Hell Is Us encourages players to explore its world on their own, solving puzzles with limited hints provided within the game. It challenges you to think carefully when navigating, and that approach applies to the main story as well. For example, your search for Vitalis, the blacksmith of Jova, takes you all the way to Vyssa Hills without any objective marker guiding you.
After meeting Vitalis, you’re instructed to find the hideout of The Vigil, a secretive order, with a journalist helping you gain entry. Getting into the hideout isn’t easy; more mysteries await inside. Here’s everything you need to know to access Watcher’s Nest and solve its puzzles.
## How to Reach Watcher’s Nest
Start by heading along the path upward toward the time loop. Follow it left until you encounter a large wooden frame you can pass under. Continue on this trail, fighting enemies along the way. Soon, you’ll find a turn-off to the east, where you’ll meet Tania Alver, a journalist.
Tell her the password, and she will give you an Emblem – Candle, one of the items needed to access Watcher’s Nest. You will need two emblems in total; her friend Agatha has the second. They became separated when Agatha took a left path to distract the enemies. Leave Tania and take the downward-left route, where you’ll find Agatha dead, killed by Lymbic Entities. Take her ID card and the Emblem – Book.
You don’t have to go back to Tania afterward, but it’s nice to reassure her. She can also point you to follow the path toward the windmill, which is the easiest route from here. Continue along this trail, avoiding unnecessary detours into the mines. You may also encounter Atticus further along, but he’s not essential for reaching Watcher’s Nest.
## Opening Watcher’s Nest
When you reach the entrance, you’ll face another Hollow Walker. While they look like most Lymbic Entities, they are linked with two Haze enemies, which you must defeat first. Once defeated, insert the emblems into their respective slots beside the door, and it will open.
The inside of Watcher’s Nest is empty of enemies, putting the focus on your mental challenge. Save your progress and prepare to face the upcoming puzzle. Proceed further, especially after passing the polygraph machine.
## Puzzle in Watcher’s Nest
This area contains many items, computers, whiteboards, and marked walls. One of the first notes explains the importance of wall grooves, which align with details like a name, a title, a symbol, and a date. The key phrase to remember: “Through his name, his title, the symbol of his Order, and the date of inception of his Order, shall the path be revealed.”
You need to find and activate wall grooves matching these clues. The act of activating is beyond your immediate reach, so proceed further into the tomb, climbing through a hole in the wall to reach the burial chamber. There, you can collect four Ceramic Flowers, which are used to solve the puzzle.
The placement of these flowers is flexible; order doesn’t matter as long as all are placed correctly. Begin by placing the first flower on a plaque indicating the name “Algea,” who was the Warden of Grief—this groove is near a small alcove behind the whiteboard.
Next, find the symbol for Grief, which looks like a curve with a teardrop, and place a Ceramic Flower there. This symbol can be found in the circular room at the entrance, on the Lymbic Sphere.
Now, locate the date of the Order’s founding, 1513, on a plaque in this room. The grooves for the year are on a large heraldry wall; the right side represents 1513, so place the final Ceramic Flower here.
Other placements, like the symbol of the Vigil (depicted as a shield with an emblem), and the Order’s sigil on the wall, are also part of the puzzle. It’s okay to place flowers in any order, provided they are in the correct spots.
Once all flowers are correctly placed, a rumbling sound indicates the puzzle is completed. Return to Pentos’ tomb and pull the lever to open it. Inside, you will find the Mark of the Betrayed relic and the Blue Flower Scroll—necessary for progressing further.
## Meeting Gildas
After exiting the tomb, you hear a sudden flush, signaling the presence of Gildas Brom—the last member of The Vigil. Engage in conversations with him; he provides deeper insights into the game mechanics, such as the Guardian Detector, which shows the locations of remaining Timeloop Guardians, and the Amine Prism – Sigma, key to closing Timeloops like the one in Vyssa Hills.
You can also talk to Gildas after completing Timeloops or deeds, earning extra rewards like glyphs, relics, and more Prisms.
## Finding The Eternity Computer Password
One of the next steps involves a computer that is protected by a password, which isn’t accessible until Act 2. Its password is hidden in an area you can’t reach until after completing initial events at Lake Cynon.
Although you could technically access the second computer if you have the password, the game does not allow you to do so early. Once you reach Act 2, follow the Keystone of Ecstasy back to Vyssa Hills, where you will find a locked area beyond the serpent statue near Vitalis’ grave. Inside, you’ll find a corpse holding the Key – Mine, which opens locked doors earlier explored.
Proceed through the mines until you reach a large red chamber with enemies. Defeat them and investigate the corner of the room for another corpse with a note titled Cryptic Maxim. The note reads:
_”As the hours of the day slip by,
As the months of the year pass,
And the seasons turn,
In the four corners of Hadea,
Our Vigil Endures.”_
This cryptic message, beginning with “Eternity,” indicates that the computer password is derived from these lines, resulting in “241244.” Enter this code into the computer in Watcher’s Nest to receive additional lore and unlock further secrets.
