Where is Cornifer in City of Tears?
Near the main entrance. Head right from the gate, up through the small opening, then right past the platforms to the bench.
Missed him? Every Cornifer location and what Iselda charges instead.
The City of Tears is where Hollow Knight opens up. Rain falls constantly in the interior, the layout is a tall grid of towers and walkways rather than caves, and the enemies stop being animals and start being armoured soldiers. You reach it from the Fungal Wastes through a large gate that needs the City Crest, which drops from the Soul Warrior guarding the Fungal Wastes route.
Cornifer is close to the entrance. Come through the gate, head right, and go up through the small opening, then keep right across the platforms until you reach a bench. He is humming nearby. The map is 90 Geo from Cornifer and 120 from Iselda, and the city is large enough that you should buy it immediately.
The two big fights are Soul Master and the Watcher Knights. Soul Master is at the top of the Soul Sanctum in the north west and drops Desolate Dive, the downward slam that breaks certain floors. His fight has a fake death, so do not walk away after the first health bar empties. Deeper in the Sanctum you can pick up Shade Soul, the upgraded Vengeful Spirit. The Watcher Knights are a six-knight gauntlet at the top of the Watcher's Spire, which needs the Elegant Key from Sly at 800 Geo, and beating them gets you to Lurien the Watcher, one of the three Dreamers.
Side content in the city is unusually dense. Lemm the relic seeker buys Wanderer's Journals for 200 Geo, Hallownest Seals for 450, King's Idols for 800 and Arcane Eggs for 1200, which makes him the best Geo faucet in the game. The Nailsmith upgrades your nail for Geo and Pale Ore. The Pleasure House holds the Shopkeeper's Key. The Tower of Love holds the Collector, who has three grubs, and needs the Love Key from the Queen's Gardens. There are five grubs in the city, the Grey Mourner's delicate flower quest, King's Station and City Storerooms Stag Stations, and a lift down toward the Ancient Basin.
Plan on multiple visits. The city touches almost every late area: the Royal Waterways are through the floor in the west, Kingdom's Edge is out of King's Station in the east, Crystal Peak and the Resting Grounds are above, and the Ancient Basin is down the great lift at the far west end.
Places inside City of Tears
- Soul Sanctum
- Watcher's Spire
- Tower of Love
- The Pleasure House
- King's Station
- City Storerooms
- Lemm's relic shop
- The Nailsmith's hut
Tips
- You need the City Crest from the Soul Warrior in the Fungal Wastes to open the main gate.
- Soul Master fakes his death. Stay in the arena and keep your soul for the second phase.
- Sell every relic to Lemm in the west of the city. Relics have no other use and are worth 21,650 Geo in total.
- The Elegant Key from Sly (800 Geo) opens the Watcher's Spire and Lurien.
- Grab Shade Soul inside the Soul Sanctum after Soul Master. It roughly doubles your spell damage.
- The Shopkeeper's Key in the Pleasure House opens Sly's upstairs room in Dirtmouth.
All 49 locations in City of Tears
Benches (6)
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City Storerooms Stag Station
Shares a room with the stag in the north-west of the City.
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Lower Soul Sanctum, upper middle City
The closest rest to the Soul Master fight. Cornifer sits beside this bench when he is mapping the City.
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Base of the Watcher's Spire
At the foot of the spire, before the lift up to the Watcher Knights and Lurien.
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Western rooftops
Out in the rain on the west side of the City, above the way down into the Royal Waterways. Quirrel sits here on your first visit.
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Inside the Pleasure House
Behind the Simple Key door in the east City. Pay the Toll Machine to use the bench beside the hot spring.
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King's Station platform
On the station platform in the south-east City, beside the stag and the way out to Kingdom's Edge.
Stag Stations (2)
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North-west City of Tears
Tucked in the storerooms above the main City streets, next to a bench.
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King's Station, south-east City
The grandest station in Hallownest and the priciest toll, on the way out to Kingdom's Edge.
Trams and Lifts (3)
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North-west City of Tears
The huge elevator linking the Forgotten Crossroads with the top of the City. Pull the lever at the City end to open the shortcut.
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Watcher's Spire
The elevator inside the spire that carries you up past the Watcher Knights to Lurien's chamber.
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East City of Tears
A tall lift shaft on the east side of the City that runs up into the Resting Grounds.
Cornifer (1)
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Upper middle City of Tears, beside a bench
Sitting next to the bench below the Soul Sanctum. Iselda charges 120 Geo for the same map.
Grubs (8)
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Central City of Tears
Out in the open in the middle of the City. No ability is needed.
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Great Husk Sentry room, east City
Defeat the Great Husk Sentry patrolling the room and free the Grub behind him.
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North-west City of Tears
Break the cracked floor with Desolate Dive to drop into the room holding the jar.
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South-east City, toward Kingdom's Edge
Sits in the open in the flooded south-east corner of the City. No ability is needed.
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Tower rooms east of the Watcher's Spire
Climb with the Mantis Claw, then use the Monarch Wings or a nail-bounce for the last gap. This is the sixteenth Grub, which earns a Rancid Egg from the Grubfather.
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Tower of Love
Unlock the Tower of Love with the Love Key and defeat The Collector. Three jars line the hallway inside.
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Tower of Love
Second of the three jars inside the Tower of Love.
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Tower of Love
The last of the 46 Grubs. Freeing it earns Grubberfly's Elegy from the Grubfather.
Vessel Fragments (1)
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Above King's Station, near the lift
Climb the rooms above King's Station toward the Resting Grounds lift. The fragment sits on a ledge beside it.
Whispering Roots (1)
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North-west City of Tears
In the north-west streets of the City, below the Storerooms.
Relics (7)
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North-west of Relic Seeker Lemm
A short walk north-west of Lemm's shop, which makes it the easiest seal to cash in.
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Above the King's Station Stag Station
Climb the rooms directly above the King's Station platform.
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West-most room of the Soul Sanctum
In the westmost room of the Soul Sanctum, reachable after the Soul Master falls.
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North-west of the Watcher Knights
In the side room off the spire, north-west of the Watcher Knight arena.
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West of the City Storerooms Stag Station
One room west of the Storerooms stag.
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Pleasure House, behind a hidden passage
Behind the locked door of the Pleasure House, through a hidden passage below the lift, so bring a Simple Key.
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North of King's Station
Climb the rooms over the King's Station platform and take the journal at the top.
Charms (1)
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Secret room at the top of the Soul Sanctum
Drops the Soul cost of every spell from 33 to 24, letting you fit an extra cast per bar. It hangs on a machine in a hidden room just before the Soul Master arena, in a corridor that constantly spawns Mistakes and Follies.
Abilities and Spells (3)
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Soul Sanctum, City of Tears
A downward slam that breaks floors and damages everything nearby. Dropped by Soul Master at the top of the Soul Sanctum.
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Locked side wing of the Soul Sanctum, City of Tears
Upgrades Vengeful Spirit into a stronger, faster projectile. The door needs the Elegant Key from Sly, and a Soul Warrior that keeps summoning Follies guards the room.
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The Nailsmith's workshop, west City of Tears
The Nailsmith forges four upgrades: Sharpened Nail for 250 Geo, Channelled Nail for 800 Geo and 1 Pale Ore, Coiled Nail for 2000 Geo and 2 Ore, and Pure Nail for 4000 Geo and 3 Ore. Each upgrade is a flat damage increase and is worth buying as soon as you can afford it.
Keys and Items (2)
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South of the City Storerooms
In the topmost alcove on the right side of the room south of the Storerooms, in the north-west City.
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Top of the Tower of Love
Found at the top of the Tower of Love after defeating The Collector. It pins every unfreed Grub on your purchased maps.
Bosses (5)
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Top of the Soul Sanctum, City of Tears
Teleports around the room, slams down from above and fires homing orbs. Stay under him only when the slam is on cooldown and be ready for the fake death, because he crashes through the floor for one more round.
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Soul Master's corpse, Soul Sanctum
The dream form of Soul Master with a far longer first phase and denser orb patterns. Keep moving between the pillars and save your Soul for Descending Dark punishes.
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Soul Sanctum, City of Tears
A sword wielding sorcerer that teleports behind you and fires soul orbs. Bait the teleport, immediately dash away, and strike while he raises his blade. A second, tougher Soul Warrior guards the Shade Soul room.
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Watcher's Spire, City of Tears
Six armoured knights that arrive two at a time and roll across the arena. Never stand between two of them, use the ceiling to reposition, and Descending Dark is excellent when both are grounded.
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Tower of Love, far east City of Tears
A lanky jar thrower that leaps around the room dropping caged enemies. Kill the spawns quickly or ignore them, and hit him when he lands after each jump.
Dreamers (1)
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Top of the Watcher's Spire, City of Tears
The first Dreamer most players reach. Beat the Watcher Knights, ride the lift to the top of the Spire, and Dream Nail Lurien to break one of the three seals on the Black Egg.
NPCs and Shops (3)
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Pleasure House, east City of Tears
After robbing you she hides in the Pleasure House, which needs the Elegant Key. Hit her with your nail and she coughs up double what she stole.
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Lemm's shop, west of the Hollow Knight statue
Buys Wanderer's Journals for 200 Geo, Hallownest Seals for 450, King's Idols for 800 and Arcane Eggs for 1200. Ring the bell outside his door to get in, and never sell relics to anyone else.
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Nailsmith's workshop, west City of Tears
Upgrades your nail four times using Geo and Pale Ore. After the Pure Nail he asks you to strike him down, and if you refuse he retires to Sheo's hut in Greenpath, where talking to him gives the happier outcome.
Secrets and Lore (5)
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North west City of Tears
A first tier flame carrier hovering in the rain soaked streets of the City. It is a short fight, so pick it up early in the Grimm Troupe quest.
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Central plaza, City of Tears
The memorial to the Hollow Knight, with a statue and a lore tablet that spells out the Vessel's purpose. Dropping Geo into the fountain does nothing here, unlike the one in the Ancient Basin.
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East City of Tears
A locked bathhouse opened with the Elegant Key from Sly. Inside are Millibelle in hiding, a Grub, a bench and a route across to the Watcher's Spire.
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Far east of the City of Tears
The Collector's tower, sealed behind a door that needs the Love Key from Queen's Gardens. Inside are three caged Grubs and the Collector's Map.
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South east City of Tears
The grand stag terminal of the capital, with a bench, a Stag Station and the entrance to the Royal Waterways in the floor. A Great Husk Sentry patrols the platform.
