As one of the Tarnished, you will endure some of the most grueling confrontations in gaming history - at least if you’re new to FromSoftware games. If not, well then, you’re effectively a veteran masochist eager to return to the table for more punishment.Elden Ringischock-full of monstrosities, horrors, and hostile warriorsready to take your head from its shoulders.
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Despite the existence of the frighteningly cruel world of the Lands Between, there is a (mostly) safe haven of sorts you recognize as the Roundtable Hold. Here, you can refine your weapons, upgrade your spirits, trade with NPCs, and receive hugs from the peculiar Fia when life in the outside world seems too harsh. But there are a few small details you might miss along the way.
6The Mirror
When you enter Fia’s room, the oddly sinister woman is sitting, ready to embrace you should you accept her offer. It’s a modest living space with a quaint fireplace at the head of the room, some misplaced furniture, and, of course, the bedding on which Fia sits. Everything in the room seems rather ordinary, given the setting of Elden Ring.
But some might overlook the mirror standing next to the opposite wall of the fireplace. After all, it’s just another ordinary-looking furnishing within the room. But if you approach it, you can actually access a menu to alter your character’s appearance. It’s possible that you explored every inch of this room and found it on your first go. Or, perhaps, you’re like some players who didn’t even discover it until their second playthrough.
5Hewg’s Prayer
The tortured blacksmith, Hewg, is ready and willing to upgrade your weapons should you have the proper materials that enable him to do so. He doesn’t always seem so happy to be fulfilling the role that he does in the Roundtable Hold. Still, he offers helpful advice when the moment calls for it.
Truthfully, Hewg was ordered by Queen Marika to remain in the Roundtable Hold, crafting weapons for the Tarnished. He’s been given the inconceivable task of constructing a weapon that can kill a god. At a seemingly random moment, you can find Hewg saying a prayer at his smithing table. Of course, his prayer addresses Marika herself, often begging for forgiveness. What can be gleaned here is that Hewg isn’t necessarily following orders but is enslaved by Queen Marika for some wrongdoing he committed. If you talk to him and ask him about his prayer, he’ll balk at the idea of telling you the significance of it, saying his words are not for you.
4The Hidden Site Of Grace
The central feature of the Roundtable Hold is, well, the roundtable itself. Clearly, the Roundtable Hold is a fixture outside the physical realm of the Lands Between. Some theories suggest that it’s a construct of Queen Marika’s mind, given that it’s a copy of a physical location. But the roundtable itself was once a gathering place for her champions and clearly held meaning to Marika.
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You may not have realized that you can actually interact with the table like it is a Site of Grace. Some players complete the entire game without ever realizing this. It doesn’t look like an ordinary Site of Grace. But if you mod the game, enabling you to view through normal barriers of the game, you can see that the developers actually put a site of grace underneath the center of the table, which is what you’re interacting with.
3The Price To Pay For A Hug
If you’ve played through the game and even followed Fia’s questline, you know Fia isn’t exactly in her right mind. She has a rather sordid history and an interesting questline ahead of her if you follow it. But, if you choose not to interact with Fia and speak in secret with her while she embraces you in her bosom, then you may never know the effect she has over you.
Still, there may even be some players who don’t notice that Fia actually debuffs you when you accept her embrace. It’s not like the game blatantly tells you. Instead, you see a small symbol below your stats indicating that she has temporarily reduced your maximum health. Perhaps, this is a sign of things to come should you follow her promptings in a quest.
2The Cipher Pata
This faith-based weapon can be found within the Roundtable Hold. To get there, you’ll have to defeat the Mad Tongue Alberich when jumping down to the lower level from the balcony outside the roundtable area. It’s one of the few moments you must fight an invader inside the Roundtable Hold.
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If you continue through the available pathways and explore a bit after defeating the invader, you’ll find the Cipher Pata resting on top of a charred corpse - perhaps an omen of what’s to come. It’s a powerful weapon crafted from “formless” ciphers. Imagine a blade of light and lettering. Because of this, itsspecial forward-thrusting attackcan’t be blocked by enemies.
1Receiving the Reverential Bow Gesture
Speaking of good ol' Mad Tongue Alberich, when he first appears, you might have the tendency to rush the fellow or immediately begin assaulting him with magic. After all, he is an invader. Red means bad!
But, if you pause in front of him before going in for the kill, he’ll offer a bow which, in effect, grants youa new gesture. This is the Reverential Bow gesture. So, don’t be too hasty!
