Where is Cornifer in Royal Waterways?
West Royal Waterways. From the City of Tears go left and drop down, continue left past the bench, and listen for the humming.
Missed him? Every Cornifer location and what Iselda charges instead.
The Royal Waterways are the sewer system beneath the City of Tears, entered by breaking through the city floor in the west or by dropping in from the Fungal Wastes side. Flukes burst out of the walls, acid fills the lower channels, and the layout is a long horizontal band rather than the vertical shafts you have been climbing.
Cornifer is in the western half. From the City of Tears head all the way left and drop into the next room, keep going left past the bench through the platforming section, and you will hear the humming in a chamber a few rooms along. The map is 75 Geo from Cornifer, 100 from Iselda.
The item that matters is Isma's Tear, found in Isma's Grove at the far west end past a wall of acid you cross with the super dash. Isma's Tear makes acid harmless and swimmable, which retroactively opens routes in Greenpath, the Fungal Wastes, the Teacher's Archives and the Queen's Gardens. If you have been writing down acid-blocked shortcuts, this is the payoff.
Two bosses live here. Dung Defender is a cheerful, filthy knight who rolls and throws dung balls; beat him for the Defender's Crest charm and access to the White Defender dream fight much later. Flukemarm is a stationary boss in a side chamber that spawns endless flukes and drops the Flukenest charm. Neither is required, but both are worth doing.
Other content: Tuk sells Rancid Eggs, three grubs are scattered through the tunnels, and the Junk Pit at the eastern bottom contains a Simple Key plus the Godseeker. If you have the Godmaster content, waking the Godseeker in the Junk Pit is how you reach Godhome, and it requires the Simple Key to get into the pit in the first place. A Whispering Root and a hidden passage down to the Ancient Basin round the area out.
Places inside Royal Waterways
- Isma's Grove
- The Junk Pit
- Dung Defender's arena
- Flukemarm's chamber
- Tuk's nest
Tips
- Isma's Tear at the far west end makes acid harmless. Get it before you sweep old shortcuts.
- You need the Crystal Heart super dash to reach Isma's Grove.
- Dung Defender drops Defender's Crest and later becomes the White Defender dream boss.
- The Junk Pit needs a Simple Key. It holds another Simple Key and the Godseeker.
- Flukenest turns Vengeful Spirit into homing flukes. Pair it with Defender's Crest for a surprisingly strong build.
- There is a drop from the eastern Waterways straight into the Ancient Basin.
All 23 locations in Royal Waterways
Benches (2)
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Central Waterways junction
The only ordinary bench in the sewers, in the dry room at the middle junction.
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Junk Pit, below the Royal Waterways
The Godseeker's cocoon at the bottom of the Junk Pit counts as a bench on the map once it is unlocked with a Simple Key. Dream Nail her here to travel to Godhome.
Cornifer (1)
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West Royal Waterways
In a side room of the western sewers. Iselda charges 100 Geo if you never find him.
Grubs (3)
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West Royal Waterways
Sits in the open in the western sewer tunnels. No ability is needed.
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East Waterways, entered from Kingdom's Edge
This room cannot be reached from the Waterways proper. Come in through Kingdom's Edge, then super dash across and use the Monarch Wings or a nail-bounce.
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Flooded east Waterways
Swim through the acid with Isma's Tear to reach the jar.
Mask Shards (1)
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North-west Royal Waterways
Swim west underneath the main path in the north-west section of the Waterways.
Whispering Roots (1)
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Broken lift shaft, east Waterways
In the ruined lift shaft that drops from the Waterways toward the Ancient Basin.
Relics (2)
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White Defender's chamber
Break the floor into the hidden chamber where the White Defender sleeps and take the idol inside.
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Room connecting to the Ancient Basin
In the south-east Waterways room that drops through into the Ancient Basin.
Charms (2)
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Dung Defender's arena, Royal Waterways
Surrounds you with a cloud of dung that damages nearby enemies, and it powers up Spore Shroom and Flukenest enormously. Dropped by Dung Defender, and wearing it makes Leg Eater repair your Fragile charms for free.
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Flukemarm's nest, Royal Waterways
Turns Vengeful Spirit into a spray of baby flukes, and with Defender's Crest it becomes one of the strongest attacks in the game. Dropped by Flukemarm.
Abilities and Spells (1)
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Isma's Grove, east Royal Waterways
Lets you swim through acid safely, which unlocks Fog Canyon, the Lake of Unn and more. You need the super dash and a dead Dung Defender to open the route into the grove.
Keys and Items (1)
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Junk Pit
Open the Godseeker's cocoon in the Junk Pit with a Simple Key. She drops the Godtuner, which unlocks Godhome and the Pantheons.
Bosses (3)
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Dung arena, Royal Waterways
A cheerful knight who burrows through dung and launches balls at you. Watch the dung mounds for his surfacing spot, stay airborne between dives, and clear the projectiles with your nail.
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Dung Defender's secret room, Royal Waterways
Ogrim's dream self, far tougher and with extra dive and shockwave patterns. Dive into the dung wall beside his arena, then Dream Nail his sleeping body. He can be refought for extra dialogue, and a dung statue of the Knight appears after the fifth win.
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Flukemarm's nest, Royal Waterways
A stationary sack that endlessly spawns flukes from the ceiling. Pure damage race, so bring Fragile Strength or spells and clear the adds that block your swings.
NPCs and Shops (2)
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Hidden room in the upper Royal Waterways
A scavenger behind a breakable wall in the upper right corner of the uppermost Waterways section. Tuk sells Rancid Eggs for 80 to 100 Geo, and gives you one free if you are wearing Defender's Crest.
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Junk Pit, west Royal Waterways
Found sealed in a cocoon at the bottom of the Junk Pit. Free her with a Simple Key and Dream Nail her to gain the Godtuner and open Godhome, the Hall of Gods and the five Pantheons.
Secrets and Lore (4)
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West Royal Waterways, below the flooded halls
A rubbish heap at the bottom of the Waterways where discarded things from the city collect. Dive through the floor below the Waterways bench to reach it, and the Godseeker's cocoon, a Grub and several relics are buried here.
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Dung pit beside Ogrim's arena, Royal Waterways
After beating Dung Defender, dive into the dung wall beside his arena to find the hidden chamber where he sleeps. Dream Nail him there to fight White Defender.
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East Royal Waterways
A flooded garden holding Isma's corpse and the seed that grants acid immunity. You need the super dash to open the route, and Dung Defender has to be beaten first.
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Royal Waterways, at the edge of the Ancient Basin
A final tier Grimmkin waiting where the Waterways meet the Ancient Basin. Bring plenty of room to dodge, because it mixes fire pillars with spiralling fireballs.
