Navigating the sprawling kingdom of Pharloom in Hollow Knight: Silksong can feel overwhelming at first, with its maze of lava rooms, crumbling ledges, and enemy-filled corridors. As Hornet, you'll start without a map, making early exploration tricky but linear. The key to uncovering secrets lies in unlocking and expanding your map early—think pinpointing benches, marking spots, and tracking your position. This guide breaks down finding the merchant, grabbing must-have items, and farming the beads you need. With these steps, you'll turn confusion into confident runs, spotting shortcuts and bosses before they spot you. Get ready to chart Pharloom like a pro.
How to First Unlock Your Map
Your map adventure kicks off right after you take down the initial boss in Moss Grotto and stroll through the eerie town of Bone Bottom. From there, push into The Marrow, Pharloom's second zone. Head up through a massive room buzzing with lava hazards, then veer left and climb a vertical shaft packed with reforming platforms that crumble underfoot.
Keep pushing left until you catch a tune—singing signals you're near. You'll spot bug remains and shiny copper rings as clues. That's where you'll meet Shakra, the warrior-cartographer merchant. She's your go-to for maps and upgrades, but everything runs on Rosary Beads.
tip
Prioritize buying the map for your current area first—it reveals the core layout immediately, giving you a huge edge in spotting paths you might miss.
How to Unlock the Map in Silksong
Once you buy a map, access it anytime by holding LB or L1 while exploring, or check it at a bench for details. Remember, unpurchased maps stay blank, so snag them as you enter new regions.
Essential Items to Expand and Customize Maps
Shakra stocks a lineup of tools that make your map more than just a sketch—they turn it into a dynamic ally. She appears in various spots across Pharloom, updating her inventory based on your progress. Here's what she offers early on, with prices in Rosary Beads:
Buy the Quill right after your first map to start expanding automatically. Without it, you'll only see the basics, missing out on filling in those winding passages. As you explore more regions, Shakra adds maps for places like Deep Docks or Greymoor—always check her stock when you spot her.
important
Even with the Quill, you can't expand a map you haven't bought yet. Save beads for regional maps before splurging on pins or markers.
How to Unlock the Map in Silksong
Best Ways to Farm Rosary Beads for Purchases
You won't have enough Rosary Beads on your first Shakra meetup, but farming them is straightforward and rewarding. These red or silver beads drop from specific sources, unlike Shell Shards from beast enemies.
Look for beads in the environment: attack dangling ones from ceilings, draped over statues, or buried in hidden mounds. The real grind comes from defeating humanoid foes—the two-legged pilgrims and aggressive bugs that roam Pharloom. They drop beads reliably, and unlike beasts, they're your main source.
For an efficient farm, head left from Shakra's spot in The Marrow—it loops back to Moss Grotto with a room full of frenzied pilgrim bugs. Clear them out for 10-20 beads per run, then hit the nearby bench to respawn everything. Repeat until you're stocked. If you leave without buying, Shakra relocates to Bone Bottom for easy access.
Check our How to Farm Rosary Beads guide for more strategies and routes.
warning
Dying drops your beads at the spot—retrieve them fast or risk losing progress in tough areas like lava rooms.
How to get Rosaries in Silksong | PC Gamer
info
Humanoid enemies respawn after bench rests, making this loop a bead goldmine. Aim for 150-200 beads to grab a map, Quill, and Compass in one go.
Advanced Tips for Map Mastery
Once your map is unlocked and expanding, layer on strategies to maximize it. Equip the Compass in your Crest for real-time tracking, especially in maze-like spots like Hunter's March. Use Shell Markers to flag tough enemies or unfinished tasks—place them at benches for a personalized overview.
What most players miss is combining map tools with exploration perks. After getting the dash in later areas, revisit mapped zones to fill gaps quickly. If you're ever lost, remember maps update only at benches, so plan routes around rest spots.
How to Unlock the Map in Silksong
With these tactics, you'll breeze through Pharloom's haunts, turning every run into a bead-farming, secret-hunting powerhouse. Hit those benches, stock up on beads, and watch your map grow—adventure awaits!