Mortal Shell 2: Gloomshade Grove walkthrough (Part 7)
Overview & Key Takeaways
In the last part of our Mortal Shell 2 walkthrough, we carefully dismantled every enemy in the dangerous Blackridge Cliffs, which proves that you're ready for another major area of Fainweald: the Gloomshade Grove, to the west of Widow's Overlook.
This expansive area, like the Blackridge Cliffs, is a gateway to several other regions. But as always, I like to keep this walkthrough as intuitive as possible and clear the map one area at a time. And Gloomshade Grove has a lot of excellent valuables to find - including a brand new weapon and sidearm!
In this guide, I'll walk you step by step through the Gloomshade Grove in Mortal Shell 2, highlighting all collectibles along the way, and explaining how best to tackle every single enemy, boss, and challenge in the right order.
In the last part of our Mortal Shell 2 walkthrough, we carefully dismantled every enemy in the dangerous Blackridge Cliffs, which proves that you're ready for another major area of Fainweald: the Gloomshade Grove, to the west of Widow's Overlook.
This expansive area, like the Blackridge Cliffs, is a gateway to several other regions. But as always, I like to keep this walkthrough as intuitive as possible and clear the map one area at a time. And Gloomshade Grove has a lot of excellent valuables to find - including a brand new weapon and sidearm!
In this guide, I'll walk you step by step through the Gloomshade Grove in Mortal Shell 2, highlighting all collectibles along the way, and explaining how best to tackle every single enemy, boss, and challenge in the right order.
Want the walkthrough for a different area of the game? You'll find the full list of all our guides on our Mortal Shell 2 walkthrough hub page!
Gloomshade Grove walkthrough steps:
- Complete Gorf's (and Hilga's) questline.
- Enter Gloomshade Grove.
- Cleanse the northern corruption.
- Reach the Gloomshade Grove Beacon.
- Open the path back into the Flooded Village area.
- Complete the Corrupted Statue Trial.
- Defeat the Bloodcursed Lithopod.
- Obtain the Trebuchaxe from the Ravaged Hideout.
- Open the path to the Desolate Peak.
- Reach the Citadel Gate.
- Obtain the Great Martyr's Blade.
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1. Complete Gorf's (and Hilga's) questline.
Now, we're going to do a string of quest steps one after another, because all that is really required is for you to keep reloading the area by resting at the nearest Beacon in order to progress both Gorf's and Hilga's (joint) questlines.
If you want the full rundown, then it's far better if you head over to Jeremy's excellent guides on Gorf's questline and Hilga's questline. I'll just do the short-form version here.
Head to the Mushroom Village Beacon and visit Hilga and Grom. If you haven't visited them again since you first met them, then only Grom will be there in the cauldron, while Hilga is out collecting weeds.
Regardless of where you are, go back to the Mushroom Village Beacon and rest there to reload the area, before revisiting Hilga and Grom again to see what's new each time. Keep doing this, back and forth, until you reach the point where Hilga has locked Grom in a cage.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Now, go and visit Gorf, north of the Widow's Overlook Beacon. He'll be in a bad way - he was visited by some no-good Brigands, and stabbed in the side by a Poisoned Dagger. Interact with him to retrieve the Dagger. Then fast travel back to Hilga and Grom, and give Hilga that Poisoned Dagger.
Next time you reload the area, Hilga will be gone, leaving behind a note saying "You should know where to find me".
Head back to Gorf's den, and you'll find Hilga there with him, in the process of curing him. Give Gorf one last Common Moonshine. Then reload the area and revisit him to see him alive and well again.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Reload the area again and revisit them, and you'll see that Hilga has become a frog, just like Gorf, and they're both very happy together. Whoever could have seen this coming?
Reload the area one last time and you'll see that they've been quite busy, with four little baby frogs around them which you can interact with to hear a bit more dialogue from Gorf.
That's the end of their joint questline! Now we can get back to the task at hand: conquering the Gloomshade Grove to the west.
Mark step as completed.
2. Enter Gloomshade Grove.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Head past Gorf's lair and cross the bridges that lead to the Flooded Village dungeon entrance from Part 5 of our walkthrough. Kill the Sesters and Cultists around the dungeon entrance, and then this time, take the path down the slope past the wooden cart.
As you enter the Gloomshade Grove, you'll come into conflict with another group: two Torch Cultists on the left, and a Sester and two Frog Cultists on the right. Clear them all out, and collect the Ventrium and Common Moonshine from around the tent.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
The Torch Cultists to the left were standing by a blocked off area of corruption, but you don't need to clear it yet - we're gonna go around the other way and open it from the opposite side.
Mark step as completed.
4. Reach the Gloomshade Grove Beacon.
Beyond the corruption you just cleared, head through the cave tunnel and look left as soon as you can. This leads into an outdoor area where a band of Grisha Hunters are attempting (unsuccessfully) to kill a full-grown Grisha.
Loot the Laterite on the edge of the platform you're on (to the left), and also the 250x Coin Pouch by the cave wall. Then head down the slope into the battlefield below.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Loot the Common Moonshine on the boxes on the left, and another Common Moonshine on the boxes on the right. In between them, there's also a chest you can break open for a Tooth Of Nochte.
While the Grisha fight is still raging on, take the far right-hand route and you'll find another 250x Coin Pouch by the base of a tree. After that, join the fight and kill the Grisha and any Hunters that are left standing.
Collect the 3x Weltcaps on the far side of the large tree on the left. Just beyond that same tree, a short path along the cliff edge leads to a sitting spot, another 3x Weltcaps, and the Gloomshade Grove Beacon.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Unusually, this Beacon doesn't require you to cleanse it from the inside - it begins already cleansed, so you immediately receive a Gloom just for activating it. Rest there before continuing.
Mark step as completed.
5. Open the path back into the Flooded Village area.
Turn around from the Beacon, and take the right-hand path around the rock. Watch out behind you for any Grisha Hunters that notice you. The Grisha doesn't respawn, but the Hunters do.
Around the corner, you'll find a Tarred Vestige. As always, watch out for its fast-acting grab, but otherwise it shouldn't give you much trouble at this stage of the game.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Head down the slope and kill the three Lithopods there. Then follow the path straight on up the slope. Kill the two Netopyrs in the tree above with a couple of shots from your Forgotten Crossbow, and then clear the corruption in front of you.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
This is the corruption you passed by in Step 2, so now you've completed that little circuit around the north side of Gloomshade Grove. Still, there's much more to discover.
Mark step as completed.
6. Complete the Corrupted Statue Trial.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Turn around from the corruption and go back down the slope. There's a clearing at the bottom with a Corrupted Statue, but before you tackle it, look around the other side of the big tree to its right, and you'll find a Ventrium. You'll also find another Ventrium around the back side of the Corrupted Statue.
Once they're collected, interact with the statue to start its trial, which consists of two waves:
- Three Grisha Hunters (one of them ranged)
- Two Tarred Vestiges
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
It's probably the hardest Corrupted Statue Trial you've faced yet, but take your time and keep all foes in your sight at all times, and you should get through fairly cleanly. If you struggle, now may be a good time to return to the Marrow Keep and upgrade your weapon of choice as high as possible before returning and trying again.
Once the trial is complete, loot the statue for 1000x Coin and a new Tarstone - the Barrage Stone.
Mark step as completed.
7. Defeat the Bloodcursed Lithopod.
Facing the front of the statue, you'll see a pathway down to your right which leads to a small Brigand camp. Kill the two Brigands around the campfire, and then go right up to the cliff edge beyond them and sidle around the rock to find another Brigand holding a Common Moonshine, and guarding 2x Ventrium.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Go back to the campfire and turn around; you'll see a slope downwards with a Bone Gate. Use it to teleport to a lower ledge across the gap, and follow the path down into a large, open pond area at the bottom.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
This area is flooded with Mycellian Skulks, so kill them all with your Crossbow, and also dispatch the Leechtongue by the waterfall to your right.
Now head around to the other side of the central rock, and you'll awaken a boss - the Bloodcursed Lithopod.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
This isn't a hard fight - the Bloodcursed Lithopod basically just has the same attack as regular Lithopods, which are very easy to parry. Keep whaling away at it until it dies; it doesn't have any special tricks up its sleeves.
Upon its death, you'll acquire a unique item: the Citadel Gate Lever. We'll get to the use for this item shortly.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Mark step as completed.
8. Obtain the Trebuchaxe from the Ravaged Hideout.
On the far side of the central rock from where you came, exactly where the Bloodcursed Lithopod was resting, there's a cave entrance. Head through the fog and down into the Ravaged Hideout.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Destroy the crates at the end of the first corridor, and squeeze through the gap. Kill the two Tarred Corpses in your way, and follow the path until you reach another Tarred Vestige, flanked by three more Tarred Corpses. Kill the Corpses off first and then destroy the Vestige.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Head through the corruption and open the chest on the far side for a Tooth Of Nochte. Then take the only remaining path around and up the slope. Destroy the Bone Statue for a Laterite, and squeeze through another gap at the end of the pathway.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
As you walk into the centre of this final room, three Wraiths will spawn behind you. Kill them all, and then loot the corpse in the middle of the room to obtain a new Gloomforged Sidearm: the Salvaged Trebuchaxe.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
This potent firearm takes a while to wind up each shot, but the base damage is higher than either of your other sidearms so far. I find it's useful for certain slow-acting high-health bosses and enemies, but otherwise I much prefer the fast-firing Forgotten Crossbow in most cases.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
That's everything of value in the Ravaged Hideout, so take the teleporter back to the start and exit the dungeon.
Mark step as completed.
9. Open the path to the Desolate Peak.
Facing the dungeon entrance, head around its right side and take the first right. You'll see a path blocked by a Headsman; kill it, and loot the Bone Statue behind it for a Laterite.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Then head all the way to the end of the path, killing the Knave and Brigand along the way. There's a Bone Gate at the end of the path that takes you to new lands, but we're not done here yet, so just make a note of it for now and we can return later.
Head back to the pond area, and return to the waterfall where the Leechtongue resided when you first came here. Head left at the waterfall, up the slope. Kill the two Skulks at the top, and keep ascending up the wooden spiral ramp.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
At the top, check your surroundings for another Laterite to loot by the rocks. Then take the right-most of the two wooden bridges, which will take you to another Tarred Vestige to slay - but collect the Ventrium from the flag on your right as you approach.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Continue along this path and you'll see several stone archways, home to a number of Netopyrs. Shoot them with your Crossbow, and collect the Ventrium near the base of the stone archways. Then follow the path up the slope, killing the Tarred Vestige and the Brigands (and Knave) along the way.
The path here diverges again: to the left, there's a bridge, and to the right, there's a slope upwards. The true path we'll take is the slope upwards, but just for the moment, cross the bridge to the left so you can see what's there.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Namely: a couple of Weltcaps behind the stone structure to your left, and further on, another Bone Gate. This one leads to a small area called the Desolate Peak, but it's in-depth enough that we'll tackle it as its own walkthrough step later on.
Mark step as completed.
10. Reach the Citadel Gate.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Go back now and take the slope upwards instead. Kill the two Brigands and the Armed Knave that approach you, and proceed to the cliff edge where you'll find a spot to sit down, and 2x Ventrium each on their own little statue.
Turn around from the cliff edge, and you'll see the Citadel Gate. It's guarded by another Headsman, so kill it, and then read the note attached to the wall. It'll say that the gate has been closed because someone made off with the lever that controls it. Well, just so happens you wrested that lever from the Bloodcursed Lithopod earlier on!
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
You can place the lever next to the gate now to open it if you want; or you can leave it be. Either way, we're not entering the Citadel quite yet. There's still just a bit more to do within the Gloomshade Grove.
Instead, turn around and enter the cave area behind the gate. You'll see that beneath you there's a figure praying in front of a loot statue. Take the Ventrium from the statue, and the figure will turn into a new enemy: a Nocteserper. Thankfully, it has very little health, so despite its aggressive tendencies, it's an easy opponent.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Exit through the other side of the cave, and you'll find you're back at the point where the Grisha Hunters were attacking the Grisha. Which means the Gloomshade Grove Beacon is just around the right-hand corner! Go and rest there (and level up if you can), then return to the front of the Citadel Gate.
Mark step as completed.
11. Obtain the Great Martyr's Blade.
Take the only remaining path, to the right of the Citadel Gate. Squeeze through the gap and kill all the Wretches in the vicinity. You can also collect 3x Weltcap on your right along the way.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Pass under the bridge, and you'll see a well in front of you. You must be tired of hearing this, but leave it alone for now. Instead, head past it and loot the area of its two valuables: a 250x Coin Pouch, and a Common Moonshine by the hut.
Just for your knowledge: take the right-hand path through the cave next to the hut, and you'll see that it leads back to the cave overlooking the Grisha Hunters fighting the Grisha. This is where you entered Gloomshade Grove to begin with, so this is a quick path back towards the area of the Flooded Village and Widow's Overlook, in case you ever need it.
But your true final objective in this part of the walkthrough is on the other side of the hut, where you'll find a dungeon entrance in the stone brick. Descend through the fog, and at the bottom of the elevator, interact with the mysterious pouch on the table.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
This pouch acts as a teleporter, transporting you into a cell of the Martyr's Prison dungeon.
Strike the lock of the cell to break it open. To your left is a Foul Knight. Its attacks don't deal huge damage, but it combos them together quickly, and it's hard to stunlock. Take your time dispatching it.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Now, check the cell opposite yours. Kill the Wretch inside and break the Bone Statue for a Laterite. Next, break the door of the neighbouring cell, and again kill the Wretch inside. Loot the statue for another Laterite, and then press the stone button on the wall to open the main gate back in the corridor.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Things get dangerous here. Don't go through into the next room yet, because it locks you in behind you. Instead, let the three enemies come to you: two Foul Knights, and in the centre, a frightfully large round Knight Of Mammon enemy.
The Knight Of Mammon requires caution, for two reasons:
- At range, it will roll at you like a giant spiked ball, causing major damage unless you dodge.
- Every time you melee attack it, it will immediately puff out its spikes in response, hurting you unless you dodge away after every strike.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
Try to bait the Knight Of Mammon into rolling into the corridor with you, and then spam the sequence of strike-dodge-strike-dodge until it dies. Then you can take on the two Foul Knights.
Once they're dead, head into the room (the gate will close behind you), and you'll find one more hidden Foul Knight to your left behind some crates. Kill this one too, and then head to the opposite corner and break the crates there to reach the hidden side room.
Image credit: Rock Paper Shotgun/Playstack
On a stone slab in this final room is a new weapon: the Great Martyr's Blade. This heavy two-handed beast of a sword, as you might imagine, is the slowest but hardest-hitting of all your weapons so far. It's a bit too slow for my liking, but players who enjoy Strength builds in games like Elden Ring might feel right at home with this implement.
Once you're done, use the teleporter back in the main room to exit the dungeon.
Mark step as completed.
That's it for the Gloomshade Grove! Well, almost. It might have felt a bit frustrating, bypassing all those routes to new places, but we'll tackle them all one at a time in the next few sections of our walkthrough! Starting with one large underground area which spans all the way from the Gloomshade Grove to the Blackridge Cliffs of yesteryear. Join us in Part 8 for our Mortal Shell 2 Holding Cells walkthrough!
