Valor Mortis Ferrofluid Flask upgrades come in two separate forms. Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrades improve the healing delivered by each use, while Empty Ferrofluid Flasks increase the number of uses available after a rest. The location set contains 22 power items and seven quantity items. Power upgrades are applied at a Lantern, and later power tiers can require several collected items rather than one item per tier.
Several upgrades sit behind progression gates. The recurring requirements are the grapple ability, the power used to freeze moving mechanisms, two Fortress keys, one boss encounter, one side quest, and chapter-based stock at Louis’ station. If a route described below is blocked, record the location and return after acquiring the relevant traversal ability instead of assuming the chest is reachable immediately.
How Ferrofluid upgrades work
A Ferrofluid Flask Power Upgrade is a material used at a Lantern to raise the amount of health restored by the flask. The material cost rises across later upgrade tiers and can reach four items for an upgrade, so collecting one power vial will not always produce an immediate increase.
An Empty Ferrofluid Flask affects capacity instead. Each quantity upgrade adds one use, with the flask reaching a maximum of 11 uses after all seven capacity items are obtained. Keep these two tracks separate when checking progress: a stronger heal does not add another use, and an extra use does not increase the healing delivered by each flask.
Use this regional checklist to track the two upgrade types:
| Region or hub | Power items | Empty Flasks | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley of Ashes | 2 | 1 | Quarry power item requires the grapple ability |
| Fallen Village | 2 | 1 | Marketplace Empty Flask requires grappling across the water |
| Abandoned Church | 3 | 1 | Louis adds stock in Chapters 4, 5, and 9 |
| Caverns | 2 | 1 | Moving machinery and the Mining Shaft Key control the routes |
| Vale of Wrath | 2 | 1 | One power chest is beside gears that must be frozen |
| Cursed Hollow | 1 | 0 | Awarded by a side quest rather than found in a chest |
| The Outskirts | 1 | 1 | One follows a boss area; the other is hidden inside a house |
| City of Orphans | 3 | 0 | Includes a miniboss chest and a grapple route in the Sewers |
| University | 2 | 1 | Statue mechanisms conceal two of the relevant chests |
| Fortress | 4 | 0 | Includes Captain’s Key and Fortress Armoury Key routes |
Ferrofluid power upgrade locations
The checklist is organized by region and physical landmark, so use the nearest Lantern and the route description to identify each chest.
Valley of Ashes
Guidepost: Follow the main route beyond the large wagon tipped over on the left. In the next area, the forward route leads toward a wooden platform extending over the cliff and a pole used to continue. Before swinging from that pole, break the boxes on the left. Enter the dead end behind the enemy and open the chest for the power item.
Quarry: Return after obtaining the grapple ability. Take the elevator close to the Quarry Lantern to the upper level, then use the newly accessible grapple points to cross the area. Pull the crate on the far side to reach the enemy-filled upper section. Work upward through the enemies and open the chest near the zipline that returns to the lower level.
Fallen Village
Fields: Continue until the main trail divides near a wooden gate, with a Grenadier positioned on the right. Do not follow the Grenadier. Take the opposite route toward the large house instead. The chest is beside the nearby well, along the route that also creates a shortcut back toward the preceding Lantern.
Marketplace: Enter the broad village area patrolled by groups of enemies. Take the first path on the left and enter the corner house. The power upgrade is inside its chest.
Abandoned Church purchases
Louis sells three separate power items from his station at the Abandoned Church. His inventory expands with story progress, so check it at each listed point rather than expecting all three items to appear together.
- At the start of Chapter 4, purchase the first available power item for 3,000 currency.
- At the start of Chapter 5, purchase the additional power item for 3,000 currency.
- At the start of Chapter 9, purchase the final listed power item for 3,000 currency.
Buying every listed power item from Louis therefore costs 9,000 currency in total, but the purchases must be made after their respective stock unlocks.
Caverns
Both Caverns power items are in the Old Mine, but they use different branches of its machinery-filled route.
Old Mine moving-box route: Advance until reaching the tunnels crossed by moving mine carts. In the first tunnel, descend the ladder positioned between two tracks near the shortcut back to the Lantern. Walk back past that ladder and take the route into the separate area. Continue until finding a lever that moves a box vertically. Freeze the moving box, cross the stopped platform, and open the chest in the corner of the platform.
Old Mine Mining Shaft Key route: Continue through the mine-cart section until reaching the elevator that leads back to the Lantern. While riding the elevator, drop onto the intermediate ledge with a body and collect the Mining Shaft Key. The key opens the door beside the switch previously used to redirect a mine cart into a breakable wall.
Open that keyed door and take the elevator down. Follow the platforms through the shaft to the bottom. A Volunteer guards the final approach, and the power item is in the chest behind that enemy.
Vale of Wrath and Cursed Hollow
Under the Bridge: Reach the upper part of the bridge where the route requires jumping into the roof of a building to open a gate. Search inside that building. The chest is beside the gears that can be frozen to hold the gate open.
Ship Graveyard: Continue to the ship with two ramps in its central section. This is the same ship associated with the earlier ranged fire and the pair of movable walls used as cover. Turn around after reaching the ship and search underneath the deck section where you first stepped aboard. The chest is near a group of three enemies.
Cursed Hollow, Silent Cannons: This power item is not in a normal exploration chest. Complete The Curious Case of Seamus Diggory to receive it as the quest reward. Treat the reward as a separate checklist entry so it is not confused with the two Vale of Wrath chests.
The Outskirts
Breach: After leaving the boss arena, follow the descending slope toward the next area. Open the chest placed directly along that downward route. No separate side passage or key is described for this item, but it only becomes available after passing the encounter.
City of Orphans
Tribunal Square courtyard: Progress until reaching the upper floor of a house where weak points can be shot through a window. From there, move in the opposite direction and follow the route around the building into a courtyard. Defeat the miniboss near the chest, then open it for the power item.
Tribunal Square open area: In the large open space before the tower, locate the cannon enemy patrolling through the center. The relevant chest sits in the middle of this area, so clear or avoid the nearby threat before opening it.
Sewers: Find the circular chamber with a grapple point suspended in its center. Grapple across the room, then look left for an exploding enemy lying on the ground. Move to that position and use the next grapple route to cross into a separate room. The chest inside contains the power upgrade.
University
Main Hall lower library: Return to the area where the route crossed a chandelier before reaching the Shield Transmutation. Instead of following that original direction, enter the poison hallway on the opposite side and ride the next elevator downward. In the lower library, take the right-hand path into the large statue room. Pick up the item in front of the statue to remove the vines, then open the chest behind the statue.
Lift Shaft: Follow the main route to the long hallway with poison covering the lower level and platforms forming the intended crossing. At the far end, drop or move into the lower area and locate the pair of explosive chests. The power item is in the chest on the right.
Fortress
The Fortress contains four power items. Use the named Lantern and the relevant key as the anchors for each route.
Traverse, second courtyard: Reach the Traverse Lantern in the second courtyard. Turn around, enter the route to the left, and pass the enemies. Keep bearing left, climb the stairs, and turn immediately right at the top. Break or move around the boxes concealing the chest.
Chapel and Fortress Armoury Key: Enter the underground section and continue to the sewer room with a door on the left after a pole jump. Go through that doorway and descend to the bottom of the stairs. Enter the tunnels to the left of the room containing the large gates. On the far side, enter the room with the lever-operated door and defeat the enemies. Climb the ladder in that room to collect the Fortress Armoury Key from the upper platform.
Cross the hanging platforms to return to the previous area. Use the Fortress Armoury Key on the door to the left, then open the chest inside the armoury.
Ramparts: From the Ramparts Lantern, climb the stairs into the upper area occupied by two cannon enemies. Use the ladder on the right to reach the enemies operating the cannons. Continue toward the dead end on the right and open the chest there.
Traverse and Captain’s Key: Return to the Fortress underground route and reach the sewer room with the left-hand door after the pole jump. Descend to the bottom of the stairs. From the room with the large gate, take the opposite staircase and continue into the room at the end. The Captain’s Key lies on the ground in the right corner.
Travel back to the Traverse Lantern and face away from the cannon area. Use the Captain’s Key to unlock the building in that direction. The final Fortress power item is in the chest inside.
Empty Ferrofluid Flask locations
These seven items increase Ferrofluid capacity rather than healing power. Each collected Empty Flask represents one additional use, so track them independently from the 22 power materials.
Valley of Ashes and Fallen Village
Valley of Ashes, The Climb: Complete the bridge platforming section. When approaching the next Lantern, look to its left and open the nearby chest for the Empty Ferrofluid Flask.
Fallen Village, Marketplace: Begin near the Marketplace Lantern and grapple across the water. Continue until reaching the two plague pillars fitted with grapple points. Cross the second pillar, then turn to the right and open the chest.
Abandoned Church and Caverns
Abandoned Church: At the start of Chapter 4, Louis adds one Empty Ferrofluid Flask to his station inventory. It costs 5,000 currency. This purchase is separate from the 3,000-currency power item available during the same chapter.
Caverns, Old Mine: From the Old Mine Lantern, follow the main route and use the crane’s box to jump across to the far platforms. Enter the tunnel on the left. At the first left turn, find the spinning platform and stop it. Cross to the other side and open the chest.
Vale of Wrath and The Outskirts
Vale of Wrath, Under the Bridge: Search the center of the fishing village. The chest is placed beside the tree with bodies hanging from it. This is distinct from the nearby power upgrade inside the bridge building beside the gate gears.
The Outskirts, Market Square: Continue until the route passes through a barn with a grapple point visible ahead. Turn around instead of grappling forward, circle behind the barn, and enter the side area leading to the larger house. Shoot the explosive barrels through a window to create an opening in the wall. Enter through that opening, climb to the top floor, and take the Empty Flask from one of the two chests. The other chest contains a Distilled Transmutation Material, so check the contents rather than treating both chests as flask pickups.
University
Main Hall: Follow the available route until reaching the chamber with staircases and a statue in the center. Climb the stairs and move behind the staircase on the statue’s right side. Shoot the concealed weak point to reveal a switch. Pull the switch to move the statue, exposing the chest behind it.
Route blockers and progress checks
If your flask totals do not match the location checklist, check the gated routes before repeating every region.
- Grapple ability: Required for the Quarry power item, the Marketplace Empty Flask, the City of Orphans sewer chest, and parts of the Outskirts route.
- Freezing mechanisms: Required for the Old Mine moving-box path, the Old Mine spinning platform, and the Under the Bridge gate mechanism.
- Mining Shaft Key: Collected from the intermediate elevator ledge in the Old Mine and used near the mine-cart redirect switch.
- Fortress Armoury Key: Found above the lever-door room in the Fortress underground section and used after crossing back over the hanging platforms.
- Captain’s Key: Found on the floor in the right corner of an underground Fortress room, then used on the building opposite the cannon area from the Traverse Lantern.
- Story progress: Louis’ three power items appear at the starts of Chapters 4, 5, and 9. His Empty Flask appears at the start of Chapter 4.
- Encounter and quest rewards: The Breach chest follows a boss area, while the Silent Cannons item is the reward for The Curious Case of Seamus Diggory.
For an efficient collection pass, clear the immediately accessible chest routes when first entering a region, mark any grapple or machinery obstacle, and revisit those exact landmarks after obtaining the missing ability. At the Fortress, obtain each key before returning to its locked door. At the Abandoned Church, check Louis at every listed chapter milestone and distinguish the 3,000-currency power stock from the 5,000-currency Empty Flask.