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The Chapel Key: bonfire, illusion arch, statue's rope
From the Mushroom Village Beacon, head right, cross the rope bridge to the witches' bonfire, and walk through the empty stone arch from the side with the steps. A statue holding a rope appears — pull the rope to get the key. Then return to the Beacon and go left to the Grisha hunter camp: the locked wooden door behind the cages is the Chapel, leading down to the Shrine of Trials. Reward: the Axe & Dagger.
Most guides now call this the Chapel Key. GamesRadar notes it was “previously called the Mushroom Village key,” and older posts still use that name. The route and the door it opens are identical either way. The Fextralife wiki lists both names as separate items with different flavor text — we haven't been able to confirm from an in-game inventory whether that's a rename leftover or genuinely two keys, so we keep both names here.
Getting the key
- Start at the Mushroom Village Beacon.
- Head right from the Beacon (some guides say southeast), down the steps and across the rope bridge.
- You'll reach a large bonfire surrounded by witches (old women dancing around it).
- Near the bonfire stands an empty stone arch — a doorframe with nothing behind it. Walk through it from the side with the steps (the back of the arch). Only then do statues appear around you.
- One statue holds a rope. Pull it. The key is yours.
- Optional: walk back through the arch and the statues vanish again. This is the game teaching you its illusion mechanic — nearby dungeons reuse it.
Using the key
- Return to the Mushroom Village Beacon and head left this time, to the Grisha hunter camp.
- Behind the cages, a locked wooden door on the building is the Chapel. Open it with your key and take the lift down into the Shrine of Trials.
The caged prisoners need a separate Cage Key, bought from the merchant standing nearby. Buy everything you want from him before opening the cages — once you free the prisoners, the merchant leaves.
Inside the Shrine of Trials
- Read the inscription: “Gaze upon your king so true, back and back you shall pass through.”
- Face the king's statue and walk backwards — you'll pass through the illusory wall behind you.
- Push the stone pillars onto the pressure plates.
- Defeat the Spear Knight.
- Claim the Axe & Dagger.
GamesRadar, GameRant, GameSpot, and video walkthroughs all agree the trial rewards the Axe & Dagger. Fextralife's Mushroom Village Key entry also mentions a Deadman's Stone — treat that as a separate pickup inside the dungeon, not the trial reward.
Quick answers
The arch does nothing when I walk through it.
Direction matters. Approach from the side with the steps — the back of the arch — and pass through. The statues only appear from that side.
Is the Chapel Key the same as the Mushroom Village Key?
Every route guide treats them as the same key opening the same door. GamesRadar states it was renamed. Only the Fextralife wiki lists them as two items, which remains unconfirmed.
Can I still buy from the merchant after freeing the prisoners?
No — he leaves once the cages open. Shop first.
Sources
- GamesRadar — Where to get the Chapel Key 2026-08-19 · route, rename note, merchant warning
- GameRant — How to Get & Use Chapel Key 2026-08-17 · arch direction, hunter camp door
- GameSpot — Where To Find The Chapel Key 2026-08-17 · Shrine of Trials puzzle and reward
- Fextralife — Chapel Key 2026-08-18 · item text; Mushroom Village Key entry conflicts (see note above)