How to Permanently Stop Clawmaiden Spawns

Stopping the Clawmaiden Spawns is a permanent, world-altering secret puzzle in Hollow Knight: Silksong. By finding and destroying a hidden Silk Nest, players can eliminate these annoying enemies from the entire game, making several difficult combat encounters significantly more manageable.

Puzzle Overview

• Objective: Find and destroy the secret Silk Nest.
• Location: High Halls (within the Citadel).
• Prerequisite: Double Jump Cloak ability.
• Main Reward: Permanently disables all Clawmaiden spawns.
• Bonus Rewards: Eases High Halls/Gauntlet fights, completes Hunter’s Journal entry.

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Why (and When) You Should Destroy Nest

Finding the Silk Nest is more than just a secret; it’s a strategic decision that can make your playthrough easier. However, it’s also time-sensitive.

Complete This Before Act 3

Point of No Return

The entrance to the Silk Nest area becomes permanently blocked by rocks in Act 3. If you want to stop the Clawmaidens from spawning, you must complete this puzzle before progressing the main story to that point.

Benefits of Destroying the Nest

• No More Spawns: Clawmaidens will stop appearing in random encounters, the High Halls arena, and the Forum Gauntlet.
• Easier Fights: Without their constant harassment, you will have crucial windows to heal in tough fights.
• Journal Completion: Destroying the nest automatically completes the Hunter’s Journal entry for Clawmaidens, so you can’t miss it.

Silk Nest Location and Full Walkthrough

The entire puzzle is located within a hidden sub-section of the High Halls. The walkthrough is broken down into two main phases.

Phase 1: Finding Secret Entrance

• Required Ability: Faydown Cloak
• Area: High Halls (starting from the Ventrica Station)

This phase involves environmental manipulation to reach a hidden door.

1. Start at the Ventrica Station From the “High Halls” Ventrica Station, head up and then left into a room with a large, movable cart.

2. Position the Cart Kick and strike the cart to push it to the right. For precise placement, align it with the two vertical lines in the background, directly under a small waterfall.

3. Climb to Entrance Use the cart as a platform to double jump towards the waterfall. Wall-climb on the right side to reach the secret entrance high above.

Phase 2: Nest and Destroying the Source

• Area: Clawmaiden Nest (Hidden Room)

The final section involves bypassing enemies and hazards to reach the nest itself.

1. Bypass the Spawning Chamber You will enter a room where Clawmaidens spawn endlessly. Ignore them (unless you are farming) and find the second movable cart.

2. Enter the Vent Shaft Push the second cart under the breakable ceiling. Destroy the ceiling and jump into the vent. The enemies cannot follow you.

3. Destroy the Silk Nest Navigate left through the vent, avoiding the sawblades. At the very end, you will find the pulsating Silk Nest. Strike it repeatedly until it is destroyed.

TIP: Good Farming Spot

Before destroying the nest, the chamber with infinite spawns is a top-tier location for farming Shell Shards and Silk.

• For Shards: Equip the Shard Pendant and use area-of-effect attacks.
• For Silk: Stand directly below the Clawmaidens and attack upwards for quick kills.

Clawmaiden Nest FAQ

• Is the Double Jump Cloak really required? Yes, it is the intended and most reliable way to complete the puzzle. Alternative methods like pogoing are extremely difficult and not recommended.

• What happens to my Hunter’s Journal entry if I don’t kill enough? Don’t worry. Destroying the Silk Nest automatically completes the journal entry for you.

• Does this work for the Gauntlets too? Yes. Players confirm that Clawmaidens are removed from all encounters, including the Forum Gauntlet waves.