There was an aura of warm in Volcano Manor. Torches mounted the walls, candles flickered at desks, and the location - a fortress hidden deep within a magma-fueled mountain - kept the place constantly heated. Afflicted on nearly every object were deep reddish and brownish colors that reminded the eye of being knelt by a fireplace. 

No wonder the serpentine Rya liked it here. Ella had met the nervous girl and couldn’t help but grow fond of her, even if she was a bit annoying.

And so she had followed her friend through Mt. Gelmir, and now stood in front of a woman in a mask. There was authority behind her, in the way she sat, guard at her side, calmly taking in the sight of a new arrival.

“Brave Tarnished, welcome to the Volcano Manor,” the masked woman said. “I am Tanish, the proprietress of this house.”

Ella could practically feel the eyes boring into her behind the mask. It made her feel creepy, yet she nonetheless lowered herself in a curtsy. “Well met, Lady Tana. I am Ella.”

“Rya spoke well of you, Ella. ‘A warrior of promise,’ I believe she said. Perhaps you are prepared to make a commitment.”

“Commitment?” Rya hadn’t mentioned that little detail.

“A commitment to truth,” Tanith said. “Will you join us here at the Volcano Manor, and resist the tide? Why accept the burden of their grace, or be fooled by the dogmatic ramblings of the Fingers? Rise with us, against the Erdtree.”

Ella’s eyes trailed behind Tanith, towards the painting of Praetor Rykard himself nestled behind her. He stood as a proud nobleman, a far cry from what he was now, if the rumors are true.

”Well, Ella?” Tanith asked.

Rya stood behind Ella, almost eager for her to accept.

If Ella agreed, there’s no telling what Tanith would ask her to do. But if she said no, there was no way Tanith was going go let her leave un-accosted.