Volcano Cave

Key takeaways

• Volcano Cave is a self-contained minor dungeon, not a subarea of Volcano Manor.
• The entrance lies on the northernmost part of Mt Gelmir, close to the Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite.
• The cave’s ordinary enemies are Demi-Humans, including larger Demi-Human Chiefs or Chieftains.
• Demi-Human Queen Margot is the dungeon boss Defeating her awards the Jar Cannon.
• The cave contains the Coil Shield, a unique shield found before the boss.
• The location has no named NPCs, shops, quest givers or faction facilities.

About this guide

Overview

Volcano Cave is a small, optional dungeon at the northern end of Mt. Gelmir. It is inhabited by hostile Demi-Humans and culminates in a fight against Demi-Human Queen Margot. Although the dungeon is close to Volcano Manor in the wider Mt. Gelmir landscape, it is not part of Volcano Manor, does not contain any Volcano Manor quest characters, and does not advance the Volcano Manor contracts or Rykard’s storyline.

The cave is easy to miss because its entrance is tucked into the mountain wall north of the Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite. Its compact layout makes it a useful early stop when exploring northern Mt. Gelmir, particularly for players looking for the Coil Shield or the Jar Cannon. The boss is optional, and clearing the cave has no known requirement for completing the main story, Volcano Manor’s questline or any major ending route.

Places that are not part of Volcano Cave

The following nearby locations should be treated as separate places:

Volcano Cave has no internal named branches or separately named rooms recorded in the game. For practical navigation, it is best divided into three functional sections:

These are descriptive divisions rather than official in-game subarea names.

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Places that are not part of Volcano Cave: steps

1. 01
   Entrance passage, containing the Site of Grace and the first Demi-Humans.
2. 02
   Demi-Human interior, a wider chamber network with loot, ambushes and crafting materials.
3. 03
   Queen’s chamber, the final arena containing Demi-Human Queen Margot.

Easiest route: Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite

The shortest route begins at the Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite.

This route is the most direct because the campsite is close to the cave entrance. The cave opening is on the western-facing rock wall along the northern route, rather than inside the visible volcanic summit itself.

Easiest route: Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite: steps

1. 01
   Fast-travel to the Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite.
2. 02
   Leave the grace and cross the wooden bridge leading across the gap.
3. 03
   Continue north along the upper path.
4. 04
   Watch the western mountain wall for the cave opening.
5. 05
   Deal with the Demi-Humans outside or ride directly inside.
6. 06
   Activate the Volcano Cave Site of Grace immediately after entering.

Approach from lower Mt. Gelmir

Players travelling north through Mt. Gelmir can also approach from the lower mountain roads. From the Bridge of Iniquity area, follow the climbing route towards the higher western slopes, using the rope ladders and the prominent yellow banners as navigation aids. This route is longer and exposes the player to more of Mt. Gelmir’s hostile wildlife and soldiers, but it is useful if Volcano Cave is being visited as part of a full regional sweep.

There is no locked door, Stonesword Key barrier or quest requirement at the entrance.

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Volcano Cave is short compared with most legacy dungeons. It has no puzzle, lift system or branching route that changes the final objective. Its difficulty comes mainly from poor visibility, close-range ambushes and the number of Demi-Humans occupying the chambers.

The smaller Demi-Humans can attack from several directions and may remain difficult to see in the darker parts of the cave. Larger Demi-Human Chiefs are more dangerous individually and can stagger an inexperienced character with rapid attacks. Killing a large leader early is often useful because nearby Demi-Humans may become less threatening once their stronger support is removed. The larger enemy type can also drop the Bloodstained Dagger, but that is an enemy drop rather than guaranteed dungeon treasure.

Recommended exploration order

The cave does not have a secret rear exit or a second boss route. Once Queen Margot is defeated, the dungeon’s main objective is complete.

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Recommended exploration order: steps

1. 01
   Rest at the Volcano Cave Site of Grace.
2. 02
   Move slowly through the first chamber and check the walls for hidden Demi-Humans.
3. 03
   Collect the visible materials before entering the largest interior room.
4. 04
   Take the side route containing the Coil Shield.
5. 05
   Search the bodies and corners around the Demi-Human gathering areas.
6. 06
   Pick up the Golden Rune [6] and fixed materials.
7. 07
   Enter the final chamber only after the rest of the cave has been cleared.
8. 08
   Defeat Demi-Human Queen Margot.
9. 09
   Collect the Jar Cannon from the boss reward area.
10. 10
    Use the grace to leave or return to the Mt. Gelmir overworld.

Demi-Humans

The cave is occupied by a family or group of Demi-Humans. They are the dungeon’s ordinary inhabitants and are hostile on sight. The smaller members tend to attack in groups, while the larger chiefs act as more durable close-range threats.

Their presence gives Volcano Cave a different character from many other Mt. Gelmir locations. The cave is not a mining site, military camp or religious ruin. It functions more like a concealed Demi-Human refuge that has become dangerous to anyone entering it.

Verified enemy directory

• Demi-Human Chief
• Demi-Human Queen Margot

Named NPCs

There are no friendly NPCs, merchants, invaders or quest characters inside Volcano Cave.

Practical strategy

Defeating her awards the Jar Cannon, a large ranged weapon that uses Ballista Bolts. It is one of the main reasons to complete the dungeon.

Boss directory

• Demi-Human Queen Margot

Fixed and notable loot

The Coil Shield is the cave’s most important exploration reward. It is possible to reach the boss without collecting it, so players focused only on the fog door should check the side chambers first. The Jar Cannon, by contrast, is obtained through the boss encounter and cannot be missed if Margot is defeated and the reward is collected.

Fixed and notable loot

Crafting and gathering materials

The following named materials are associated with Volcano Cave:

The exact quantity of meat and moss gathered can vary by the guide or inventory state being recorded. Some sources list the individual pickups, while others provide only the item categories. The materials are not quest-exclusive and do not require a special tool to collect.

Item directory

• Bloodstained Dagger
• Coil Shield
• Jar Cannon

1. Activate the grace

Enter from the northern Mt. Gelmir route and activate the Volcano Cave Site of Grace. This provides a safe respawn point immediately outside the main enemy areas and makes repeated boss attempts convenient.

2. Clear the opening passage

The first Demi-Humans are positioned close to the route and may be difficult to see in the darkness. Use a torch, lantern or a light-producing spell if necessary. Avoid sprinting blindly into the next chamber because groups can surround the player.

3. Search the wider chamber

The central part of the cave contains several ordinary Demi-Humans and larger leader-type enemies. Pull them towards the entrance where possible instead of fighting the entire group at once.

Collect the visible natural materials as you go. Search around corpses, corners and the edges of the wooden structures because some pickups are easy to overlook when the enemies are still active.

4. Collect the Coil Shield

Before entering the boss area, take the side route through the interior and search the corpse containing the Coil Shield. This is the principal missable pickup in the dungeon in the ordinary sense that it can be overlooked, although it is not permanently missable during a normal playthrough.

5. Finish the item sweep

Collect the Golden Rune [6], Arteria Leaf and the remaining moss, meat and volcanic materials. If a small Demi-Human is carrying a dagger, defeating it may produce a Bloodstained Dagger, but the drop is chance-based.

6. Enter the boss chamber

Proceed to the fog entrance and enter the arena. The boss fight begins immediately after crossing the fog, so spend any accumulated runes, prepare consumables and adjust equipment beforehand if needed.

7. Defeat Demi-Human Queen Margot

Stay mobile, wait for the end of her attacks and punish her recovery periods. Poison, Scarlet Rot, bleed, spirit summons and co-operative help can all make the fight more manageable depending on the player’s build.

8. Claim the Jar Cannon

After Margot is defeated, collect the Jar Cannon. Confirm that it is in the inventory before leaving the arena. The weapon is the dungeon’s boss reward and is not found as a conventional corpse pickup.

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Ambushes in the dark

The main hazard is not environmental damage but enemy concealment. Demi-Humans blend into the cave’s darker corners and can attack from the side while the player is collecting materials.

A lantern is particularly useful because it leaves the player’s hands free for a weapon and shield. Ranged attacks can also pull individual enemies away from groups.

Group pressure

Small Demi-Humans are individually weak compared with many late-game enemies, but several attacking simultaneously can interrupt attacks and consume stamina rapidly. Prioritise enemies that are already close to the player, then deal with the larger chief once the immediate pressure has been reduced.

Boss-room commitment

The boss arena is straightforward, but the fog entrance marks a change from exploration to combat. Players carrying a large number of runes should return to the grace or spend them before entering.

Fire and volcanic surroundings

Despite its name and its location on a volcanic mountain, Volcano Cave is not a lava dungeon. The cave does not require fire resistance, lava traversal or a special environmental protection item. Its hazards are ordinary combat, visibility and navigation rather than a persistent heat effect.

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Volcano Cave is optional throughout the base game.

The main progression consideration is practical rather than quest-based. If a player defeats Queen Margot immediately and leaves without searching the preceding chambers, the Coil Shield and smaller loot pickups may be forgotten. There is no verified story event that removes the dungeon’s contents before the player reaches the end of the game.

The cave is also separate from progression changes associated with the Burning of the Erdtree or the later state of Leyndell. No major world-state transformation is known to replace Volcano Cave’s boss or alter its core rewards.

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Volcano Cave is useful as one stop in a northern Mt. Gelmir exploration loop.

Suggested regional route

Do not assume that clearing Volcano Cave completes the surrounding mountain. The wider Mt. Gelmir region contains multiple caves, settlements, military positions, field bosses and the Volcano Manor legacy dungeon. Volcano Cave is only one minor dungeon within that larger area.

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Volcano Cave appears to be a refuge used by Demi-Humans. Its residents are not presented as an organised faction with a named leader in the same way as Volcano Manor’s recusants or the soldiers occupying Mt. Gelmir. Instead, the cave’s layout suggests a communal lair or hidden settlement that has become centred on Queen Margot.

The presence of the queen in the deepest chamber gives the cave a simple internal hierarchy: ordinary Demi-Humans occupy the outer spaces, stronger chiefs protect the group, and Margot is found at the end of the route. The game does not provide a dedicated NPC explanation for the cave, so interpretations beyond this environmental structure should be treated as speculation.

Volcano Cave should therefore be distinguished from Hermit Village, which is another Demi-Human-related location in Mt. Gelmir, and from Volcano Manor, whose residents are human recusants aligned with Praetor Rykard. The shared volcanic setting does not establish that the cave’s Demi-Humans are members of Volcano Manor or that they serve Rykard. No source reviewed verifies such a relationship.

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Suggested regional route: steps

1. 01
   Begin at the Ninth Mt. Gelmir Campsite.
2. 02
   Cross the bridge towards the northern mountain wall.
3. 03
   Enter and clear Volcano Cave.
4. 04
   Return to the overworld and continue exploring the high Mt. Gelmir paths.
5. 05
   Visit other nearby Mt. Gelmir landmarks separately, including Gelmir Hero’s Grave and Volcano Manor according to the player’s chosen route.

Is Volcano Cave part of Volcano Manor?

No. It is a separate minor dungeon in northern Mt. Gelmir. Volcano Manor is a distinct legacy dungeon and quest location.

Do I need to join Volcano Manor to enter?

No. Volcano Cave can be entered directly from the Mt. Gelmir overworld without speaking to Tanith, meeting Rya or accepting any Volcano Manor contract.

What do I get for defeating the boss?

Demi-Human Queen Margot awards the Jar Cannon, a powerful but heavy ranged weapon that uses Ballista Bolts.

Is the Coil Shield a boss reward?

No. The Coil Shield is a fixed pickup inside the cave before the boss arena. It must be collected during exploration rather than earned from Margot.

Is there a Site of Grace inside?

Yes. The grace is named Volcano Cave and is located close to the entrance.

Can the Bloodstained Dagger be found here?

It can be obtained as a possible drop from the relevant Demi-Human Chief-type enemy, but it is not a guaranteed fixed pickup.

Is Volcano Cave part of the DLC?

No. Volcano Cave is part of the base game and does not require Shadow of the Erdtree.

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Sources

• Volcano Cave | Elden Ring Wiki | Fandom — eldenring.fandom.com
• Volcano Cave Walkthrough and Location | Elden Ring｜Game8 — game8.co
• Volcano Cave — gamerguides.com
• Demi-Human - Eldenpedia — eldenring.wiki.gg
• Altus Plateau Walkthrough | Elden Ring｜Game8 — game8.co