Winter Burrow hides some of its most important late-game upgrades behind a small, half-buried helmet in the snow. That “weird grey structure” is the Mole Artifact, and finding it depends on two things: progressing specific NPC questlines and reading the map’s subtle paths correctly.
Quest order and tool requirements
You cannot sprint straight to the Mole Artifact from the opening hours. The game locks that part of the map behind upgraded tools and NPC progression. The sequence looks like this:
| Stage | What you need to do | Key reward |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bufo quests | Progress Bufo’s “An Axe for Bufo” and later pie quests | Granite Pickaxe blueprint, access to southwest rocks |
| 2. Unlock White Pillars | Use Granite Pickaxe on granite rocks southwest of home | Path to the White Pillars region |
| 3. Meet Willow | Explore White Pillars’ southwest dead end | Willow’s quests, best shovel blueprint |
| 4. Moss quests | Deliver Aunty’s shawl, cook mushroom stew for Aunty | Flint (strong) axe recipe |
| 5. Willow’s late quests | Turn in earlier Willow quests, then accept “Find A Mole Artifact” | Access to Mole Artifact area, backpack blueprint later |
If Willow is not offering “Find A Mole Artifact” yet, keep talking to her and finish every available step, and make sure Moss’s stew quest is complete, so you have the flint axe.
How to reach Willow the mole
Willow lives in the White Pillars region, southwest of your home tree. To get there, you first need the Granite Pickaxe you obtain during Bufo’s questline.
| From | Direction | What you’ll see | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your burrow (home) | Head southwest | Western exit out of the starting clearing | Leave through the western passage |
| Next area | Southwest again | Granite rock barriers blocking a path | Break rocks with the Granite Pickaxe |
| After rocks | Continue southwest, then west | Transition into the White Pillars region | Follow the path to the next west exit |
| White Pillars interior | Further southwest then west | Small dead-end clearing with a mole | Talk to Willow to start her quests |
Once you arrive, Willow will initially ask for a notebook and then, after a few tasks, give you the blueprint for a stronger shovel to uncover another of her tunnels near your home. Complete those early errands before worrying about the Artifact.
Prerequisites for the Mole Artifact quest
The Mole Artifact only appears as an objective after you have:
- Finished Willow’s earlier quests (notebook, tunnel entrance, berry for Aunty).
- Completed Moss’s healing stew for Aunty and crafted the flint axe.
- Returned to Willow and exhausted her dialogue until she assigns “Find A Mole Artifact”.
The flint axe is critical: the route to the Artifact is blocked by thick green vines and a spiky plant that only the upgraded axe can cut. If your axe still shows as the previous (granite) tier, you are not ready for this section yet.
Exact route from Willow to the Mole Artifact
With “Find A Mole Artifact” active and the flint axe in hand, the path from Willow’s clearing to the Artifact is consistently structured. Think of it as a sideways detour east, then a descent through tall grass.
| Step | Direction from Willow | Landmark | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East out of Willow’s small dead end | Exit into a larger White Pillars area | Leave Willow’s little nook via the only passage |
| 2 | Keep going east | Bird’s nest near the edge of the screen | Pass the nest and move into the next section to the east |
| 3 | Turn south | Large, bright green vines blocking a passage | Chop the vines down with the flint axe and move through |
| 4 | Continue south | Spiders and webs in tall grass, narrow paths | Carefully follow the path downward, avoiding or fighting enemies |
| 5 | Further south into a dead end | Spiky plant then a half-buried grey “structure” in snow | Break the spiky plant with your axe, then interact with the grey object |
The grey object in the snow is the Mole Artifact itself: a mole helmet partially buried in the ground. Interact to pick it up; there is no extra puzzle here once you reach the spot.
Managing cold and combat on the way
The path to the Artifact sits a few screens away from your burrow and includes enemies that punish slow, unfocused movement. A small amount of preparation makes the run much less stressful.
| Concern | What helps | Why it matters here |
|---|---|---|
| Cold and freezing | Warmth-restoring food such as beechnut biscuits or elderberry tea | Lets you stay out longer without sprinting home as soon as the screen frosts |
| Inventory clutter | Clearing nonessential items before leaving | Leaves space for the Artifact and incidental loot without mid-run sorting |
| Spiders and webs | Crafted weapons and upgraded tools, optional spider toggle | Spiders guard the tall grass; you need to get past them to reach the helmet |
The area is linear enough that you do not need to drop temporary campfires along the way, but bringing at least one warmth item is sensible if your clothing upgrades are still basic.
What happens after you return the Mole Artifact
Once the helmet is in your inventory, the backtrack is simple: retrace your steps north through the tall grass, cut vines, then west past the bird’s nest and back into Willow’s dead-end clearing.
- Talk to Willow with the Artifact in hand to complete the quest.
- Willow rewards you with a blueprint for an upgraded backpack, letting you carry more items.
- After more conversation, Willow eventually asks for hazelnuts in a follow-up quest.
The Mole Artifact quest is also tied to the “Willow’s Epiphany” achievement on platforms that support achievements and trophies. Finishing Willow’s entire questline, including the Artifact and the hazelnut request, closes out one of Winter Burrow’s final relationship arcs and feeds into Aunty’s late-game dinner sequence.
If progression feels blocked, the usual missing piece is not the helmet itself but an earlier step: an incomplete Bufo quest, an uncrafted flint axe from Moss’s stew, or dialogue with Willow that has not been fully advanced. Once those are in place, the Artifact is just a short, chilly walk through White Pillars’ tall grass.
