Should you accept or refuse Melina in Elden Ring?

Elden Ring is finally here and it is already proving to be everything fans have wanted and more while living up to the hype it has built. Many are going to call it a masterpiece.

After all, it is the culmination of everything FromSoftware has done in the past but with a gigantic open-world and NPCs with questionable allegiances and goals.

One NPC with such questionable goals is Melina, the self-anointed Finger Maiden. Players will meet her an hour or so into their journey. Her reason for existing is unknown, even to her (or so she says) - yet she offers an accord. Despite knowing little about her, here is why it is best to agree to her offer.

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Elden Ring: why accepting Melina’s accord is integral to the game

Melina appears after the third Site of Grace (Image via FromSoftware)

Shortly after you’ve started your journey in Elden Ring, Melina introduces herself. If you haven’t met her yet, you will as soon as you’ve visited your third Site of Grace. Melina appears, with the ghostly blue shimmers and all, and greets you.

Before either of you can get acquainted, Melina immediately offers an accord. For her service, she only asks that you take her to the foot of Erdtree. As for why, she doesn’t know or at least won’t tell you.

By accepting her request and creating an accord, you’ll receive two important features: being able to level up and the Spectral Steed Whistle. Like previous FromSoftware titles, Melina the Finger Maiden acts similarly to the Maiden in Black from Demon’s Souls or the Emerald Herald from Dark Souls 2.

Using the Spectral Steed Whistle, players can summon Torrent, a mountable horse. He will be the primary way of traversing long distances. Torrent can also double-jump, making him an excellent tool for reaching high areas.

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Unfortunately, neither of these features will be accessible to players if they refuse Melina’s accord. Only Melina is capable of increasing the strength of the Tarnished, and without Torrent, getting around the Lands Between will take longer.

Most importantly, accessing important parts of Elden Ring requires Torrent. Thankfully, refusing her accord isn’t permanent. Every time you visit a Site of Grace, she’ll appear once again.