Valor Mortis How to Get to the City
The City is not reached through a single door or fast-travel option in Valor Mortis. Getting there is a multi-region story journey that begins after the Salt Mine, continues through Vale of Wrath and Cursed Hollow, and eventually brings William to The Outskirts before the route pushes deeper into the City of Orphans.
Jump To Section:
Valor Mortis How to Get to the City
How to Get the Outward Pass
Full Route to the City
When You Reach The Outskirts
How to Reach the City of Orphans
Can You Fast Travel to the City?
Valor Mortis How to Get to the City
To get to the City in Valor Mortis, complete the Salt Mine and Sphinx encounter, return to the Abandoned Church, and speak with James to receive the Outward Pass. Use it to begin the route through Vale of Wrath, defeat Slaughtermill, continue through Cursed Hollow, and eventually reach The Outskirts. From there, keep following the required story route through the Lighthouse section until the game takes you deeper into the City of Orphans.
The important part is that the Outward Pass does not take you straight into the City. It only begins the journey there, and several major areas still separate the Abandoned Church from the City's actual outskirts.
How to Get the Outward Pass
The route to the City opens after Chapter 4's Salt Mine section. Progress through the Caverns, continue deeper into the mine, and defeat the Sphinx in the ancient chamber at the end of the required route.
Afterward, William returns to the Abandoned Church. Speak with James there to receive the Outward Pass. Louis needs information from his old University laboratory, and the pass is what allows you to begin traveling outward toward the City.
If James has not given you the Outward Pass yet, you have not missed a hidden exit from the Church. Continue the Salt Mine story until the Sphinx encounter is complete and the game sends you back.
Full Route From the Abandoned Church to the City
After getting the Outward Pass, leave the Abandoned Church along the newly available route into Vale of Wrath. The main roads toward the City are heavily defended, so the story takes William through a longer approach rather than sending him directly there.
The route continues through Wolfsbane Field and Under the Bridge before moving through the settlements farther ahead. Keep following the main objective until you reach Ship Graveyard and eventually Slaughtermill.
Defeat Slaughtermill, then leave the boss platform through the exit passage near Old Windmill. That path continues into Cursed Hollow, which is the next required region on the journey.
Cursed Hollow is not a detour. It is part of the main route to the City, so if you are wondering why you still have not arrived after finishing Vale of Wrath, keep progressing rather than returning to search the Abandoned Church for another exit.
When Do You Reach The Outskirts?
The Outskirts are reached after completing the required progression through Cursed Hollow. Once you leave that region, the story moves into The Outskirts, which is explicitly the approach to the City.
This is the first point where you are actually on the City's doorstep rather than simply traveling toward it.
The Outskirts still contain several required encounters and routes of their own, including the progression around High Justicar Aurelius, Experiment 83, and the Lighthouse. Reaching The Outskirts therefore does not mean you immediately arrive in the middle of the City.
How to Reach the City of Orphans
Continue following the required route through The Outskirts and toward the Lighthouse. After that section, the story pushes deeper into the City of Orphans.
This is the City the game has been sending you toward. The Outskirts act as its approach, while the City of Orphans itself is built around interconnected streets, rooftops, buildings, and underground passages.
Do not assume every blocked-looking route should be entered from street level. The City frequently loops through buildings and vertical paths, so some areas are reached from above or below rather than through the most obvious entrance in front of you.
Your next major story objective deeper in the City is the Shrike sequence, which eventually gives you the Laboratory Key required to continue toward the University.
Can You Fast Travel to the City Early?
No. Fast travel only lets you move between locations and Lanterns that your story progress has already made available. Unlocking travel at the Abandoned Church does not let you skip Vale of Wrath, Cursed Hollow, or The Outskirts and jump directly into the City.
If you have the Outward Pass but cannot find the City as a travel destination, that is normal. Follow the main route through Vale of Wrath, defeat Slaughtermill, continue through Cursed Hollow, and then progress across The Outskirts toward the City of Orphans.
Before leaving the Abandoned Church for the longer journey, it is also worth upgrading the weapons you plan to use. Our Valor Mortis weapon upgrade guide covers James's Iron Bench, Blade Materials, and Firearm Parts.
