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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Moss Grotto is Hornet’s opening area in Hollow Knight: Silksong. Follow the main route through its moss-covered rooms, check the optional starting-room detour for Shell Shards and a Beast Shard, collect either or both of the area’s Mossberries, then rest at the Ruined Chapel bench before fighting the Moss Mother. After the boss, continue toward Bone Bottom; the route to Weavenest Atla is a separate, currently blocked side path.
Starting in Moss Grotto
Hornet wakes at the bottom of Moss Grotto after the opening sequence. The area introduces movement and combat while offering a few optional detours. If you want to follow the main route quickly, leave the concealed starting-room space for later and head left.
Optional starting-room detour
Before leaving the first room, check the right wall for a hidden space. A third-party route guide reports that breaking the statue there yields Shell Shards and that approaching the sleeping Marrowmaw carefully lets you fight it for a Beast Shard. The enemy encounter is optional and riskier than simply continuing onward. Silksong Map’s Moss Grotto route guide describes this detour.
Follow the main path and collect the Frayed Rosary String
- Return to the main room and go left, cutting through the vines.
- Continue upward through the moss-covered passages. Expect small moss enemies and bone-lined sections along the way.
- After the early ailment sequence, check the lower-left ledge for a Frayed Rosary String.
- Take care when dropping through this section: dropping farther than intended can put you off the described route and force you to retrace your steps.
The Frayed Rosary String location and route cautions come from Silksong Map’s area walkthrough.
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- Discover the fallen insect kingdom of Pharloom! Explore mossy grottos, gilded cities and misted moors as you ascend to the shining citadel at the top of the world.
- Engage in lethal acrobatic action! Wield a huge suite of deadly moves as you dance between foes in swift, beautiful combat.
- Craft powerful tools! Master an ever-expanding arsenal of weapons, traps, and mechanisms to vanquish your enemies and explore new heights.
- Solve shocking quests! Hunt down rare beasts and solve ancient mysteries to grant the wishes of the downtrodden and restore the kingdom’s hope.
- Face over 200 ferocious foes! Beasts and hunters, monsters and knights. Defeat them all with bravery and skill!
Find the two Mossberries in Moss Grotto
There are two Mossberries in this area. They count toward the Berry Picking wish, which requires three Mossberries overall, so the two grotto berries do not complete it by themselves. PC Gamer’s Mossberry locations guide describes the area’s two pickups.
Mossberry near the feeding grubs
In the larger open field, look near the two feeding moss grubs. Jump onto the nearby rock ledges and hit the hanging fruit.
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Mossberry by the flying enemy
The second berry hangs near the route toward the chapel, beside a flying moss enemy. Wait for the enemy to stab into the ground. As it rises, strike downward on its head to bounce upward, then hit the berry. The timing matters: the bounce uses the enemy’s rising motion.
Prepare for the Moss Mother in the Ruined Chapel
Enter the Ruined Chapel and use the bench before climbing onward. The Moss Mother encounter is ahead, and this is the practical rest point before the fight.
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- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Tightly tuned 2D controls. Dodge, dash and slash your way through even the most deadly adversaries.
- Explore a vast interconnected world of forgotten highways, overgrown wilds and ruined cities.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!.Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favourites and make your journey unique!.An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation..
- Watch the Moss Mother’s movement and dodge her sweeping dives.
- Look for visual cues before falling rocks and move out of their path.
- Clear spawned hatchlings when they threaten to crowd your space.
- Attack during safe openings rather than trying to trade hits during her attacks.
After defeating the Moss Mother, continue upward. She blocks the progression toward Bone Bottom. The encounter tips and route are covered by Silksong Map’s Moss Grotto guide.
Leave Moss Grotto for Bone Bottom
After the fight, take the left passage and climb the rope, then continue along the route toward Bone Bottom. That is the opening-area exit; you do not need to enter Weavenest Atla to progress this way.
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![Hollow Knight - Nintendo Switch [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51nXCF+sf5L._SL160_.jpg)
- Classic side-scrolling action, with all the modern trimmings.
- Forge your own path! The world of Hallownest is expansive and open. Choose which paths you take, which enemies you face and find your own way forward.
- Evolve with powerful new skills and abilities! Gain spells, strength and speed. Leap to new heights on ethereal wings. Dash forward in a blazing flash. Blast foes with fiery Soul!
- Equip Charms! Ancient relics that offer bizarre new powers and abilities. Choose your favorites and make your journey unique!
- An enormous cast of cute and creepy characters all brought to life with traditional 2D frame-by-frame animation.
Weavenest Atla is a blocked side route
The grotto’s rightmost area connects toward Weavenest Atla, but a Needolin door blocks the entrance. Treat it as a side route rather than a required step on the way out. The connection and door are noted in the Hollow Knight Wiki’s Moss Grotto reference.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Act 3 differences
This walkthrough describes the opening-area route. In Act 3, Moss Grotto is reported to remain relatively safe but to show black-thread devastation; the Ruined Chapel also contains Snail Shamans story material and additional progression. The Moss Mother and other encounters do not follow the same opening-area flow, so do not use the boss sequence above as an Act 3 route. These late-game changes are documented in the Hollow Knight Wiki’s area reference.
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