How to rescue the Wellkeeper in Halls of Torment

Halls of Torment is a game that more than lives up to its title. Presenting a vision of hell that will be eerily familiar to those well-versed in the ARPG genre, it throws you into dank caves and sulfurous wastelands, to fend for yourself against endless waves of pre-rendered minions. It’s not just your character that’s up against it in this world, however. Early on in your quest you’ll find a fellow called the Wellkeeper, trapped in a cage in the Ember Grounds. Freeing him from his predicament will take you a little out of your way, but knowing how to rescue the Wellkeeper in Halls of Torment will pay off handsomely in the long run. Read on to learn how to do so.

How to free the Wellkeeper from his Hall-based Torment

Head to Ember Grounds

In order to free the Wellkeeper, you’ll first have to make your way to the second stage in the game, Ember Grounds. You can unlock this stage by defeating the Imp Chieftain boss that spawns early on in runs of the first stage, Haunted Caverns, and then switch to it by selecting it at the Register of Halls next to the main door before you begin your run.

Follow the directions

As soon as you spawn in, you’ll notice something new in this stage: a directional arrow with a man’s face on it. Follow it, and you’ll find a cage, within which the Wellkeeper sits and stews. Talk to him and, in a delightfully ‘90’s fashion, he’ll ask you to free him using a key, which you can find “somewhere nearby.” Thankfully, once you’ve spoken to him, the key’s location will be shown via a new directional arrow, saving you the hassle of combing the Ember Grounds to find it.

Head over to the key’s location, being sure not to fall behind in terms of level as you do so, and pick it up, then head back to the Wellkeeper’s cage. Talk to him again, and he’ll express his gratitude, before fleeing the scene, not to be seen again in the perilous Ember Grounds. From here, play out the rest of your run as normal, and your reward will be waiting for you when you return to the pre-run hub area.

Reap your rewards

Back at the hub, you can find the Wellkeeper over on the left, past the Shrine of Blessings. He’ll thank you again for saving him, and offer to help you out in exchange by allowing you to retrieve items you find down in the Halls. This will allow you to permanently unlock equipment for your characters to wear going into a run, which will give you a huge advantage, particularly when you’ve completed a few challenges and have some of the juicier items unlocked.

And that’s how you rescue the Wellkeeper in Halls of Torment. It’s an easy sidequest to complete, but also fairly easy to miss, if you’re focused purely on your run. Make sure you complete it, however, as the items you unlock via retrieval will propel your runs to new heights.