Hollow Knight Forgotten Crossroads Guide

Region / Hollow Knight (Patch v1.4.3)

The first underground region of Hallownest. Highways and caverns connect to Greenpath, Crystal Peak, Fungal Wastes, Resting Grounds, and the Ancient Basin via the Tram.

First boss: False KnightReward: City Crest, Glowing WombLate-game turn: Infected Crossroads

The Forgotten Crossroads is the first real region of Hallownest. Per the wiki, it sits "below Dirtmouth" and "its highways and caverns connect to many other areas in Hallownest", which makes it the hub every other region branches from.

According to the wiki, the area holds four boss encounters. False Knight in the centre, Brooding Mawlek behind a breakable south wall, Gruz Mother sleeping in a small church near the Hot Spring, and Failed Champion as the Dream Nail variant of False Knight after the second Dreamer is freed.

The wiki specifies a second visual state. After defeating Broken Vessel and acquiring Monarch Wings, the region transforms into the Infected Crossroads, an orange-pulsing rework with stronger enemy variants (Furious Vengeflies, Violent Husks, Volatile Gruzzers) and a new Lightseed enemy type.

This guide covers the well drop from Dirtmouth, the four boss encounters, the Ancestral Mound sub-area west of False Knight, the Temple of the Black Egg, the Stag Station and Resting Grounds Tram, the Aspid Nest route to Glowing Womb, the five-grub count (the most-trapped-grub area in the game), the Hot Spring bench, Cornifer's first map sale, and the Infected Crossroads late-game transformation.

• What it is The Hallownest hub region; first underground area below Dirtmouth.
• Gate boss False Knight; rewards the City Crest required for the City of Tears.
• Best pickup Glowing Womb; hidden Aspid Nest above the False Knight corridor.
• Skip when Pre-Mothwing Cloak; south-west routes and several breakables gate behind the dash.

What the Forgotten Crossroads Is

The Forgotten Crossroads is the central hub of Hallownest. Per the wiki, "its highways and caverns connect to many other areas in Hallownest", making it the literal crossroads from which Greenpath, Fungal Wastes, Crystal Peak, the Resting Grounds Tram, and the Temple of the Black Egg all branch.

According to the wiki, the region splits into three sub-zones. The main Forgotten Crossroads corridors run east to west; the Ancestral Mound sits west of the False Knight arena; and the Temple of the Black Egg occupies the far-east cliff where the Hollow Knight and Radiance fights take place at the end of the game.

The wiki notes the area also has a World Sense unlock. "The World Sense Ability can be acquired from the Lore Tablet next to the Bench"; this is the in-menu count of how many Hallownest enemies the Knight has Dream-Nailed, and it is permanently tied to this one tablet.

Well Drop and Region Connections

Per the wiki, the canonical entry is the well in Dirtmouth. The Knight drops down a chain (interactable to return) into the main Crossroads chamber. From this single hub, six regions branch out.

1. Greenpath (west). According to the wiki, the west corridor opens into Greenpath through a gate guarded by a Husk Hornhead. This is the recommended first branch for the Mothwing Cloak.
2. Fungal Wastes (south-west). Per the wiki, the south-west passage gates behind Mothwing Cloak. The thorn corridor that crosses into the Fungal Wastes cannot be traversed pre-dash.
3. Crystal Peak (east, upper). The wiki specifies two east connections. Myla mines the crystals at the upper connection; the lower connection becomes walkable with Mantis Claw.
4. Resting Grounds Tram. According to the wiki, "this part of the Crossroads also has a Tram connection to the Resting Grounds." The Tram pass from Deepnest unlocks the route.
5. Ancient Basin (lower). The wiki notes a vertical shaft to the Ancient Basin opens after the Mantis Claw unlock. The shaft is the route to Broken Vessel and the Abyss.
6. Temple of the Black Egg. Per the wiki, the far-east cliff houses the sealed door to the Hollow Knight boss fight. Three Dreamer seals open the door once Lurien, Monomon, and Herrah are dreamed-out.

According to the wiki, the Hot Spring bench sits in the south of the region. Dropping into the south corridor lands the Knight on a free rest point with full healing, useful for re-runs at the False Knight arena or the Brooding Mawlek breakable.

Four Boss Encounters

Per the wiki, the Forgotten Crossroads hosts four bosses across the main run and the Dream-Nailed re-fight. Each marks a different progression beat.

False Knight (central)

The wiki specifies False Knight as the centre-arena fight. He is the first boss most players meet; the three-phase mace and shockwave moveset introduces the head-stagger pattern that recurs across the game. Defeating him drops the City Crest, which gates the south route into the City of Tears.

Brooding Mawlek (hidden south)

According to the wiki, Brooding Mawlek sits behind "an area hidden by a breakable wall" south of the main corridor. The fight is fully optional; the reward is the Mask Shard chest plus a Hunter's Journal completion entry. Pre-Mothwing Cloak entry is possible but tight.

Gruz Mother (south church)

Per the wiki, Gruz Mother sleeps "in a church" in the south of the area. The fight is a single-attack tackle pattern plus the post-kill Gruzzlet spawn wave; the church becomes a Cornifer-adjacent landmark for players retracing the Hallownest Crown route later.

Failed Champion (Dream Nail variant)

According to the wiki, Failed Champion is the Dream-Nail-summoned variant of False Knight, available after acquiring the Dream Nail. The fight reuses the same arena and moveset with raised damage and three phases of mace and shockwave; the 300 Essence drop is one of the higher-tier Awoken Dream Nail yields.

NPCs and Merchants

Per the wiki, the Forgotten Crossroads is one of the densest NPC regions in the game. Six named characters live or pass through the hub.

• Cornifer. According to the wiki, Cornifer sells the Forgotten Crossroads map for 30 Geo in a small room near the False Knight corridor. He is the first map merchant the Knight meets; his wife Iselda runs the Dirtmouth shop for follow-up purchases.
• Grubfather. Per the wiki, the Grubfather sits in a small chamber accessed through a breakable east wall. He rewards Geo and items per Grub rescued; the Forgotten Crossroads has five Grubs, tied for the most in any single region.
• Myla. The wiki notes Myla mines crystals at the upper Crystal Peak connection. Her arc is one of the most quietly tragic in the game; her songs progressively corrupt across visits, ending in a Husk Miner fight after the Knight gets the Dream Nail.
• Salubra. Per the wiki, Salubra sells charms and Charm Notches in the south-east. She "remarks to the Knight on how the village is lovely and full of life", which the wiki frames as her being "unaware of the Infection and the kingdom's fall."
• Sly. According to the wiki, Sly is rescued from one of the abandoned village houses south of the Hot Spring. After rescue he opens a general store in Dirtmouth and later reveals himself as the Great Nailsage Sly for the Pure Nail upgrade chain.
• Tiso. The wiki specifies Tiso's first appearance on the Forgotten Crossroads bench. He moves through Hallownest at fixed milestones and ends in the Colosseum of Fools, where his body becomes a background corpse.

Glowing Womb and Items

Per the wiki, the Forgotten Crossroads holds one Charm, one major unlock item (City Crest), two Mask Shards, two Vessel Fragment access routes, and the World Sense ability tablet.

Charm Glowing Womb (2 notches; Aspid Nest after blocked-passage challenge)

Key item City Crest (False Knight drop; opens the south gate to the City of Tears)

Mask Shard 1 Brooding Mawlek chest (optional south boss reward)

Mask Shard 2 Grubfather reward at 5 Grubs (rescue all five Forgotten Crossroads Grubs)

Bonus Vengeful Spirit spell (Ancestral Mound chamber; Snail Shaman gift)

According to the wiki, the Aspid Nest gates the Glowing Womb behind a lock-in fight. "When first entering, the Knight is locked in the room and has to fight small waves of Aspids"; after the wave clears, "blobs of Infections burst, giving access to a giant Aspid Mother's corpse from which the Glowing Womb Charm can be acquired."

The wiki specifies the Ancestral Mound is the source of the Vengeful Spirit spell. The Snail Shaman gives the spell once the Knight finds his sealed chamber west of False Knight. This is the first SOUL-spending offence in the game and the foundation for every later Shade Soul / Abyss Shriek upgrade.

Five-Grub Count

Per the wiki, the Forgotten Crossroads has the most trapped Grubs of any region in Hallownest. Five total. Each sits in a glass jar; the jar breaks on Nail strike.

1. East of the entrance. According to the wiki, the first Grub sits east of the well drop in a small open chamber. No platforming required; walk in, smash, leave.
2. Brooding Mawlek hidden room. Per the wiki, the second Grub is tucked into the same hidden corridor as the Brooding Mawlek fight. Reach the breakable wall, drop down, smash before the Mawlek aggro.
3. North of Stag Station. The wiki notes the third Grub sits in a small alcove north of the Stag Station bench, behind a breakable floor.
4. Glowing Womb adjacent. According to the wiki, the fourth Grub is in the Aspid Nest corridor adjacent to the Glowing Womb reward room. The Aspid lock-in must be cleared first.
5. Infected Crossroads only. Per the wiki, the fifth Grub appears in a room that only opens during the Infected Crossroads transformation after Broken Vessel is defeated. Players who 112% the game must return post-Infection.

According to the wiki, the Grubfather chamber sits behind a breakable east wall near Cornifer. Rewards include 60 Geo at 5 Grubs, a Mask Shard at 10, a Pale Ore at 23, and a Hallownest Seal at 35; the full 46-grub clear unlocks Grubsong's upgrade.

Infected Crossroads Turn

Per the wiki, defeating Broken Vessel and acquiring Monarch Wings transforms the Forgotten Crossroads into the Infected Crossroads. The soundtrack shifts, the lighting goes orange-red, and every Husk variant is replaced with an Infected counterpart.

According to the wiki, the new enemy roster is "Furious Vengefly, Slobbering Husk, Volatile Gruzzer, Violent Husk, Lightseed." Lightseed is the new-only enemy type; the others are aggro-buffed reworks of base Husks. The Aspid Nest also stays "heavily Infected even before triggering the Infected Crossroads", which is the only pre-trigger hint.

The wiki specifies the transformation happens silently. There is no dialogue or boss trigger; the Knight returns to the well drop after Broken Vessel and the swap is already complete. The Stag Station, Cornifer's room, and the Temple of the Black Egg corridor stay visually untouched; the swap is enemy and lighting only.

Common Mistakes

1. Buying Cornifer's map late. Per the wiki, the Forgotten Crossroads map costs 30 Geo. Players who skip the purchase and try to track Grubs by memory miss at least two of the five on a first pass; the map preview shows every Grub jar icon once Cornifer is paid.
2. Triggering the Aspid Nest pre-Vengeful Spirit. According to the wiki, the Aspid Nest lock-in spawns "small waves of Aspids" from above. Without Vengeful Spirit, the Knight has no ranged answer; the wave clears in roughly half the time once the spell is equipped from the Ancestral Mound.
3. Skipping the Ancestral Mound. The wiki specifies the Snail Shaman gives Vengeful Spirit, the first offensive spell in the game. Players who rush west into Greenpath without detouring west to the Mound fight Hornet without a ranged option; the Mound detour is roughly 90 seconds.
4. Forgetting the Hot Spring. Per the wiki, the south Hot Spring bench is a free full heal. Players who sprint between False Knight retries using the Dirtmouth bench miss a 15-second shortcut; the Hot Spring sits 4 rooms from the False Knight arena entry.
5. Trying to enter the Temple of the Black Egg early. The wiki notes the Temple door is sealed until all three Dreamers are freed. Players who reach it early often assume the seal is a Charm or Nail puzzle; it is exclusively the Lurien, Monomon, and Herrah dream sequence trigger, no in-room interaction.

Forgotten Crossroads FAQ

More Hollow Knight Guides

The Forgotten Crossroads ties to the False Knight boss, the Brooding Mawlek side fight, the Glowing Womb charm, the Cornifer first-map sale, and the Broken Vessel Infection trigger. These spokes pick up the threads.

SlyForgotten Crossroads rescue NPC and Nailsage chain

Hollow Knight BossesFull boss directory

QuirrelTemple of the Black Egg first NPC encounter

Boss OrderRecommended Hallownest boss sequence

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