Accepting or refusing Melina's accord in Elden Ring is one of the first big choices you have to make. Well, it's presented as such anyway. You pretty much have to accept Melina's accord if you want to level up, get your horse, an actually progress in Elden Ring. But a bit of suspicion is otherwise sensible in a FromSoftware game, so I don't blame you for being hesitant, especially as she's quite vague about the deal other than that she wants you to guide her to the foot of the Erdtree. To clarify how this choice works, I've explained everything you need to know about Melina's accord in Elden Ring below, including where to find her and what happens if you refuse.
Should you accept Melina's accord in Elden Ring?
Despite Melina's somewhat confusing talk of finger maidens and taking her to the foot of the Erdtree, you really should accept her accord. She grants you the ability to level up using Runes and gives you the Spectral Steed Whistle, answering the question of how to get the Elden Ring horse, Torrent.
So if you don't say yes, you won't be able to spend the Runes you collect on improving your character's attributes, and you'll have to walk everywhere. This won't just make things harder - if you think that's just going to be a challenge to try out - you won't be able to reach certain areas or get past some obstacles at all without Torrent. So you really, really want to say yes.
If for whatever reason you can't find Melina and you can't accept the accord, you should rest at the Gatefront Site of Grace, near the Gatefront Ruins, or activate other Sites of Grace around Limgrave. She should appear to you eventually, offering to act as your finger maiden of the Two Fingers and will help you find the Elden Ring, so long as you take her to the foot of the Erdtree - that basically means you just need to play the game normally. Once you've beaten the first major boss, you'll face another choice at the Elden Ring Stormveil gate.
Should you refuse Melina's accord in Elden Ring?
Later you'll get another strange choice, about whether you want to embrace Fia for bonuses and penalties. We explain the Elden Ring hug debuff for you here!
But what happens if you refuse Melina's accord? Well, obviously there's no levelling up or horse, but the good news is you can talk to her any time you rest at a Site of Grace to accept. You won't be punished long-term for refusing her but you'll obviously be missing out on two core mechanics of Elden Ring which will make the game impossibly difficult for you.
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