To explore Putrified Ducts fully, enter from Memorium, unlock the Bellway and bench on the upper route, then backtrack for the map before sweeping the lower passages for the Wreath of Purity and Apostate Key. Vog and the route east to Pale Lake are further along the area. A Bilewater entrance exists, but it drops you into the lower section behind a gate and is not the route for a full first exploration.
How to enter Putrified Ducts
The best entrance for a complete run is through Memorium. From Choral Chambers, the route described by PC Gamer’s Apostate Key guide requires the Faydown Cloak from Mount Fay: head toward the Cogwork Dancers route, jump into Memorium, and continue to the far-right exterior bridge. At its far end, jump up to reach the ducts. The area reference also places the entrance beyond a hidden passage in Memorium’s map room and a breakable wall at the end of the route.
There is a second way in from the highest part of Bilewater, opened after defeating Groal the Great. It drops Hornet into a bottom room near the Huntress’s dwelling. A gate blocks the route to the upper sections from this side, so use Memorium if you want to cover the full area.
| Entrance | Requirement | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Memorium | Reach the route after obtaining Faydown Cloak from Mount Fay | Access to the upper area and the route for full exploration |
| Upper Bilewater | Defeat Groal the Great | Entry to the bottommost room; an internal gate blocks the upper area |
First pass: reach the Bellway and find the map
Cross the upper ledges
Once inside, stay on the upper ledges above the contaminated water and continue right. Watch for Ductsuckers and Spit Squits, and keep an eye out for Barnak tongues that can grab Hornet. The community route guide recommends pressing on to the far right first to unlock the Bellway and the nearby bench. It lists costs of 80 Rosaries for the Bellway and 60 for the bench; these are guide-reported costs and may depend on the current game build.
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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.
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Backtrack to the map alcove
From the right side, return toward the left and drop to ground level. Do not take the floor opening immediately. Instead, enter the dark passage to its left. Use a Barnak tongue to gain height, then break free near the top to reach the alcove containing the map. The ordered route and map location are shown in the Silksong Map Putrified Ducts walkthrough.
Explore the lower passages for the Wreath and key
Wreath of Purity
After collecting the map, use the floor openings to descend to the lowest level. Open the shortcut toward the Bilewater connection, then follow the long corridor to the Wreath of Purity. The Hollow Knight Wiki places the Wreath beside the ruins of a Pinstress balloon; look for that landmark as you work through the lower route.
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- Hollow Knight: Silksong is the epic sequel to Hollow Knight, the award winning action-adventure.
- Journey to all-new lands, discover new powers, battle vast hordes of bugs and beasts and uncover secrets tied to your nature and your past.
Apostate Key
The Apostate Key is on a separate lower-route detour. Descend the main shaft, go left at the bottom, then jump into the dark tunnel leading farther left. A large enemy guards the passage. At the corridor’s end, break the cage to claim the key. It opens a door in The Slab, according to PC Gamer’s route guide.
Find Vog and continue to Pale Lake
Vog is reached through a secret parkour challenge. Speak with her there to send her to the Flea Caravan. When she has returned to the caravan, she can reveal flea locations in exchange for Rosaries.
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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.
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- 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..
Continue east from the ducts to Pale Lake, a clean-water cavern that contrasts with the polluted water in Putrified Ducts. Mine the exposed Craftmetal deposit on arrival. The Hollow Knight Wiki also records a secret Act 3 area reachable with Silk Soar; entering it begins the Passing of the Age wish.
When does the Flea Caravan move to Pale Lake?
The Hollow Knight Wiki says Hornet must visit Pale Lake and rescue 22 fleas before the caravan moves there. Treat that as a reported progression condition, and check your current quest state if the caravan has not relocated. The same wiki records area updates through version 1.0.30000 (Patch 5), including a bench beside Pale Lake before the Flea Caravan arrives. The wiki notes that its Putrified Ducts page is still being filled out, so room-level details may change as it is updated.
Rank #4
![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.
Putrified Ducts route checklist
- Enter through Memorium for access to the upper area.
- Follow the upper ledges to the far-right Bellway and nearby bench.
- Backtrack left, avoid the first floor opening, and reach the map through the dark passage.
- Descend to the lowest level and collect the Wreath of Purity along the long corridor.
- Take the separate dark tunnel at the bottom-left to break the cage containing the Apostate Key.
- Find Vog through the secret parkour route, then continue east to Pale Lake and mine the Craftmetal.
Area lore
The in-game Lore Tablet reads: “Sisters, spiders, watch these waters flow, Cleansing, Binding, as Silk from shell, Memories of our kingdom calm.”
Sources and scope
The game’s official page lists Hollow Knight: Silksong for PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S: Team Cherry: Games. Room-by-room directions above draw on community map and guide references; they are not an official Team Cherry walkthrough.
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