Valor Mortis: Every Key and What It Opens

Valor Mortis hands you keys as you work through its all 11 chapters, a few to push the story forward and most to crack open side rooms, stashes, and chests. A locked door always tells you which one it wants with the line “This door is locked and requires <key name>”, and the right key answers with “The door was opened with <key name>”. Use the lists below to match a key in your inventory to its door, or to track down the key a door is asking for.

Quick answer: There are 27 keys in total, each a one-off. Several move the story on, among them the Cave Grotto Key, the Outward Pass Key and the two Sewers keys; many of the others open side rooms, stashes and chests.

Chapter III: Fallen Village keys

Weathered Key

The Weathered Key belongs to the Lullaby side quest. Begin at the crib in the nearby house, reached from the Marketplace Lantern. Search the garden behind the house; the key is on the muddy ground among infected villagers.

It opens the locked hut across the long wooden footbridge over the water. Inside is the Toy you place in the crib to finish Lullaby. Its inventory text reads: “An old key that has seen better days.”

Full route in the Lullaby quest walkthrough.

Storage Key

Head to the underground area behind a building in the Fallen Village. Go out the back, climb down the ladder, and at the bend with two enemies pick the key up from a box. The nearest Lantern is Orchard. Its text reads: “A heavy key that unlocks the storage room, packed with supplies left behind in haste.”

The storage-room door immediately beside the key is what it unlocks. Inside, destroy the weak point to collapse the plague wall blocking your route. See the Chapter III collectibles for more.

Chapter IV: Caverns and the Cave Grotto Key

Cave Grotto Key

After Louis returns, speak with James at his Iron Bench in the Abandoned Church; at Chapter III’s end, he hands over the Cave Grotto Key. The conversation launches Chapter IV. The description says: “Opens the path to a nearby grotto leading to the back entrance of the salt mine.”

Use it on the timber-framed iron barrier at the entrance to the dark tunnel connecting the church grounds and the Caverns.

Take the west arch out of the church, then stay on the route leading to the caves.

At the barred gate, stand right at the bars until “[E] INTERACT” appears.

E INTERACT prompt showing beside the barred wooden gate in the cave tunnel — The “[E] INTERACT” prompt appears as you reach the barred gate into the grotto.

Hold E for about a second. The gate answers with “The door was opened with Cave Grotto Key”.

The door was opened with Cave Grotto Key message at the open grille — Hold E at the bars: the grille opens with the Cave Grotto Key.

Full route in the Chapter IV walkthrough.

Mining Shaft Key

You pick up the Mining Shaft Key in the Old Mine, on the way down from the Old Mine Lantern toward the Mine Cart Route Lantern. The nearest Lantern is Old Mine. Its text reads: “An old, rusty key leading to the mining shaft.”

Its gate is on an upper walkway deeper in the Old Mine, past a flooded cave, and reads “This door is locked and requires Mining Shaft Key”. You can carry on without it: the lift next to that walkway is the way forward. See how to cross the Old Mine for the route, including the hanging crate and the lift.

Chapter V: the Outward Pass Key

Defeat the Sphinx to complete Chapter IV, then receive the Outward Pass Key from James. Speak with him at that point to begin Chapter V. As he walks back to his bench, the toast “Outward Pass Key / ADDED TO INVENTORY” appears. The description reads: “A battered camp key that unlocks the Outward Pass Gate, opening the path towards the city.”

Outward Pass Key added to inventory notification beside a boarded doorway — The “Outward Pass Key / ADDED TO INVENTORY” notification as James hands it over.

The Outward Pass Gate is a low iron grille set between two stone pillars, with a lit torch atop the right pillar. Find it along the path to the Cave Grotto Key door, about 15 metres beyond that door. At the lock, choose “[E] INTERACT”; the gate displays “The door was opened with Outward Pass Key”. The Vale of Wrath lies beyond.

The large metal gate opened with the Outward Pass Key, dark passage beyond — The Outward Pass Gate swings open, revealing the passage toward the Vale of Wrath.

See the complete guide to obtaining the Outward Pass Key.

Chapter V: Vale of Wrath keys

Wagon Key

Stay on the path across the Poisoned Camp to find a locked wagon roughly 25 m from the Poisoned Camp Lantern. A dual-wielding Volunteer elite is posted in front of it. Defeat him, and the Wagon Key goes directly into your inventory. For more detail on the fight, see the Wagon Key guide.

The key reads: “A heavy carriage key to the Eternal Guard wagon.” It opens the Eternal Guard wagon on the camp road, a dark wooden carriage with a gold “N” set in a laurel wreath on the door.

Walk up to the wagon door. The “[E] INTERACT” prompt appears once you are close enough.

Press E. The confirmation “The door was opened with Wagon Key” shows that the carriage is unlocked.

The Eternal Guard wagon door open onto a red salon with the message The door was opened with Wagon Key — “The door was opened with Wagon Key”: the red salon beyond.

The interior is a red-velvet salon, unexpectedly spacious compared with the wagon’s exterior, with bookcases along the walls and a staircase. Its only pickup, “Captain Lefèvre’s Letter — New Troops”, rests on the writing desk with the “[E] TAKE” prompt.

Beekeeper’s Hut Key

The Eternal Guardsman in the beehive meadow, about 150 m west of the Wolfsbane Field Lantern, carries this key; see where the Eternal Guardsman appears. When he falls, the toast “Beekeeper’s Hut Key / ADDED TO INVENTORY” appears.

The key reads: “The beeswax-stained key to the beekeeper’s hut which became a deserter’s hideout.” It opens the door of the wooden hut at the edge of the meadow, set among the hives.

Approach the hut door. The “[E] INTERACT” prompt appears on the door.

The beekeeper's hut door with the E INTERACT prompt — Step 1: “[E] INTERACT” on the hut door.

Press E. The line “The door was opened with Beekeeper’s Hut Key” confirms the hut is unlocked, and you can step inside.

The hut door open with the message The door was opened with Beekeeper's Hut Key — Step 2: “The door was opened with Beekeeper’s Hut Key”.

A lamp illuminates the hut’s single, modest room. A dead man lies beside a bedroll, and the “Deserter’s Diary” rests nearby on the floor with the prompt “[E] TAKE”. Reading it adds to The Deserter side quest; the full route is in The Deserter walkthrough. To begin that quest, find a Wanted Notice in another part of the Vale of Wrath; the diary can be read only after you have read the notice.

The Deserter's Diary on the hut floor with the E TAKE prompt — The Deserter’s Diary on the hut floor.

A gold-fitted red chest sits beside the wall. Hold E, as indicated by “[E] OPEN (HOLD)”, to open it.

A red chest with gold fittings and the E OPEN HOLD prompt — Hold E to open the red chest.

The “Perfectionism” toast confirms the chest contains the Amber Perfectionism. This Amber boosts melee damage whenever your Health is full.

The open chest in the hut with the Perfectionism toast — The hut chest holds the Amber Perfectionism.

Chapter VIII: the Sewers keys in the City of Orphans

Sewers Key

The Sewers Key sits in the sewers under the city, inside a chest guarded by two Risen Grenadiers in a cramped room below a ladder. The Sewers Lantern is the checkpoint for the route, while the map lists Shamble Street as the nearest Lantern to the key itself. Its text reads: “A corroded key that unlocks the sewers, leading into a labyrinth beneath the city’s bones.”

Beyond the Sewers Lantern, the key unlocks the gate beside the first grapple point.

Sewers Master Key

After passing through the gate, take the left route all the way to its end. Pull the platform from the wall across the half-flooded gap to get the Sewers Master Key. Sewers is the nearest Lantern. Its description reads: “A damp, rusted key that unlocks all doors in the sewers.”

It unlocks the last locked sewer passage and routes that provide a quicker return to the city. Details are in the Sewers Key and Sewers Master Key locations.

Chapter X: the Silver Lockpick in Napoleon’s Prison

The Silver Lockpick works as a key. Burn the hanging corpse in your own starting cell with Fire to recover it. Its text reads: “A small, silver lockpick recovered after an impromptu cremation.”

The lockpick grants access to a cell containing an Eternal Catalyst Clot valued at 5,000 Catalysts.

Collect the Clot and open the cell before escaping; you cannot return to the prison afterward. Follow the Napoleon’s Prison escape route.

Keys from later chapters, and other keys

Key	Region and chapter	The key’s own text
Basement Key	Vale of Wrath, Chapter V (In the Name of Art)	“A paint-splattered key to the painter’s basement.”
Cellar Key	Vale of Wrath, Chapter V	“A rough iron key to the cellar under Mirek’s house.”
Deserter’s Stash Key	Vale of Wrath, Chapter V	“A dirty key that unlocks the deserter’s stash.”
Lake Cave Chest Key	Vale of Wrath, Chapter V	“A rusty key belonging to the Eternal Guard stationing in Lake Cave.”
Headman’s Key	Cursed Hollow, Chapter VI	“An engraved key that unlocks the headman’s house.”
Harbour Residence Key	The Outskirts, Chapter VII	“A salt-stained key found in the captain’s quarters in the harbour, where abandoned ships creak against the tides. It might open one of the harbour houses.”
Auditorium Key	University, Chapter IX	“A worn brass key that unlocks the abandoned auditorium.”
Library Key	University, Chapter IX	“A slender key that unlocks the library, where dust-laden tomes guard knowledge long forgotten.”
Lift Shaft Key	University, Chapter IX	“A cold steel key that unlocks the Lift shaft.”
Laboratory Key	University, Chapter VIII (where it is)	“This key was given to me by the mysterious Shrike. It has the Eternal Guard emblem on it with medical engravings. Supposedly, it leads to the laboratories below the university.”
Louis’s Hideout Key	University, Chapter IX	“The Key to Louis’s hideout.”
Armoury Key	Napoleon’s Prison, Chapter X (where it is)	“A reinforced iron key that unlocks the armoury.”
Key to the Chapel	Napoleon’s Prison, Chapter X	“An old ceremonial key that unlocks the sealed chapel and its dark secrets.”
Captain’s Key	Fortress, late story	“An ornate naval key that unlocks the captain’s quarters.”
Fortress Armory Key	Fortress, late story	“A key leading to the armory hidden in the Fortress.”
Mice’s Key	Entropy, final area	“A small key unlocking a safe shortcut through the nightmare realm.”
Abandoned House Key	Fallen Village, Chapter III	“A weathered key that unlocks the abandoned house on the hill.”

Some of these keys are dropped by elite enemies that drop keys, and the map marks where the picked-up ones lie.

Where each key is on the map

The interactive map’s keys page groups all Valor Mortis key pickups by region and shows the nearest Lantern for each: 19 locations across 10 regions. Keys handed to you in conversation by James or other characters are not marked on the map.