What to know
- Aava Porter Bridges is a missable trophy tied to an optional delivery
- You must find and deliver Rody’s letter to a shepherdess named Joanna
- The same interaction also unlocks the Thermos keepsake
- Both are obtainable early, shortly after leaving the village
In Cairn, many trophies and keepsakes are quietly woven into the climb rather than highlighted as explicit objectives. The Aava Porter Bridges trophy is a perfect example. It’s tied to a short, easily overlooked quest involving a letter, a shepherdess, and a brief human moment on Mount Kami.
Because nothing forces you to complete it, this trophy can be missed if you rush upward without exploring.
Aava Porter Bridges & Thermos overview
| Reward | Type | How it’s unlocked |
|---|---|---|
| Aava Porter Bridges | Trophy | Deliver Rody’s letter to Joanna |
| Thermos | Keepsake item | Automatically received with the letter delivery |
| Thermos effect | Utility | Holds two servings of any drink |
| Missable | Yes | Requires manual backtracking if skipped |
Finding Rody’s letter in the village
The first step happens in the village area, very early in the game. While moving through the narrow doorways and sleeping spaces, you’ll find a letter from Rody to Joanna resting on a bed inside one of the village structures. It’s not hidden behind a puzzle or mechanic, but it is easy to miss if you treat the village purely as a transition zone.
Picking up the letter places it in your inventory immediately. There’s no prompt telling you where to take it next, so this step relies entirely on curiosity and exploration.
Locating Joanna at the Standing Stones
After leaving the village and beginning your ascent, you’ll eventually reach the Standing Stones area, located above the village along the early climb. Here, you’ll encounter Joanna, a shepherdess positioned near her flock. This area is calm and open compared to the tighter village paths, signaling a narrative pause rather than a traversal challenge.
Approaching Joanna with Rody’s letter in your inventory allows you to hand it over through a simple interaction. The moment she receives the letter, the Aava Porter Bridges trophy unlocks immediately.
Unlocking the Thermos keepsake
At the same time the trophy pops, you’re also rewarded with the Thermos keepsake. Unlike purely cosmetic keepsakes, the Thermos has a light gameplay function. It can hold two servings of any drink, letting you carry extra consumables during your climb.
The game notes that the Thermos keeps drinks hot for a while, though the taste may be “a bit off.” While mostly a flavor detail, it reinforces Cairn’s grounded, human approach to items and rewards.
Cairn Thermos uses
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Item type | Keepsake / utility reward |
| Capacity | 2 drink servings |
| Unlocked when | Delivering Rody’s letter |
| Combat impact | None |
| Exploration value | Moderate convenience |
Why this trophy is considered missable
The Aava Porter Bridges trophy is missable not because it disappears, but because nothing forces you to return. If you climb past the Standing Stones without delivering the letter, you can continue the game normally—but the trophy will remain locked.
You can backtrack during the same playthrough to complete it, but doing so later can be more time-consuming once you’re much higher on the mountain. That’s why it’s best handled as soon as you encounter Joanna.
Narrative importance of the interaction
While mechanically simple, this moment is one of Cairn’s strongest examples of environmental storytelling. The reward is not power or progression, but connection—a letter delivered, a response received, and a small acknowledgment of the people who exist beyond the climb itself.
The trophy name, Aava Porter Bridges, subtly reflects this theme of carrying meaning upward rather than just gear or stamina.
Is the Thermos worth it
This trophy isn’t about difficulty or skill—it’s about paying attention. By exploring the village, reading what you find, and taking the time to help someone along the way, you unlock both a trophy and a keepsake that symbolize Cairn’s quieter strengths.
If you’re aiming for full completion or simply want to experience the mountain as more than a vertical challenge, delivering Rody’s letter is a small detour that’s absolutely worth making.
