Lifting the Silken Curse: My Journey Through Bellhart in Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong Bellhart Silken Curse guide: use Cling Grab to free citizens and defeat the boss.
As a seasoned Hollow Knight veteran, I dove into Hollow Knight: Silksong expecting a challenge. But nothing prepared me for the eerie sight of Bellhart, where every resident and pilgrim bug was strung up by silken threads. ️ My attacks did nothing to free them, and my quest log updated with a clear directive: free the citizens from the Silken Curse. This is the story of how I found the culprit, defeated a terrifying boss, and restored the town to its former glory.
Prerequisites for the Curse Quest
Before you can even think about breaking the curse, you need to meet a few requirements. Trust me, I learned this the hard way after wandering around aimlessly.
Travel to Greymoor: You can get there via the traveling Flea Caravan after completing their lost fleas quest, or by traversing from the bottom pathway.
Speak to the Bell Hermit: In the bell beast pathway, break the right wall and head downward to find the hermit, who gives you crucial information.
Have the Shellwood Map: At least partially filled out. This helps with navigation.
Unlock Cling Grab: You'll find this ability in Shellwood. It's essential for scaling walls later.
Oh, and here's a fun easter egg: if you rest on the bench in Bellhart and exit the game, when you return, Hornet will be strung up too! But don't worry, you can attack to break free.
How to Traverse Above Bellhart
Once you're ready, you need to find a path from Shellwood back into Bellhart and then destroy your way into the ceiling tunnels above the town. This is where the Cling Grab ability shines. You'll be scaling walls, avoiding bell bugs, and breaking through bell barriers.
I started at the map location nearest the bench on the upper left pathway. From there, I parkoured from left to right onto the next path where the lake begins. Make sure you take the top path – the second path won't get you into Bellhart from above. After passing the lake, I maneuvered upwards using Cling Grab onto a platform with bells at its entrance. Enter and start breaking down the bell barriers to clear a long tunnel until you reach a new map piece in the upper levels of Bellhart.
As I moved through the tunnels, I killed any bell bug enemies along the way. The path down contains large flying bell bugs. You can hit them from the platform, or do what I did: wait for them to fly up, then lay traps to catch them on the way down. This made descending much easier.
Then I traversed downward through another shaft. This time there were two. Instead of traps, I waited until the two enemies met each other before jumping down and swiftly running into the nearest left path. Continuing left, I came to an opening in the ground and jumped in. I healed up, then dropped into a new room covered in clumps of threads. That's when I triggered a dialogue cutscene with the Weaver behind the Silkspun curse: Widow. After she finished talking, I was plunged into a boss fight.
Boss Fight: Widow
Preparations
Before the fight, I made sure to equip the right tools. Here's what I recommend:
Ability: Silkspear – This slices through Widow's silk traps easier. Use it sparingly to save silk for healing.
Crest: Reaper Crest – Restores silk quickly, allowing more Silkspear uses. Combined with Druid's Eye, you get a minor stack of silk replenishment.
Tools:
Fractured Mask: Shields against critical damage but shatters on impact.
Druid's Eye: Replenishes silk upon getting attacked.
Sting Shard: Lethal trap of tightly bound blades that pierces enemies.
Flea Brew: Temporarily increases movement and attack speed.
Pollip Pouch: Applies poison to equipped tools.
Phase 1
Widow shrieked to begin the fight, and immediately her hand glowed as she lunged at Hornet. This is a grab attack – I jumped over her and glided or swift-stepped out of reach. I followed the boss and whacked her with a downward pogo strike before she disappeared temporarily to the side of the wall. She reappeared crouch-walking and dispensing threads across the screen. I moved to the wall and avoided the threads as they yanked up bells from below.
Bells erupted from the ground, pushing Hornet up and dealing two masks of damage if hit. I simply jumped when I saw the ground moving and glided in the air until it returned to normal. Widow pulled on threads to fire bells from the ceiling at Hornet. This was my chance to attack, as she wouldn't move from her spot for a few minutes before repeating her earlier attacks. Once she was staggered, I unleashed as many heavy attacks with my needle as possible until Phase 2 began.
Phase 2
In Phase 2, Widow sent a barrage of bells and debris down on Hornet. I kept to the left, or if I was confident, went straight to Widow and attacked, preparing to jump over her. During this phase, Widow dispensed thick threads across the arena. I used Silkspear to slash through multiple at once, saving time and damaging Widow in the process. Most of her attack patterns remained the same, but patience was key when waiting for an opening – the bells caused more health loss than intended if I wasn't careful.
I needed to stagger Widow twice more before Hornet grabbed onto her from above. Once the prompt to bind appeared, I quickly pressed down to end the fight. I obtained a piece of silk weaver lore and the new silk ability, the Needolin.
Silken Curse Lifted
With the curse lifted, I continued back downwards and re-entered Bellhart to meet the bugs I rescued, along with some returning characters. The town felt alive again!
Shakra's Return: Shakra asked if Hornet was responsible for lifting the curse, then commented on my accomplishments. Her shop inventory is now ready for map-making essentials.
Pavo: The official welcomer of Bellhart has a wish on the board for donations to restore the area. They praised Hornet and now accept new pilgrims while watching the town's revival.
Frey: A shopkeeper who hid in their shop and devoured most of their stock. They won't open until you find their lost courier. Complete the request to access the shop.
Plinney: A pinmaster who protected himself in his shop. He sharpens Hornet's needle for free and offers a location for pin oil within The Citadel in a new wish request.
Scrounge: A relic seeker who requests any relic with Pharloom history. Return anytime to grow their collection and learn about each item.
Sherma's Return: Sherma made it to Bellhart, unaffected by the curse and cheerful as ever. You can perform with your Needolin alongside him and Pavo nearby.
With the residents free, I unlocked a new achievement called Fanatic and gained a new main town area to frequent. Now I can progress to the rest of the game. If you're stuck on the Silken Curse, I hope this guide helps you free Bellhart and enjoy the vibrant community that emerges. Happy hunting!
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