Elden Ring: What Happens If You Slay Miriel The 'Turtle Pope'

"Elden Ring" is absolutely packed with side characters and NPCs that can either help or hinder players as they make their journey through the Lands Between. Whether it's a traveling spell user or that prickly personality Patches, players can be sure that they'll run into a wide assortment of colorful individuals as they progress through the game. While many of these characters will move around as the story progresses — and some initially appear as foes — there's one character in "Elden Ring" that players revere above the rest.

Miriel, Pastor of Vows — AKA the 'Turtle Pope' — has quickly become a fan-favorite NPC since the smashing release of "Elden Ring." The giant talking turtle resides in the Church of Vows and, in addition to being the clear best place to dump all acquired prayerbooks, Miriel is a genuinely friendly NPC in a very harsh world. So, what would compel a player to take up arms against an oasis in the desert that is the Lands Between? It turns out all it takes is a little curiosity to turn "Elden Ring" players heartless. Here's what happens if players slay Miriel the "Turtle Pope."

It's no secret that when players kill an NPC in a Souls game, there's a good chance they'll be rewarded with an item. In some cases, these items can be unique with no other way of obtaining them in the game other than by forsaking a character that believes the player to be their friend. This is the kind of thinking that got YouTuber Prizzaa wondering: what happens if players kill the "Turtle Pope?" Prizzaa went to work, posting a video to YouTube showing his exploits. 

Though it required Prizzaa to make an extended effort — likely because the character's skin is as tough as stone, as the NPC will claim when attacked — the YouTuber did finally succeed in felling the huge friendly tortoise. While Prizzaa might have expected a great reward for what seemed like a herculean task of both physical and emotional fortitude, it turns out all Miriel has to offer players in death is some lousy Turtle Neck Meat and Miriel's Bell Bearing.

Though the case can be made that it's actually worthwhile to kill some NPCs — like the traveling merchants throughout the Lands Between — fans aren't so sure this is the right fate for Miriel. Shortly after Prizzaa's video went viral, players took to social media to express their disgust with the action. One Twitter user posted, "If you kill the Pope Turtle you're dead to me." Others have echoed similar sentiments, saying, "I try to jump on his back & it hurt him & he went in his shell & I wanted to cry LMAO." Unlike many NPCs, Miriel can't be resurrected once he's slain.

At the very least, Prizzaa's documentation of his actions will serve as a warning for any other player that finds themself at the whim of their own curiosity. That said, one does have to wonder, if the "Turtle Pope" dropped a precious item upon defeat, would players be reacting the same way?