeated; the player must return to Patches and advance the associated dialogue to receive the reward. This return step is especially important because the game may not provide a strong notification that Patches has new dialogue.

Patches's survival is the primary resource for the entire chain. His Bell Bearing is the alternative reward for killing him, but it is a replacement for his continued presence rather than an addition to it. Players prioritizing the full quest should spare him; players prioritizing immediate access to his merchant inventory through the Twin Maiden Husks may instead choose the lethal route, accepting that the later storyline will be lost.

What works and what does not

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Kill Patches during the Murkwater Cave encounter.

  The quest ends at its opening stage. Patches's Bell Bearing becomes available, but his later appearances, dialogue, and quest rewards are lost.

  Spoiler
• Stop attacking when Patches surrenders.

  Patches survives, becomes available as a merchant, and can later be encountered in Liurnia of the Lakes, Mt. Gelmir, Volcano Manor, and the Shaded Castle.

• Complete the Great Horned Tragoth request and return to Patches.

  The Volcano Manor stage advances and the Magma Whip Candlestick can be obtained through Patches's reward dialogue.

  Spoiler
• Advance related Volcano Manor events without resolving Patches's dialogue.

  The later request, reward conversation, or Shaded Castle appearance may no longer be available in the current playthrough.

  Spoiler
• Deliver or attempt to deliver the Dancer's Castanets to Tanith after the Shaded Castle meeting.

  This follows the intended aftermath of Patches's late quest stage, although the item does not produce the kind of broad quest reward that accompanies the Great Horned Tragoth request.

  Spoiler

Completion checklistSpoilers

• Reach the treasure chest in Murkwater CaveThis starts the first Patches encounter.
• Reduce Patches to the surrender state without killing himStop attacking as soon as he yields.
• Speak with Patches after the Murkwater Cave fightConfirm the non-lethal quest state.
• Find Patches in Liurnia of the LakesHis first relocation is easy to overlook.
• Complete the rainbow-stone trap encounter on Mt. GelmirApproach the marked trail with caution.
• Speak with Patches at Volcano ManorThis begins the manor-related stage.
• Accept the request involving Great Horned TragothDo not confuse it with another Volcano Manor assignment.
• Defeat Great Horned TragothUse the appropriate invasion sign for the request.
• Return to Patches and claim the Magma Whip CandlestickThe reward requires follow-up dialogue.
• Find Patches at the Shaded CastleThis is the late base-game encounter.
• Obtain the Dancer's CastanetsPatches gives the item in the Shaded Castle aftermath.
• Resolve the Tanith handoffFollow the item's intended recipient after receiving it.

Failure conditionsSpoilers

• Patches is killedKilling him at Murkwater Cave or a later encounter ends Patches's personal quest and prevents the remaining appearances.
• The surrender is ignoredContinuing to attack after Patches yields converts the intended non-lethal encounter into a kill.
• Volcano Manor progression is advanced too farClosing or completing related manor events before resolving Patches's request can remove his remaining dialogue or reward path.
• Patches is not revisited after defeating Great Horned TragothThe target defeat alone does not complete the reward sequence; return to Patches and speak with him.
• The Shaded Castle stage is skippedFailing to search for Patches after the Volcano Manor stage can leave the Dancer's Castanets and the associated aftermath unresolved.

Rewards and dropsSpoilers

• Patches's Bell Bearing
  Obtained by killing Patches. It allows his merchant inventory to be transferred to the Twin Maiden Husks, but it is an alternative to continuing his quest rather than an additional reward.
• Magma Whip Candlestick
  Reward associated with completing Patches's request to defeat Great Horned Tragoth and then returning to Patches at Volcano Manor. It is a weapon for players interested in its whip-based moveset and fire-focused identity.
• Dancer's Castanets
  Received from Patches at the Shaded Castle. The item is intended for Tanith and belongs to the quest's late aftermath rather than functioning as the main combat reward.
• Leather set
  Patches's clothing set can be obtained through the Patches quest path and is associated with his recurring merchant identity.
• Gestures
  The quest includes gesture rewards and dialogue unlocks connected to the early Patches encounter. The exact gesture availability depends on how the surrender conversation is resolved.

Characters in this mission

• PatchesQuest-giver, merchant, ambush opponent, and the subject of the quest.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• Patches is a recurring FromSoftware character archetype whose role in Elden Ring again combines merchant services, betrayal, traps, and comic relief.
• The quest's locations reflect Patches's shifting relationship with the player: Murkwater Cave presents him as an ambush opponent, Mt. Gelmir as a prankster, and Volcano Manor as a participant in a larger assassination network.
• The Dancer's Castanets are unusual among the quest's rewards because their importance is primarily narrative and relational: they are given to Patches for Tanith rather than serving as the main material reward for his request.

Relationships