Unmasking Varre‘s Intrigues: An Expert‘s Complete Guide to His Elden Ring Quest

Varre‘s promise of power, if you‘re willing to "stain the land with foul murders", kicks off one of the most complex quest chains in Elden Ring. But is serving this shady figure mandatory or skippable? What exactly does completing Varre‘s blood-soaked quest entail? And what rewards and consequences await at journey‘s end?

In this extended guide, we‘ll analyze Varre‘s quest in granular detail, including optimal strategies, interconnected lore, and how alternative routes to his coveted rewards compare. After reading, you‘ll understand exactly how Varre‘s machinations impact exploring the Lands Between and what it takes to see his quest through to the bitter end.

Varre‘s Quest Step-by-Step: Bloody Fingers, Maidens, and the Path to Mohgwyn

Varre first appears after you escape the tombs beneath Stormveil Castle. He gifts 5 Festering Bloody Fingers that enable invading other worlds to kill their hosts. This initiation sets the sinister tone for the tasks to come. Here‘s an in-depth walkthrough for fulfilling Varre‘s wishes:

Invade and Defeat 3 Players with the Bloody Fingers

Your first goal is to use Varre‘s Bloody Fingers to invade and defeat 3 other players. Each Bloody Finger enables a single attempt, so you‘ll need to succeed 3 times out of 5 invasion opportunities.

• The Bloody Fingers can only be used in selected early areas like Limgrave, Liurnia, and the Weeping Peninsula.
• Try invading around major landmarks and dungeons to find the most activity.
• We recommend reaching at least level 30-40 before trying multiplayer PvP combat. Focus on vigor and damage-dealing stats first.
• Set up ambushes by hiding out of sight and luring players toward environmental hazards and tough enemies.
• Utilize spirit summons like the Jellyfish or Banished Knight Engvall to distract invaders.
• Be ready with ranged attacks and status effect items like poison and scarlet rot to weaken opponents.
• Try during less active times like late at night or early morning to potentially find weaker competition.
• Don‘t get discouraged. Even experienced players only succeed in about 35% of invasions on average.

Learning to outsmart and destroy other Tarnished is an unforgiving process, but persevere and the secrets of Varre‘s quest will open up.

Collect 3 Samples of Maiden Blood

With 3 invader kills claimed, return to Varre at the First Step. He will now task you with collecting 3 samples of Maiden Blood, which can be obtained by:

• Invading and killing 3 more players using Festering Bloody Fingers.
• Defeating the Virgins of Blood carrying flails in Mohgwyn Palace.
• Killing the Albinauric enemies in Mohgwyn Palace, who have a small chance to drop Maiden Blood on death.

If you are struggling with PvP, farming in Mohgwyn Palace may prove much easier, though you will need to access the area first (detailed later). To optimize your runs:

• Equip items that boost discovery like the Silver Fowl Foot to improve drop rates.
• Use ranged attacks and stealth criticals to swiftly dispose of the slow-moving Albinaurics.
• Lure small groups from the Palace Approach Site of Grace for efficiency.
• Combine with the AFK bird farm for huge amounts of runes while grinding.

With 3 Maiden Blood samples acquired by whatever means necessary, you‘re ready to progress Varre‘s quest.

Meet Varre at the Church of Rose

After gaining entry to Roundtable Hold and collecting your first Great Rune, Varre will move to the Church of Rose in western Liurnia along the coastal cliffs. Seek him out here and he will gift an invitation to join his service.

Offer Your Finger and Receive the Bloody Finger

Answering Varre‘s invitation requires a symbolic sacrifice – offering your finger to bind yourself in his service. Upon doing so, you will receive the Bloody Finger item. This consumable version of the item allows infinite invasions without needing to farm or purchase additional Festering Bloody Fingers.

Bloody Finger highlights:

• Found in your inventory under Multiplayer Items
• Enables an unlimited number of PvP invasions
• Can be used repeatedly without depletion
• Available in Multiplayer menu when used in select areas
• Ideal for repeatedly invading to earn rune arcs and bloody fingers

With your endless invasion potential unlocked, Varre has one final gift to grant his new disciple…

Obtain the Pureblood Knight‘s Medal

After obtaining the permanent Bloody Finger, speak to Varre once more. He will bestow the Pureblood Knight‘s Medal upon you. This unique key item unlocks the ability to instantly transport to Mohgwyn Palace via the Stake of Marika found there.

The Pureblood Knight‘s Medal provides a critical shortcut to reach Mohgwyn Palace and the rewards found deep within:

• Grants access to Mohgwyn Palace via fast travel
• Eliminates the need to reach Ordina and clear Haligtree Town first
• Allows easy access to farming locations and bosses
• Enables co-op and PvP multiplayer in Mohgwyn Palace
• Rewarded after completing Varre‘s questline
• Lost if dropped and cannot be replaced

Warp to the Palace Approach Site of Grace and traverse the lake of blood to reap the treasures of Mohgwyn Palace. But first, let‘s examine the implications of Varre‘s bloody quest.

Consequences of Serving Varre: Rewards and Drawbacks

Submitting to Varre‘s wishes and slowly earning his favor unlocks fantastic rewards. But his gruesome quest also imposes certain costs and limitations. Here are the key benefits and drawbacks of seeing Varre‘s mission through to the end:

Rewards

• Bloody Finger – Infinite PvP invasions make earning rune arcs easy.
• Pureblood Knight‘s Medal – Fast travel to Mohgwyn Palace provides a massive shortcut.
• White Mask – Obtained by killing Bloody Surgeon invaders in Mohgwyn Palace. Boosts attack power when HP is low.
• Mohgwyn Palace access – Farm runes, upgrade materials, spells, and weapons found only here.
• Mohgwyn‘s Sacred Spear – Excellent dex/faith weapon transmutes enemy blood into HP.
• PVP and Co-op – Invade or cooperate in Mohgwyn Palace and earn rewards.
• Roleplaying – Take on the mantle of a recusant for a more immersive sinister path.

The Pureblood Knight‘s Medal and White Mask are strong incentives by themselves to endure Varre‘s bloody endeavors. Plus, easy access to the Mohgwyn Palace farming grounds can accelerate rune and item acquisition.

Drawbacks

• Invasion PvP requirement – Must defeat 3 players, which can prove highly challenging early on.
• Burning Irina option lost – Can‘t take her to the Church of Vows after joining Varre.
• Bloody Fingers locked in – Can‘t discard inventory of Bloody Fingers after using one and joining him.
• No heavenly dew – Celestial Dew doesn‘t revive Varre if killed, locking his questline.
• Mohg boss skips quest – Killing Mohg before finishing Varre‘s quest skips obtaining the White Mask.
• Sinister path – Roleplaying a murderous invader may not appeal to some players.

While Varre‘s quest unlocks potent rewards, it also forces violence upon other player worlds against their will. This path of bloodshed remains one valid choice among many in Elden Ring rather than an optimal route for all.

Now let‘s compare Varre‘s shortcut to Mohgwyn Palace with the standard method of reaching this hidden realm.

Varre‘s Shortcut VS Standard Route to Mohgwyn Palace

Thanks to the Pureblood Knight‘s Medal, Varre gifts his allies with swift access to Mohgwyn Palace. But patient explorers can reach these subterranean depths another way – a much longer and more arduous way. Here‘s how the options compare:

Route	Varre‘s Shortcut	Standard Route
Steps Required	Complete Varre‘s questline Obtain Pureblood Knight‘s Medal Fast travel to Palace Approach grace	Reach Forbidden Lands beyond Leyndell Defeat Fire Giant and unlock Forge of the Giants Forge Haligtree Medallion at Forge Take Grand Lift of Rold up to Consecrated Snowfield Traverse town of Ordina and clear all sid dungeons Navigate to bottom of Elphael Brace Take root down to Mohgwyn Palace
Approximate Playtime	~10 hours	~30+ hours
Difficulty	Medium	Very high
Benefits	Much faster shortcut Accessible very early Can powerstance greatswords and farm immediately	No PvP required Explore more of the world Earn more items, spells and upgrade materials
Drawbacks	Must engage in PvP Locks out part of Irina‘s questline	Extremely time consuming Requires defeating many tough main story bosses Can‘t access Mohgwyn Palace rewards until much later

Varre‘s shortcut provides immediate access to Mohgwyn Palace in just a few hours, allowing low level rune farming, weapon upgrades, and unlocking the area‘s PvP potential. The standard route grants a fuller experience but requires intense effort and skill to navigate into the depths of the snowfields. Choose based on your priorities!

Interconnected Questlines: Hyetta, Yura, and the Recusants

NPCs like Varre rarely act alone in the Lands Between. Their intrigues tie into other key figures that enhance the world‘s rich lore and gameplay intricacies. Varre and his associates play a pivotal role in two critical recurring themes:

The Frenzied Flame and Hyetta‘s Quest

Like Shabriri, Varre serves the Frenzied Flame and the Three Fingers it manifests through. His demand for bloody fingers feeds the chaos and madness the Flame emblemizes.

Hyetta‘s questline intertwines here – feeding her grapes to "heal her blindness" advances the story told through her visions. Her guidance ultimately leads you to the Three Fingers and the option to accept the Frenzied Flame.

But heeding this path locks you out of all other endings, as mania consumes the Tarnished.

Recusants and Those Who Live in Death

Varre directly serves Mohg, Lord of Blood, alongside the Recusant Knights who carry out the bidding of this accursed demigod. Their veneration of the Formless Mother explains their enthrallment with Maiden Blood.

Yura‘s quest to hunt those who live in death opposes them, with you eliminating Bloody Finger Nerijus to advance Hyetta‘s insights. In turn, the White Mask Varre invader lurks in Mohgwyn Palace, his death unlocking the precious White Mask helmet.

Peace is not easily found with such opposing forces at work. But in the Lands Between, it pays to see all sides.

Expert Tips from a Veteran: Optimizing Varre‘s Quest

While obscure and sinister, Varre‘s questline can be conquered with the right approach. After hundreds of hours advising others and testing strategies, here are my top tips for efficiently completing Varre‘s quest:

• Get 30+ vigor first – Extra HP helps survive invasions and gives more room for error.

• Use ranged attacks heavily – Bows, spells, pots, knives, etc. let you whittle down foes from safety.

• Take advantage of mobs – Lead invaders to tough enemies and let them thin out your opponent.

• Equip provocative armor – Taunt gear like Kaiden helm draws aggression away from you.

• Invasion hot spots – Stormhill Shack, Seaside Ruins, and Academy Gate offer high invasion activity.

• Try different times of day – Late night and early morning may have more inexperienced players.

• Co-invade for better odds – Use Taunter‘s Tongue to call a friendly red phantom.

• Don‘t lose heart – Even the best only win 35-40% of invasions. Persistence pays off.

• Stealth kill palace foes – Rune farm and get maidens‘ blood easily via backstabs and ranged attacks.

• Always have a purpose – If struggling to win, get runes, weapon upgrades, or maidens‘ blood instead.

Learning to embrace Varre‘s bloody methods isn‘t easy. But truly mastering multiplayer and PvP combat provides a major skill boost. Seek victory however possible!

Conclusion: Should You Embrace Varre‘s Sanguine Path?

Varre‘s quest encapsulates the sinister yet rewarding nature of Elden Ring‘s expansive NPC storylines. While shrouded in secrecy, his macabre missions grant access to invaluable treasure for those willing to serve merciless masters.

The Pureblood Knight‘s Medal remains a precious gift exclusive to his quest. But alternatives, though vastly more difficult, still open Mohgwyn Palace‘s riches to noble Tarnished who walk in grace‘s light instead.

In the end, the choice dwells with you. Seek the solace of virtue, or indulge evil to manifest greater power – a bittersweet dilemma that no Tarnished can avoid in their quest to become Elden Lord. The way forward remains murky, but keep your goals firmly in mind.

May Varre‘s intrigues illuminate the depths of Elden Ring further! This has been Terry Williams – tech enthusiast, data analyst, and fellow truth seeker in the Lands Between. Together we can unravel the mysteries that lie buried beneath this shattered world.