Many different routes converge and diverge in Hallownest, and secret spots abound. You can always tell where you are in Hollow Knight if you have all the maps.
Hollow Knight’s playable area is surprisingly large, considering the game’s setting is a kingdom populated entirely by insects. More difficult content can be found in Hallownest as players explore the world. Numerous non-playable characters (NPCs) can be talked to at various points throughout Hollow Knight.
Cornifer, a merchant, is one of the first friendly faces the player encounters after falling down the well in Dirtmouth. Each of Hallownest’s major hubs has a cartographer whose wares can be purchased by adventurers. Cornifer’s humming and, eventually, a literal paper trail leading to the mapmaker, give players a sense of where he is.
Cornifer will leave a card directing players to Dirtmouth, where they can buy his maps and other markers from Iselda, if they discover them but do not buy them before moving on to the next area. So that you don’t waste time going back and forth, here are the locations of Cornifer throughout Hallownest.
Ancient Basin
Taking the Tram that runs between Deepnest and Kingdom’s Edge in the south, or navigating the Royal Waterways, are the two ways to reach the Ancient Basin. Players should get to the Tram station no matter what.
You can enter a secret passage to the left of the Tram platform. Many Shadow Creepers are scuttling around and climbing the walls of this passage, which leads to the main chamber of the Ancient Basin. There are several forks off to the right, one of which leads to a fountain where, for 3000 Geo, players can retrieve a Vessel Fragment. The helpful humming mapmaker can be found right below the fountain.
City Of Tears
Most players won’t set foot in the City of Tears until they venture to the city’s outskirts to use the City Crest and rebuild the bridge to the Fungal Wastes. This entrance leads directly to Cornifer, but he has locked the short cut, so players must travel south until they reach the city proper.
Once the player reaches the bottom, they can take the left path to find the Nailsmith and have their Knight’s nail upgraded. Taking the elevator up to the right, the player will find Relic Seeker Lemm, who will pay them for artefacts they have found on their travels, just before they meet Hornet at the fountain.
Ascending from Lemm, the player will encounter more hostiles, many of whom will be guarding valuable items, Geo, or other collectibles. In the course of using the elevators and the Mantis Claw to get around, the player will come across a piece of paper that they will recognize. Following this path will lead the Knight to a small arena where a Heavy, Lance, and Winged Sentry await. Upstairs is where you’ll find Cornifer, along with a bench that will cost you 150 Geo to unlock.
Crystal Peak
Starting east of the Black Egg Temple, players can access the Crystal Peak via the Forgotten Crossroads; however, they’ll need the Lumafly Lantern to see in the tunnel and use the toll machine there. The next area can be accessed by paying 50 Geo to unlock it.
Upon entering Crystal Peak, players should take the road on the right, which involves crossing a large gap and a series of conveyor belts. Husk Miners can be found in this area, and they will either throw their tools at the Knight if they get too close, or they will use their picks as a slashing weapon. To the right of this room is a bench, which the players can use before continuing up the stairs.
Riders can use the Mantis Claw to ascend to the top of the vertical belt, where a patrolling Glimback may be waiting, and then continue onward. A Grub can be found at the top, but it is temporarily locked behind a gate. As the player continues their ascent, they will encounter a room filled with Crystal Crawlers, each of which fires a deadly laser at the player at random intervals. After passing through, the players can take the exit to the left and find Cornifer humming away in joy.
Deepnest
Cornifer can be found in either of Deepnest’s two entrances, but he won’t be humming to avoid alerting the creepy crawlies there to his whereabouts. Carrying the Lumafly Lantern will help you see your way around in the night.
After defeating the Mantis Lords in the Fungal Wastes, players can enter Deepnest, where they’ll find him cowering behind a ledge to the left and up from the entrance. Cornifer can be found south of the Failed Tramway if players approach from the Queen’s Gardens to the north.
Fog Canyon
The Fog Canyon can be entered at an early point in the game, but it won’t be fully explorable until much later. Cornifer can be accessed in one of two ways, depending on whether the player has the Shade Cloak or Isma’s Tear.
Traveling up from the Queen’s Station or down Greenpath will bring players to the room where Cornifer is stationed, depending on which side of the map they’re on. At the columnar heart of the Fog Canyon, a corridor leads to a room with an acid pool, platforms, and Uomas. Cornifer’s voice will follow the player through this room, but a Shade Gate will prevent them from reaching him. Players with the Shade Cloak will be able to quickly traverse the Shade Gate and arrive at the trailhead leading to Cornifer.
The alternative route in the Fungal Wastes involves Isma’s Tear swimming through an acid pool that is diametrically opposite to where the Leg Eater is hiding. Here, players can enter Fog Canyon and head left to find the room where Cornifer is hiding.
Forgotten Crossroads
This is where players will first meet Cornifer, and it’s also one of the most convenient places to find him.
In the large room with the suspended platforms and several Gruzzers, Crawlids, and Tiktiks, players should head to the left after descending the well from Dirtmouth. Players must descend to the bottom of the area, avoiding dangers as they go, and exit through the door there. Cornifer is in the next room to the right.
Fungal Wastes
The Fungal Wastes, like many other places in Hallownest, can be accessed in a number of ways. It’s only natural for adventurers to head towards the Fungal Wastes after vanquishing the False Knight and Hornet on their way to the City of Tears.
To reach the Queen’s Station from Greenpath’s southeast, players must first make their way through a short section of Fog Canyon. The Fungal Wastes can be reached by following the path directly to the right of the station, while Cornifer can be reached by following the path down and to the left.
If, however, players descend into the Fungal Wastes via the Forgotten Crossroads, they must keep heading south and to the left. Two Shrumal Ogres stand between them and the next set of gates. In order to reach Cornifer, players must descend further, past the projectile-shooting Sporgs, and then head left, avoiding the acid, while following the recognisable sounds of his humming.
Greenpath
Greenpath is accessible once the player has learned the first spell from the Snail Shaman in the Ancestral Mound. To reach Greenpath, head south of the Grubfather in the Forgotten Crossroads and take the left-most path.
Players can proceed left into Greenpath after defeating the Elder Baldur blocking their way by using the Vengeful Spirit. Greenpath is relatively straight compared to the rest of Hallownest, and players will encounter Hornet, who isn’t quite leading them to Cornifer.
Having gone as far to the left as possible, players should now head down and to the right. Cornifer is located in a compact section of Greenpath guarded by Volatile Mosskin and Squits, and features platforms that can be hacked away in the future to facilitate travel.
Howling Cliffs
The Howling Cliffs are located to the far left of Dirtmouth and can be accessed by returning through the King’s Pass, but only if the player has the Mantis Claw. To reach the Howling Cliffs, the Knight must return to the first room he enters after the opening cutscene and head left. You can also get here via Greenpath, but you’ll need the Mantis Claw to get anywhere.
Midway down the cliffs, you’ll run into one of the Nailmaster brothers and find Cornifer doodling in one of the right-hand paths.
Kingdom’s Edge
There are a few entry points into Kingdom’s Edge, but the quickest route to Cornifer is via the City of Tears and the King’s Station there. Under the Knight-accessible platform at Stag Station is a room with a rusty platform, a broken bench, and two Vengeflies off to the right.
Jumping into the pool of water and continuing to the right will lead players to a shortcut leading to a secret part of the city. Keep heading right to avoid the diving Belfies that are chasing the Knight. On the way, players can rescue a stranded Grub.
You can head up a path that eventually leads to the Tower of Love, but you’ll need the Love Key to get there, and once you get there, you’ll be even further away from Cornifer in Kingdom’s Edge.
After players make their way into Kingdom’s Edge, Cornifer will be directly below them in a hidden area along the wall on the left. Players can use the Mantis Claw to safely descend the wall to the first of two platforms, between which is the secret entrance leading to the mapmaker.
Queen’s Gardens
Fog Canyon is the quickest way to the Queen’s Gardens, but it requires Isma’s Tear. The Fog Canyon is accessible from the Queen’s Station; from there, players can continue climbing up through the area with the floating Uomas and Oomas, until they reach the first path that branches to the left. With Isma’s Tear, adventurers can swim through the acid and reach the Queen’s Gardens, despite the presence of a large acid pit and spikes.
Until you reach the first Mantis Petra, keep going left. The way to the Stag Station is up ahead, but it is currently blocked until the players can flip the switch, so they will have to go around for now. After descending to the temporary platform area, players must turn right once they reach the very bottom. The next area features a brief battle encounter with more Mantis Petras, and the exit cannot be accessed until all of them have been vanquished.
Once the winning team has been determined, have them head to the right where a piece of paper and a bench sign await. The humming cartographer can be located by following these.
Royal Waterways
A locked hatch can be accessed from the City of Tears by going below where Relic Seeker Lemm is. The hatch can be opened with a Simple Key, providing access to the Royal Waterways. To light their way through the Royal Waterways, players should bring the Lumafly Lantern.
When entering the hatch, players should turn left and proceed along the lower path past the two Pilflips. A player heading to the bench should instead bear left and follow the Hwurmps across the room. Players can find one of Cornifer’s papers in the top left corner, and following that paper through a small opening will take them to a zone teeming with Flukemons.
Continue left after turning, but remember that a Mask Shard can be found at the larger room’s pool’s bottom. Players will be trapped in the following room until they have vanquished the enemies who suddenly appear to open the doors. You’ll find Cornifer up on the highest platform to the left, and you can use the Mantis Claw to get there.
The PC, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch versions of Hollow Knight can all be played.
