The Raven Cave in The Forge sits behind late‑game progression on Frostspire Expanse’s Island 3. It is locked behind a special key, earned from a short chain of Raven quests that revolve around the region’s spider enemies and late‑tier ores. Once open, the cave becomes the entry point to the final stretch of Frostspire Expanse content and introduces tougher demonic spiders and Raven armor blueprints.
Requirements before you can unlock Raven Cave
Before worrying about the cave door itself, your account needs to be deep enough into The Forge’s progression.
Level and island access. You must be at least level 70 and already on Island 3 (Frostspire Expanse). Reaching Island 3 means having cleared the main questline across the first two islands, including the Sensei Moro quest chain on Island 2, and then using the usual route to travel onward.
Basic gear and damage. The Raven quests involve Crystal, Diamond, and Prismarine spiders. By the time you hit level 70 and Island 3, these are not meant to be roadblocks, but you should be using a mid‑to‑late game pickaxe and armor set so you can clear the mobs quickly and safely.
Raven NPC locations in Frostspire Expanse
The Raven NPC moves after each quest, and you must talk to it twice to earn the key.
First Raven location – Excalibur camp side. From the Spider Cave area on Island 3, move to the right toward the Excalibur camp. A small campsite sits nearby, and the Raven perches there for the first time. This is where you pick up the first quest.
Second Raven location – in front of the Red Cave door. After completing the first quest and claiming its reward, the Raven relocates to the locked red‑tinted cave entrance, often referred to as the Red Cave or Raven Cave entrance. You must speak to the Raven at this new position to trigger the second quest that awards the key.
Raven 1 quest: Tasks, enemies, and rewards
The first Raven quest introduces you to the spiders and mining loop on Island 3. It is short but mandatory if you want to progress toward the cave.
| Objective type | Raven 1 requirement |
|---|---|
| Spider kills | Kill Crystal Spider (5) |
| Mining | Mine Icy Pebble (10) |
| Item delivery | Bring Aetherit (1) |
Crystal Spiders. These spiders are found around the Frostspire spider areas and are designed to be manageable at Island 3 power levels. You need to defeat five while the quest is active.
Icy Pebbles. These basic mining nodes appear throughout the snowy zone. Mine ten while the quest is tracked to complete that segment.
Aetherit. The quest also asks for one Aetherit. This is a late‑game resource, so it is easiest if you bring it already prepared in your inventory when you talk to the Raven.
Raven 1 rewards. Completing the first Raven quest grants the recipe for the Raven Helmet (sometimes also surfaced as a Raven helmet blueprint). It also causes the Raven NPC to move away from the Excalibur camp campsite and reappear at the locked cave door for the second quest.
Raven 2 quest: How to earn the Red Cave Key
The second Raven quest is the final gate between you and the Raven Cave. It focuses on harder spiders, plus one more material delivery.
| Objective type | Raven 2 requirement |
|---|---|
| Spider kills | Kill Diamond Spider (10) |
| Boss kill | Kill Prismarine Spider (1) |
| Item delivery | Bring Snowite (1) |
Diamond Spiders. These are the larger spider enemies around Frostspire Expanse. Ten kills are required. They have more health than Crystal Spiders but remain straightforward at Island 3 stats.
Prismarine Spider. This is a larger spider boss, usually positioned deeper in the spider area and often flanked by two Diamond Spiders. You only need to defeat it once while the quest is active.
Snowite. The Raven asks for a single Snowite as a final delivery. Many players stockpile Snowite earlier while mining Frostspire ores; if you already have one in your inventory, the turn‑in is instant once the combat objectives are complete.
Raven 2 rewards. Finishing the second Raven quest awards two key rewards at once:
- Raven Chestplate recipe, which continues the Raven armor set, started with the helmet.
- Red Cave Key, the item used to unlock the Raven Cave door.
How to open the Raven Cave door with the Red Cave Key
Once the second quest is complete, you should have the Red Cave Key in your inventory. The last step is to actually unlock the door.
Step 1: Travel back to the Red Cave entrance on Island 3, where the Raven stood during the second quest. Move directly up to the red‑locked cave door so that your interaction prompt appears.
Step 2: Face the door lock and interact with it using the standard interaction key (default E on keyboard). The game automatically checks for the Red Cave Key in your inventory.
Step 3: After the interaction completes, the lock opens, and you can walk into the newly accessible space. From this point on, the Raven Cave remains unlocked on that save, and you can enter directly without re‑running the quests.
What you find inside Raven Cave
Raven Cave is designed as a late‑game combat and progression area, not just a cosmetic side room.
Demonic spiders. The most noticeable change inside is the appearance of demonic spiders. These enemies have substantially more health than Diamond Spiders and hit harder, but they are tuned for Island 3 players who already passed level 70 and cleared the earlier spider tiers.
Raven armor progression. With access to the cave and both Raven armor recipes, you can start building out the full heavy Raven set. The Raven Helmet and Raven Chestplate form the core of this kit, offering strong defensive stats for players who want to stay in heavy armor while tackling Frostspire Expanse’s final encounters.
Late Frostspire Expanse content. The cave functions as the on‑ramp to the closing section of Frostspire Expanse. Its enemies and layout are tuned around players who have already completed the surrounding Island 3 content and now need higher‑density combat and better ore and blueprint opportunities.
How Raven Cave connects to other late‑game upgrades
Raven Cave is part of a broader update that pushes players toward tougher enemies and stronger tools.
Prismatic Hearts and advanced pickaxes. Spider enemies, especially Crystal Spiders, can drop Prismatic Hearts. These items play into later pickaxe upgrades, including the Dragon Head Pickaxe, which combines Prismatic Hearts with boss drops like Yeti Heart and Golem Heart and a substantial coin cost.
Goblin Lord and Goblin Crown. On the opposite side of Spider Cave, a separate path leads to the Goblin Lord’s cave. That line revolves around large coin payments and eventually rewards the Goblin Crown, another late‑game piece that ties into high‑end gear and resource gain. It complements the Raven Cave path rather than replacing it.
New ores in red crystals. The broader update also adds rare ores such as Heart of the Island, Stolen Heart, Evil Eye, and niche materials like Grass Ore. Many of these live inside red crystals scattered around Island 3 and related late‑game zones, rewarding players who have already unlocked areas like Raven Cave and explored deeper into Frostspire Expanse.
Once the Red Cave Key is in your inventory and the door is open, Raven Cave becomes a permanent part of your Island 3 rotation. Treat the two Raven quests as a compact checklist: Crystal Spiders and Icy Pebbles with one Aetherit to secure the Raven Helmet, then Diamond and Prismarine spiders with one Snowite to earn the chestplate and key. After that, the cave’s demonic spiders and armor blueprints take over as your next set of problems to solve.
