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Hollow Knight: Silksong – The Wailing Mother Quest Walkthrough & Guide

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Hornet (The Knight in a red cloak) using a nail to strike a large, dark, round enemy known as the Broodmother, surrounded by a bright, golden, starburst-like explosion in a dark cavern from the game Hollow Knight: Silksong.

Among the quests scattered across Pharloom, The Wailing Mother stands out for its eerie weight. Part of the Songclave’s Grand Hunts, it begins not with a roar but with sorrowful cries echoing through the stone halls of The Slab. What seems at first a simple hunt becomes something more—a confrontation with a creature whose presence embodies both menace and grief.

This guide will lead you through unlocking and completing the quest, understanding the significance of its setting, and preparing for the chaos of the Broodmother fight.

How to Unlock the Wailing Mother Quest?

The Wailing Mother is tied to the Songclave’s Grand Hunt quests, meaning it doesn’t appear until Hornet has proven herself through earlier tasks. To begin:

  • Complete the Strengthening Songclave Quest – This is the prerequisite that signals Hornet’s readiness for more demanding hunts.
  • Visit the Songclave in Choral Chambers – Once unlocked, the Wailing Mother can be claimed from the Quest Board or Wishwall.
The 'Tasks' menu screen in Hollow Knight: Silksong showing the active quest 'GRAND HUNT: The Wailing Mother', which requires tracking down and slaying 'the wailing creature in The Slab'.
Credit: Team Cherry

This is not an early-game diversion—it sits deeper in the story, most often surfacing in Act 2, when Pharloom itself feels heavier and its mysteries more pressing.

How to Reach the Slab?

The Slab, where the Wailing Mother dwells, is one of Pharloom’s most unsettling spaces. A prison built of silence and stone, it amplifies the desperation of the voices that echo within. To reach it, Hornet must:

  • Use the First Shrine’s Ventrica to access Choral Chambers, climbing until the prison gates loom ahead.
  • Or approach through the Grand Bellway’s Ventrica, ascending from below to the prison’s upper levels.
In-game map of The Slab (part of Mount Fay in Hollow Knight: Silksong) showing the location of Hornet's current position and the path to the quest area, indicated by a red arrow pointing left toward an area with a bench icon.
Credit: Team Cherry

If Hornet has never been drawn into The Slab during story events, the Key of Apostate may be required for entry.

Once inside, the way forward is marked not by signposts but by residue—slimy trails left in the Broodmother’s wake. Following this spoor is a quiet form of storytelling, as if the game itself is reminding players that grief and hunger always leave traces.

Walkthrough – Completing the Wailing Mother Quest

  1. Rest at the Northwestern Bench
    This small sanctuary is the last moment of peace before the crescendo of combat.
  2. Enter the Chamber to the Left and Move Rightward
    The path seems direct, but each step presses Hornet deeper into the nest’s tension.
  3. Survive Four Enemy Waves
    The chamber floods with hostile life. Expect encounters with:
    • Freshflies – Fragile yet overwhelming in numbers.
    • Guardfly – More resilient, testing Hornet’s precision.
    • Wardenfly – Stronger foes that complicate the battlefield.
  4. Face the Broodmother (The Wailing Creature)
    The chamber widens, the cries crescendo—and the Broodmother appears. No longer a rumor, she embodies both menace and sorrow, her summons filling the air with ceaseless threats.
A full-screen reveal of the boss 'BROODMOTHER' in Hollow Knight: Silksong, a large, pale, bulbous insect floating in a dark chamber, encased in a glowing golden ring.
Credit: Team Cherry

Broodmother Boss Insights & Strategies

The Broodmother’s fight is less about brute force and more about enduring her chaos. She thrives on overwhelming Hornet with swarms, turning the arena into a suffocating storm.

  • Prioritize Her Minions – Flies must be dealt with swiftly; neglecting them leads to suffocation.
  • Avoid Her Goop Attacks – The sticky pools not only deal damage but constrict Hornet’s mobility, echoing the very idea of entrapment in The Slab.
  • Read the Rhythm of Telegraphs – The Broodmother’s direct strikes are deliberate. Each pause is an invitation to strike.
  • Lean on Aerial Tools – Vertical movement—using Silk Soar or thread-based attacks—gives Hornet the control needed to manage both boss and swarm.

Patience is the hidden weapon here. The Broodmother wants you to panic. Survival comes from holding steady until her rhythm falters.

Rewards – What You Gain

Defeating the Broodmother yields:

  • Broodmother’s Eye – A quest item tied to the Songclave’s Wishwall.
  • Heavy Rosary Necklace – The formal reward, marking Hornet’s triumph.

Delivering the Broodmother’s Eye to the Quest Board closes the task, and with it, silences the sorrowful cries that haunted The Slab.

Possible Symbolism of the Wailing Mother

On the surface, the Wailing Mother quest is a combat challenge wrapped in a reward loop. But its design speaks to something more: a prison echoing with grief, a monster defined by endless offspring, and a world where Hornet must transform sorrow into resolution.

The Wailing Mother doesn’t just add another checkmark to the quest log—it deepens the tapestry of Pharloom. By confronting the Broodmother, Hornet reminds the player that survival in Silksong is not only about defeating enemies, but also about enduring the weight of what they represent.

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