The Ancient Haulways is where Fatekeeper stops holding your hand. You drop into the mines, orcs start appearing around every corner, and there are locked doors, hidden chests, and a full horde battle standing between you and Mar Guran. Miss the Ornate Copper Key and you will be stuck at a door with no obvious way forward. This guide covers every item, every fight, and every path so you clear the area without backtracking.
Ruins Tunnels: how do you get started?
After landing in the mines, head left immediately. Move forward and jump the small gap in the path. Push through the cave passage and out the other side into a clearing.
Darkguard Blade on the rocks
Once you reach the clearing, go right and climb the rocks. There is a corpse up there holding the Darkguard Blade, one of the better early weapons you can find in this section. Pick it up, then drop back down and head toward the opening on the left.
Loot the Ornate Casket just to the left of the opening. It contains a Ring of Life, which is worth equipping right away. Step into the small cave beside it, climb the steps, and look over the fence. You will spot a group of orcs down below. Keep that in mind and continue up and across the stone bridge.
Where is the Ornate Copper Key?
At the top of the bridge you will hit a locked door requiring the Ornate Copper Key. The key is not near this door. You need to backtrack and deal with the orcs first.
Drop down into the orc area below. There are 4 of them and none are particularly threatening at this stage. Clear them out, then push through the wooden planks into the ruins at the back.
Inside the ruins, check the shelf on the left for Azuremash. Guards Vermillion and other loot are scattered around. There is a campfire near the mead barrels, so save here before continuing. Stairs on the left of the campfire lead upward. Climb them and watch for a chest visible through an opening on the left. That chest holds the Ornate Copper Key and Stoneroot Glue.
From the chest, jump across to the ledge opposite, walk across the plank, go up the stairs, then drop down and turn right to reach the locked door you passed earlier.
How do you clear the courtyard and reach the upper chests?
Through the locked door is a central courtyard with more orcs. Clear them all, then take the corridor on the right. There is a large gap here that requires a running start to clear. Do not attempt it at walking speed.
Courtyard orc encounter
Once across and up the stairs, check the narrow alcove on the right. A chest there holds Crimson Wardbloom. From the top of the stairs, look left and you will see another path above. Jump up to it for a second chest containing Northern Firecap. Both are worth grabbing for crafting.
Head back to the first corridor and pull the chain on the wall. The gate drops fast, so run left immediately after pulling it. Save at the campfire in this area and use the alchemy pot if you need to prepare potions. Open the gate on the right and step through when ready.
How do you survive the horde battle?
This arena throws waves of enemies at you without pause. The key is movement. Stay mobile, keep circling the arena, and never let the group close in from multiple angles at once.
After surviving all the waves, the rat will acknowledge your performance and the fight ends. The horde section is not especially long, but it punishes passive play hard.
Horde battle in the arena
What loot do you get after the horde fight?
On the east side of the arena, a path opens up. Follow it and pull the chain near the boxes on the wall. A new path opens. Inside the chest at the end you will find the Hatchet of Swiftness, Kutracite, and Blue Dogbane. The Hatchet is a solid pickup if you prefer faster weapons.
After looting the east path, take the path on the west side of the pit. Stairs at the end lead upward, but expect an ambush. A group of orcs attacks as you ascend. Clear them before moving to the balcony.
How do you exit the Ancient Haulways?
With the ambush handled, move to the balcony and turn left. Go up the stairs, turn right, and keep moving. The path leads out of the tunnels directly into Mar Guran.
Path out to Mar Guran
For the full picture of what comes next, the Fatekeeper guides collection covers Mar Guran and every area beyond it. If you enjoy this style of first-person adventure games with interconnected exploration and dark fantasy combat, Fatekeeper is one of the more interesting entries in Early Access right now. Check the complete strategy guides to stay ahead of every area as new content drops.