Elden Ring is notoriously not very forthright with its many storylines, and there are often interactions that players can easily miss, such as a grotesque scene in which Tanith, the Lady of Volcano Manor, eats the decaying face of Praetor Rykard, Lord of Blasphemy. Rykard is one of the Shardbearers, so many players will seek out his lair in the caldera of Mt. Gelmir, but he isn't one of the bosses required to finish Elden Ring's story. Rykard's character design is one of the more fascinating in the game, since he's merged with the body of the God-Devouring Serpent, and players will have to defeat the Lord of Volcano Manor if they want to witness Lady Tanith's feast.
There are actually two ways to access Rykard's boss chamber. One is to simply travel to Mt. Gelmir, and advance through Volcano Manor just like any other dungeon. Players will eventually find a magical portal that transports them to Rykard's volcanic cave. The other option is to enter Tanith's service and complete all of the contracts she offers, which involve hunting down various Tarnished throughout the Lands Between. Once all three targets have been eliminated, Tanith will teleport the player to the Lord's chambers.
Elden Ring players should join Volcano Manor if they want to get some interesting gear, but either way to the Rykard battle will let players witness his corpse being eaten by Tanith. Once Rykard has been killed, Tanith tells the player that she will eventually leave Volcano Manor, unenthusiastically thanking the Tarnished for demonstrating their Lord's weakness. Traveling back to the Site of Grace that appears in the boss arena will then show Tanith hunched on the ground, scooping Rykard's tendrilous flesh into her mouth from where the Lord of Blasphemy's huge, serpentine face has been gashed open.
Why Tanith Is Eating Rykard's Face In Volcano Manor
Lady Tanith's consumption of Rykard seems to be an attempt at resurrecting the slain Shardbearer. In the description of the Consort's Set, gained from killing Tanith, "[Tanith] was the only human to remain by [Rykard's] side when he became the serpent of blasphemy." Lord Rykard ended up in a giant snake after he was willingly devoured by Eiglay the Serpent-God, and "In that moment, Tanith was truly charmed by him." Tanith's dialog suggests she is offering her own body as a new vessel for the Lord of Blasphemy: "Dear Rykard, please find purchase within me, I wish to be your serpent; your family. One day, let us devour the gods together."
There's no evidence to support Tanith's feast will bring Rykard back in any way; his original transformation was the result of him - a demigod - merging with a god devourer. Although Tanith has been Rykard's loyal consort for a long time, the Consort's Set suggests she's not from the Lands Between, and likely has no power beyond that which is afforded by her position as Lady of Volcano Manor, director of the hunts for Tarnished. With her longtime partner slain, eating Rykard is an exceptionally strange and stomach-turning way for Tanith to process her grief, but Elden Ring frequently shows the player odd and grotesque scenes.