Enter from Fangroot Forest and identify the branches
Either westward path in the opening Fangroot Forest drops you through a concealed pit into Hollowgrave Tunnels; the northern forest route leads through the Rat Cave toward the underground network. Inside the tunnels, distinguish the northern Rat Nest branch, southern Orc Fortress branch, and northwestern Silver Key passage toward western Fangroot Forest and Underkeep Village.
Keep the northern Rat Nest branch separate from the northwestern locked passage in your route notes. Rat Nest contains rats and locked treasure chests, while the northwestern door is the Silver Key route back toward the forest.
The southern Orc Fortress branch matters when you need the Silver Key. Its route leads through the fortress guards to the Orc Chieftain, whose private chest contains the key needed at the northwestern Hollowgrave door.
Tunnel checkpoints, blockers, and useful actions
Use this checkpoint table to match the obstacle in front of you with its action or tool. It covers the forest approaches, early tunnel obstacles, branch routes, and Silver Key exit described in this guide.
| Checkpoint | Blocker and action |
|---|---|
| Fangroot west approaches | Concealed floor pits drop the party into Hollowgrave Tunnels. Treat the descent as your entry into the underground route. |
| First Hollowgrave gate | A closed metal gate blocks passage. Activate the adjacent stone switch to open the way forward. |
| Brown-rock rubble passage | Collapsed rubble blocks the passage. Collect the pickaxe, then use it by clicking the obstruction to clear the route. |
| Gate into the pickaxe room | Use the nearby stone switch to open the locked gate. The pickaxe is on a stone shelf beyond it. |
| Fragile spires and webbed passages | Breakable objects obstruct these passages. Attack the fragile spires or webs with a melee weapon to clear them. |
| First pit and distant plate | The pressure plate lies across the gap. Throw a stone or unwanted bread onto it to deploy a grate for the crossing. |
| Chamber with multiple pits | Several gaps and pressure plates block progress. Throw items onto the relevant plates, applying the same principle as the earlier crossing. |
| Arachneira's gated passage | A gate and the hostile spider Arachneira block the route. Operate the switch and defeat the spider to continue. |
| Northern branch: Rat Nest | Rats and treasure-chest locks mark this branch. Explore Rat Nest, defeat its enemies, and collect the keys they drop. |
| Southern branch: Orc Fortress | Orc gates and fortress guards block progress. Use the gate switch, defeat the warehouse keeper, and advance toward the chieftain. |
| Orc Chieftain's private chest | Defeat the chieftain to obtain the chest key. Open his private chest with it to retrieve the Silver Key. |
| Northwestern Hollowgrave door | The silver keyhole requires the Silver Key. Return with it to unlock the passage toward western Fangroot Forest and Underkeep Village. |
Throw items onto the pit-room pressure plates
- Drag a stone or a piece of unwanted bread from your inventory. This prepares an item to throw onto the distant pressure plate at the early pit.
- Throw the item onto the distant plate by placing the held item at the top of the screen. Activating the early crossing's pressure plate deploys a grate.
- Place thrown items on the relevant pressure plates in the later multiple-pit chamber. That room follows the same pressure-plate principle as the early crossing.
If an item is not being thrown as you expect, check where you are placing it on the screen. The throwing control uses the top of the screen, which matters when trying to reach a plate across a hole.
Get the Silver Key and return to the forest route
- Use the gate switch in the southern Orc Fortress branch. This addresses the fortress gate blocker on the route toward the guards and chieftain.
- Defeat the warehouse keeper to advance along the fortress route toward the Orc Chieftain. Keep this southern branch distinct from Rat Nest to the north.
- Defeat the Orc Chieftain to obtain the key for his private chest. This chest key is the next requirement on the route to the Silver Key.
- Open the Orc Chieftain's private chest with its key. Retrieve the Silver Key inside, which is needed at the northwestern Hollowgrave door.
- Use the Silver Key at the northwestern Hollowgrave door. The unlocked passage leads toward western Fangroot Forest and onward toward Underkeep Village.
Keep useful return points in your route notes
Mark the northwestern Silver Key door, uncleared rubble, and branches you cannot yet access. These are useful return points after you obtain the correct key or tool.
Label each note with the blocker as well as the direction: a silver keyhole, collapsed rubble, or an inaccessible branch is more useful than a general reminder that you were stuck. That makes it easier to choose where to return after finding something useful.
Handle difficult fights and avoid the torch distraction
If the tunnel fights are wearing down your party, pull back into the tunnels to limit how many enemies fight you at once. Backtrack to a corner without enemies when you need to rest between battles.
You can also lower the difficulty if combat is preventing you from exploring. For the beginning dungeon's keyed metal gate, focus on finding the key and its side-wall lock; the wall torches are not needed for that progress.