You’ve seen the red flashes. You’ve heard that satisfying schwing sound as a boss's health bar chunks away into nothingness. If you’re playing Elden Ring, you’re probably chasing that high. But here’s the thing: most players just throw on the White Mask and call it a day. They’re missing the actual engine under the hood. The Lord of Bloods Exultation is that engine. It’s the difference between a "good" bleed build and a build that deletes Mohg before he can finish his first "Nihil."
Honestly, it’s kinda ridiculous how much power is packed into one little trinket. We’re talking about a 20% boost to attack power for 20 seconds. That’s massive.
The trigger is simple. Blood loss happens nearby, you get stronger. It doesn't matter if you caused it, if an enemy caused it, or if you stabbed yourself with Seppuku. As long as someone is bleeding within a 20-meter radius, you become a monster.
How Lord of Bloods Exultation Actually Works
The mechanics are more nuanced than the item description lets on. It isn't just a flat buff that sits there. It’s a temporary surge. When the "hemorrhage" status effect procs on anything—even a stray sheep or a goat—the talisman kicks in. You'll see a red glow around your character. That’s your signal to go aggressive.
Wait.
Did you know it stacks? It’s a multiplicative buff, not additive. If you’re running the White Mask (Varre’s Mask), which gives a 10% boost, you aren't just getting 30%. You’re getting more because of how the game calculates damage layers. Throw in the Shard of Alexander and maybe some Rotten Winged Sword Insignia, and you’re looking at damage numbers that feel like cheating. It’s why people still complain about bleed builds in PvP even years after the game launched.
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It’s worth noting that the "nearby" range is fairly generous. You don't have to be breathing down the enemy's neck. About 20 meters is the sweet spot. If you’re a spellcaster using Briars of Sin or Swarm of Flies, you can still reap the benefits from a relatively safe distance.
Finding the Talisman (Without Getting Lost)
You have to go to Leyndell. Not the pretty, gold-leaf version, but the nasty, stinky version underneath. The Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. It’s a maze. Honestly, it’s one of the most frustrating areas in the game if you don't know where you're going. You’re looking for the Leyndell Catacombs.
Inside those catacombs, you’ll find Esgar, Priest of Blood. He’s a jerk. He uses Reduvia and has two dogs that will absolutely ruin your day if you ignore them. Kill the dogs first. Always kill the dogs first. Once Esgar is down, the Lord of Bloods Exultation is yours.
The Seppuku Synergy
If you aren't using Seppuku with this talisman, you’re leaving money on the table. Or damage on the floor. Whatever.
Using the Seppuku Ash of War triggers a self-inflicted bleed. This counts for the talisman. This means you can walk into a boss fog gate already buffed to the gills. You stab yourself, lose a tiny bit of health, and suddenly your attack power is through the roof. It’s the standard "meta" setup for a reason.
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But what if you don't like stabbing yourself?
There are alternatives. Bloodboil Aromatic is a great consumable, though it's expensive to craft. You could also rely on fast-hitting weapons like the Scavenger’s Curved Sword or the Elonora’s Poleblade to proc bleed naturally within the first few seconds of a fight. The talisman doesn't care how the blood starts flowing. It just wants the blood.
Why People Get It Wrong in PvP
In PvP, the Lord of Bloods Exultation is a psychological weapon as much as a physical one. When an opponent sees that red aura, they know you’re hitting for 20% more. They tend to panic. They roll more. They make mistakes.
However, some players rely on it too much. They wait for the proc and then play overly aggressive, walking right into a parry or a high-poise trade. Smart players will wait out your 20-second window. If you can’t get another bleed proc within that time, your damage falls off a cliff.
It’s also important to remember that some enemies are immune to bleed. Radagon? Immune. Elden Beast? Immune. Gargoyles? Immune. In these fights, the Lord of Bloods Exultation is literally a dead weight in your talisman slot. Swap it out for something like the Ritual Sword Talisman or a Claw Talisman. Don't be the person trying to bleed a stone statue. It’s embarrassing.
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Advanced Tactics: The "Glass Cannon" Evolution
If you really want to push the limits, you pair this with the Red-Feathered Branchsword. This requires you to be at low HP, which is risky. But if you use Seppuku to lower your health into the activation range, you’re stacking the 20% from the Lord of Bloods Exultation with another 20% from the Branchsword.
This is how those "One Shot Boss" videos are made. It takes practice. You will die. A lot. But when it works, you can delete a boss's entire second phase before they even finish their transition animation.
The Impact of Patch 1.09 and Beyond
FromSoftware has tweaked bleed scaling several times. They nerfed the build-up on certain dual-wield attacks. They adjusted how much stagger bleed procs cause. Despite all of that, the Lord of Bloods Exultation has remained untouched in its core utility. The 20% raw damage buff is just too fundamentally strong to ever be "bad."
Even in 2026, as we look back at the legacy of Elden Ring, this item stands as the gold standard for build-defining equipment. It’s elegant. It’s brutal. It fits the lore of Mohg’s obsession perfectly.
Actionable Steps for Your Build
If you’re looking to optimize right now, do these three things:
- Check your stats. Bleed scales with Arcane. If you have the talisman but your Arcane is at 10, you’re doing it wrong. Aim for at least 45 to 60 Arcane to ensure you're proccing the buff frequently.
- Get the White Mask. Go to the Mohgwyn Palace approach. Kill the Nameless White Mask invaders. If you’ve already killed Mohg, you’ve missed your chance for this playthrough. Sorry. Better luck in NG+.
- Use a fast catalyst. If you're a hybrid build, use something like the Dragon Communion Seal. It scales with Arcane and lets you cast Swarm of Flies, which is the easiest way to trigger the talisman from a distance.
The Lord of Bloods Exultation isn't just a piece of gear; it’s a playstyle. It rewards aggression and punishes hesitation. Go to the sewers, kill the priest, and start making things bleed.