Dirtmouth is one screen wide and it never stops being useful. The bench sits beside the well in the middle of town, and the well is the only way down into the Forgotten Crossroads until you unlock the Stag Station beneath the village. Elderbug stands by the entrance and will comment on almost every major thing you do, which makes him a decent, spoiler-light progress check.
The building on the left is Iselda's map shop, and it is the single most important shop in the game for navigation. Iselda sells the Quill for 120 Geo, the Wayward Compass charm for 220 Geo, every map pin type, and any area map you failed to buy from Cornifer at a markup of roughly 33 percent. She is also the only source of the Resting Grounds map, which costs 75 Geo, because Cornifer never sets up there. Buy the Quill the moment you can afford it. Without it, a purchased map never fills in.
Sly's shop opens only after you find him in the Forgotten Crossroads, in a hidden room reached by breaking the floor near the Stag Station. He stocks two Mask Shards at 150 and 500 Geo, a Vessel Fragment at 550 Geo, the Lumafly Lantern at 1800 Geo, the Simple Key at 950 Geo, the Elegant Key at 800 Geo, Rancid Eggs, and the Gathering Swarm and Stalwart Shell charms. The Lumafly Lantern is a hard requirement for Deepnest and the Abyss, so treat 1800 Geo as an early savings goal. Later, the Shopkeeper's Key found in the City of Tears opens the room upstairs.
As you play, Dirtmouth fills up. Bretta moves in after you free her from the Fungal Wastes. Zote turns up after Greenpath. Confessor Jiji takes a Rancid Egg and summons your Shade to you, which saves a long walk after a bad death. Cornifer retires here once you have bought enough of his maps. If you light the Nightmare Lantern in the Howling Cliffs, the Grimm Troupe pitches its tent on the eastern side of town and adds a whole questline plus four charms.
Dirtmouth itself has no purchasable map. It is a single room, it appears on the world map automatically, and the Stag Station under the town connects you to the whole Stagway network once you open it.
Places inside Dirtmouth
- Iselda's map shop
- Sly's shop
- The well down to the Forgotten Crossroads
- Dirtmouth Stag Station
- Bretta's house
- The Grimm Troupe tent
Tips
- Buy the Quill from Iselda for 120 Geo before anything else. Maps do nothing without it.
- Save 1800 Geo for Sly's Lumafly Lantern. Deepnest and the Abyss are miserable without it.
- Keep one Rancid Egg for Confessor Jiji so you can recall your Shade after a bad death.
- Talk to Elderbug after every major boss. He is a safe, low-spoiler progress hint.
- The Stag Station is west of the well, behind a breakable wall at the bottom of a short shaft.
All 38 locations in Dirtmouth
Benches (1)
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Beside the well, next to Elderbug
The first bench of the game, right where you climb out of the well into Dirtmouth.
Stag Stations (1)
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North end of Dirtmouth
Free to use, but it can only be opened from the inside. It becomes available once any other station has been unlocked.
Mask Shards (5)
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Sly's shop
The cheapest of Sly's four shards. He only opens the shop after you find him in the Forgotten Crossroads.
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Sly's shop
Appears in Sly's stock once the first shard has been bought.
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Sly's upstairs storeroom
Needs the second shard bought and the Shopkeeper's Key handed over.
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Sly's upstairs storeroom
The last and most expensive shard, sold once the third one has been bought.
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Bretta's house in Dirtmouth
Free Bretta from the Fungal Wastes first. Once she is home in Dirtmouth, drop into her basement and take the shard.
Vessel Fragments (2)
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Sly's shop
On sale as soon as Sly reopens his shop in Dirtmouth.
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Sly's upstairs storeroom
Part of the rare stock Sly unlocks after you give him the Shopkeeper's Key.
Charms (11)
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Sly's shop in Dirtmouth
A swarm of tiny bugs collects loose Geo for you, so nothing is left behind after a fight or a death. Buy it from Sly once you have freed him from the Forgotten Crossroads.
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Sly's shop in Dirtmouth
Lengthens your invulnerability after taking a hit and shortens the recoil. Cheap insurance for early bosses and one of Sly's first stock items.
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Sly's upstairs stock, Dirtmouth
Increases the knockback your nail deals, which keeps crowds and smaller bosses off you. It only appears in Sly's stock after you bring him the Shopkeeper's Key from Crystal Peak.
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Sly's upstairs stock, Dirtmouth
Raises your running speed, which pairs well with Dashmaster for routing and speedruns. Unlocked in Sly's shop after handing over the Shopkeeper's Key.
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Sly's shop in Dirtmouth
Halves the charge time of every Nail Art. Sly hands it over for free once you have learned Cyclone Slash, Great Slash and Dash Slash from all three Nailmasters.
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Iselda's map stall in Dirtmouth
Shows your position on the map, which makes exploring unmapped corners far less painful. Iselda sells it in the shop attached to Cornifer's house once you have met Cornifer.
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Grimm's tent in Dirtmouth
A small companion that spits fireballs at nearby enemies and grows stronger as you collect Grimmkin flames. Troupe Master Grimm gives it to you when you light the Nightmare Lantern and accept the ritual.
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Nymm in Dirtmouth
Gives a chance to nullify incoming damage entirely. You only get it on the banishment route: take Brumm's offer in the Howling Cliffs, destroy the Nightmare Lantern, then speak to Nymm in Dirtmouth. It shares its inventory slot with Grimmchild, so the two are mutually exclusive.
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Divine's tent in Dirtmouth
The permanent version of Fragile Heart, so the extra masks never break on death. Divine forges it once you give her the Fragile Heart and pay the fee. It shares its completion point with Fragile Heart.
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Divine's tent in Dirtmouth
Permanent Fragile Greed, giving extra Geo from every enemy without the risk of shattering. Hand Fragile Greed to Divine and pay her price.
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Divine's tent in Dirtmouth
Permanent Fragile Strength, a flat 50 percent nail damage boost that survives death. The most expensive charm in the game, so save up before visiting Divine.
Keys and Items (6)
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Sly's shop
The only Simple Key you can buy. Sly never restocks it, so spend it carefully.
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Sly's upstairs storeroom
On sale once Sly has the Shopkeeper's Key. It opens Emilitia's door in the Pleasure House.
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Sly's shop
The lantern lights the pitch-black rooms of Deepnest and the Crystal Peak mines. Buy it before heading down.
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Inside the Grimm Troupe tent
Defeat Grimm in the troupe tent in Dirtmouth and the notch is yours.
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Iselda's map shop
Buy the Quill from Iselda so the map fills in whenever you rest on a bench.
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Iselda's map shop
A charm sold by Iselda that shows your position on the map. It goes on sale once you have met Cornifer.
Bosses (3)
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Grimm's tent in Dirtmouth
A theatrical fire boss with teleports, a fire bat spread, a dive and an uppercut. Learn the tell for each teleport, dash through the pufferfish phase, and heal only after his cape flourish. He is fought once the Grimmchild has absorbed six flames.
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Dream of Grimm's tent, Dirtmouth
The hardest optional fight in the base game, with almost no healing windows worth taking. Collect the last three flames, Dream Nail the sleeping Grimm, then commit to dodging over healing. Beating him ends the ritual and the Troupe leaves Hallownest.
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Bretta's basement, Dirtmouth
Bretta's fantasy version of Zote, who slams the ground and drops damaging Zotelings. Rescue Zote in Greenpath and the Colosseum, rescue Bretta, then Dream Nail the statue in her basement. He gains 100 HP for each of the first four wins.
NPCs and Shops (9)
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Sly's store, central Dirtmouth
The main general store, stocking Gathering Swarm, Stalwart Shell, Heavy Blow, Sprintmaster, four Mask Shards, two Vessel Fragments, the Simple Key, the Elegant Key, the Lumafly Lantern and Rancid Eggs. He only opens after you find him dazed in the Forgotten Crossroads, and the Shopkeeper's Key unlocks his upstairs stock.
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Cornifer and Iselda's house, Dirtmouth
Sells the Wayward Compass, the Quill, area maps you have bought from Cornifer, and the map pins and markers that show benches, stags, Grubs and more. Buy the Quill early so your maps fill in as you explore.
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Bretta's house, Dirtmouth
Rescued from a cell south east of Mantis Village in the Fungal Wastes, after which she moves into Dirtmouth and keeps a diary about you. Once Zote arrives she switches her affection to him, and later leaves town for good.
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Bretta's house, Dirtmouth
Settles in Dirtmouth after you rescue him from Vengefly King in Greenpath and again from the Colosseum. Talk to him repeatedly for the 57 Precepts, and rescuing him a third time in Deepnest ends his story.
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By the well in Dirtmouth
The last resident of Dirtmouth and the game's informal guide. Talk to him after every major event for hints, and give him a Delicate Flower for a small piece of extra dialogue.
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Cave on the far east side of Dirtmouth
Trades one Rancid Egg for summoning your Shade to you, which saves a long walk back to where you died. Her door is locked and needs a Simple Key to open.
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Jiji's cave in Steel Soul mode, Dirtmouth
Replaces Confessor Jiji when you play Steel Soul, and buys your Rancid Eggs for Geo instead of summoning Shades. There are no second chances in that mode, so eggs are just currency.
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Grimm Troupe camp, west Dirtmouth
The Grimm Troupe pitches camp here after you light the Nightmare Lantern in the Howling Cliffs. Inside you meet Grimm, Brumm and the Grimmchild quest line, with Divine in a smaller tent to the west.
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Divine's tent, west of the Grimm Troupe camp
Eats your Fragile charms and spits them back out as Unbreakable versions for a heavy fee: 12000 Geo for the Heart, 9000 for Greed and 15000 for Strength. She stays behind after the Troupe leaves until every Fragile charm has been upgraded.
