Praetor Rykard

Praetor Rykard, the Lord of Blasphemy. That coiled horror atop Mt. Gelmir—he offers a different kind of lesson entirely. Where Godrick sought to steal a meager piece of glory, Rykard sought to devour the entire divine order.

The Justiciar of Volcano Manor

Before his grotesque transformation, Rykard was a renowned figure of the Golden Order:

  • Sovereign Lineage: He is a son of Queen Rennala and Radagon, making him one of the powerful demigod siblings of the Carian Royal Family, alongside General Radahn and Lunar Princess Ranni.

  • The Ruthless Justiciar: His title was Praetor, a high rank, and he commanded a company of inquisitors. He was known for his serpentine demeanor even then—a ruthless enforcer of the Golden Order's laws. The very dungeons of Volcano Manor are filled with the torture instruments and the iron cages of the Abductor Virgins he devised to ensnare the heretical and the uncompliant.

The Turn to Blasphemy

Rykard's mind was sharp, but filled with a growing disdain for the Greater Will and the stagnant order of the Erdtree. He saw the demigods squabbling in the Shattering as pawns in a petty, futile conflict.

  • Ancient Power: Deep within Mt. Gelmir, a place the Golden Order feared, he found the relics of an ancient, forgotten religion—the worship of an Immortal Great Serpent, a creature that stood in direct defiance of the Erdtree and the very order of the world. Rykard cultivated the lava sorceries and hexes tied to this power.

  • The Devouring Vow: Rykard decided that the only way to truly shatter the rule of the Greater Will was to commit the ultimate sin: Blasphemy against the divine. He willingly offered his body to the serpent, allowing it to devour him, Great Rune and all.

  • A New Family: This monstrous act fused Rykard's soul and power with the ancient serpent, creating the monstrosity you face. His new philosophy became clear: "Join the Serpent King, as family. Together, we will devour the very gods!"

The Lord of Blasphemy

  • The Recusants: Rykard, now the voice of the Serpent, established Volcano Manor as the base for the Recusants—a faction of Tarnished and outcasts dedicated to fighting the Golden Order.

  • A Cannibal's Power: The manor, led by his consort Lady Tanith, was a hunting ground. The Recusants would be sent out to assassinate other honorable Tarnished and nobles. If they proved themselves strong in combat, they would be brought back... to be devoured by Rykard, so that their strength and soul would be assimilated into his ever-growing, immortal form.

  • The Serpent-Hunter: Even some of his loyal followers, the Mt. Gelmir Knights, saw their lord's noble rebellion descend into gluttonous depravity. They secretly sought the legendary Serpent-Hunter spear, hoping to slay the serpent and spare their former master from his dishonorable fate.

Rykard is not a pathetic weakling like Godrick. He is a terrifying ideological radical who successfully corrupted an entire noble house into a cult of cosmic cannibalism, all in pursuit of a single, terrible goal: to replace the current gods by literally eating them. He is the ultimate, blasphemous challenge to the Erdtree's supremacy.