What to know
- Return to Source is a Bronze trophy and is not tied to story progression.
- You must catch a salamander and obtain Hygrocybe Rubescens to unlock it.
- The trophy is missable if you finish the game without visiting the optional area.
- It takes place in a hidden village zone, reached from a secret save point.
In Cairn, most trophies are quietly earned through natural play, but Return to Source is a deliberate exception. This achievement asks you to slow down, explore off the critical path, and interact with one of the game’s strangest optional discoveries. If you rush toward the ending, it’s easy to miss entirely.
Unlike endurance- or progression-based trophies, this one is about curiosity and environmental storytelling.
Understanding the Return to Source trophy
Return to Source is unlocked by performing a specific collectible action rather than completing a quest or reaching a milestone. The requirement is simple in wording but obscure in execution: catch a strange salamander and acquire the item Hygrocybe Rubescens.
Neither the salamander nor the mushroom is marked by the main narrative. The game expects you to find them organically while exploring a hidden section of the mountain.
Where the trophy takes place
The trophy is earned in an optional secret area, accessed via a hidden save spot commonly referred to by players as the “Secret” save point. From there, you can reach a small village-like location carved into the mountain.
This area exists outside the main climbing flow, which is why many players miss it on their first playthrough.
How to unlock Return to Source
Step 1: Start from the Secret save spot
From the secret save location, move toward the nearby village area. This zone is safe to explore and designed to encourage interaction rather than climbing difficulty.
Step 2: Enter the village and take the left hallway
Inside the village, head into the left hallway. This path is easy to overlook, but it is critical. At the end of this hallway, you’ll encounter the weird salamander required for the trophy.
Step 3: Catch the salamander
Interact with the salamander to catch it. This interaction is what enables the next part of the trophy condition. The game does not explicitly announce that you are progressing toward an achievement, so trust that the interaction matters.
Step 4: Obtain Hygrocybe Rubescens
After interacting with the salamander, you acquire Hygrocybe Rubescens, a rare mushroom item. This is the key collectible tied directly to the Return to Source trophy.
Once the item is obtained, the trophy unlocks automatically.
What Hygrocybe Rubescens does
Beyond unlocking the trophy, Hygrocybe Rubescens has gameplay value. The item is associated with hallucinogenic effects and grants a noticeable boost to your character.
| Effect | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Health | +25 |
| Energy | +25 |
| Distance stat | +3 dist |
The video also suggests a thematic connection between the salamander and the mushroom, reinforcing Cairn’s focus on strange, nature-driven mechanics rather than explicit explanations.
Optional interactions in the area
While not required for the trophy, players often encounter additional curiosities nearby. One example is licking a frog to gain the “Stoked for three” effect. These interactions don’t affect the achievement, but they reinforce that this area exists as a kind of experimental playground separate from the game’s harsher climbing challenges.
Why the trophy is missable
Once you progress past certain endgame points, backtracking becomes difficult or impossible. Because Return to Source is not tied to story completion, the game will never force you into this area. If you finish the game without visiting the secret village, the opportunity is lost for that playthrough.
For completionists, this makes it one of the most important trophies to prioritize early.
Trophy ecosystem
Return to Source perfectly represents Cairn’s quieter side. There is no dramatic climb, no stamina test, and no obvious reward at first glance. Instead, the trophy asks you to engage with the mountain as a living ecosystem, paying attention to its oddities rather than just its obstacles.
| Trophy name | Return to Source |
|---|---|
| Type | Bronze |
| Story-related | No |
| Missable | Yes |
| Key requirement | Catch salamander + obtain Hygrocybe Rubescens |
| Location | Secret village area |
If you’re aiming for 100% completion, make this trophy a priority. If you’re playing for atmosphere, it’s one of the most memorable optional moments in the game.
