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Patches first appears in Murkwater Cave in Limgrave. Spare him there to keep his quest available, then follow his route through optional encounters at Scenic Isle and Mt. Gelmir, Volcano Manor, the Shaded Castle, and finally back to Murkwater Cave. His later moves depend on quest progress and major story events, so the stops may not appear in the same order for every player.
1. Find Patches in Murkwater Cave
Murkwater Cave in Limgrave is Patches’ first encounter. He fights as a hostile NPC, but yields during the battle. Stop attacking when he gives up, then reload the area and speak with him to access his merchant state. Killing him ends the route described here, so spare him if you want to continue the quest.
2. Check the optional encounters
Before the Volcano Manor contract, Patches may appear at Scenic Isle in Liurnia and at Mt. Gelmir. These are documented appearances, not required contract steps; progression can move him past an earlier stop.
Scenic Isle, Liurnia
Look for Patches at Scenic Isle. If he is absent, continue with the main route and check the next progression-triggered location rather than assuming the quest has failed.
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Mt. Gelmir
At Mt. Gelmir, Patches points you toward a trail and pushes you from a ledge. This is an optional encounter, not a separate required task for his Volcano Manor request.
3. Complete Patches’ Volcano Manor request
- Join Volcano Manor and complete Tanith’s first request.
- Speak with Patches at the manor. He asks you to kill Great-Horned Tragoth, whose invasion sign is in the Magma Wyrm Makar boss area at Ruin-Strewn Precipice.
- Return to Patches and exhaust his dialogue. Rest, then speak with him again; the guide reports that this follow-up awards the Magma Whip Candlestick.
- After defeating Rykard, return to Patches and exhaust his dialogue before moving on. Defeating Rykard advances the Volcano Manor NPCs from their earlier positions.
4. Find Patches at the Shaded Castle
After the Volcano Manor stage and Rykard’s defeat, check the Shaded Castle near the approach to Elemer of the Briar. Patches is described in the hallway or statue bridge leading toward the boss area. Speak with him to receive the Dancer’s Castanets.
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You can offer the Castanets to Tanith, but she refuses them. Treat this as a story beat, not a handoff that grants a reward.
5. Return to Murkwater Cave
After the Shaded Castle encounter, return to Murkwater Cave for Patches’ later encounter. Do not kill him; the encounter’s reported reward is the Patches’ Crouch gesture. Game8 identifies this continuation as an addition made in patch 1.04, which explains why older walkthroughs may end the quest earlier.
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If Patches is missing
- Check the previous location and confirm that you have exhausted Patches’ dialogue there.
- Confirm whether you have completed Tanith’s first request, Patches’ Tragoth request, or defeated Rykard; these events affect his next position.
- Do not assume Scenic Isle or Mt. Gelmir must be visited. Gamer Guides notes that players who reach Volcano Manor or fight Patches after reaching it can skip earlier appearances.
- If the expected stop is empty, continue to the next stage supported by your completed events, including the Shaded Castle after the Volcano Manor stage and Murkwater Cave after the Shaded Castle.
For a route-specific check, note the last major event you completed—Patches’ Volcano Manor request, Rykard, or the Shaded Castle—and the last place where you exhausted his dialogue. That is more useful than searching every earlier optional stop.
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Sources
- Game8: Patches Questline and Location
- Gamer Guides: How to Find Patches and Complete his Quest
- Bandai Namco: ELDEN RING official page
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