To save Vlas’s cat Mutton and unlock the base cat, start Vlas’s quest south of the Outskirts of Mammon Beacon, advance his dialogue with Beacon rests, free him at Lonesome Spire with the Unremarkable Key, then return to Marrow Keep, where Vlas and Mutton relocate.
Vlas is one of the wounded travellers you stumble across out in the world, and his short questline is the only way to bring his cat Mutton home as a permanent face at Marrow Keep. It plays out like a classic Souls-like NPC chain — talk, rest, travel, repeat — spread across three locations, with one merchant you can permanently lock yourself out of if you rush. Here’s the full route from the Outskirts of Mammon to the moment Mutton settles into your base.
Rewards and the quick route
| Stage | What |
|---|---|
| Start the quest | Find Vlas below the Outskirts of Mammon and search the wreckage for his cat. |
| Push his dialogue | Rest at a Beacon and return until he decides to move on. |
| Reach Lonesome Spire | Travel to the Gate of Mammon Beacon and climb to the caged Vlas. |
| Free him | Shop with the Brigand, grab the Unremarkable Key, and open the cage. |
| Finish at Marrow Keep | Return home to reunite with Vlas and Mutton. |
Seeing this one through does two things: Vlas relocates to Marrow Keep, and his cat Mutton becomes a base cat that roams the keep alongside him. You also pocket two Coin of Mammon along the way — one early at the wreckage where you meet him, and one more when you catch up with him back home.
Key Nothing here is gated behind a boss. The whole chain is dialogue and travel, but it’s a multi-visit quest, so you’ll be resting at Beacons and warping between areas more than once before Vlas finally moves on.
Shop with the Brigand at Lonesome Spire — especially for the Glimpse — before you free Vlas. He and his entire stock disappear for good the moment you open the cage.
How to save cat Mutton in Mortal Shell 2
Follow the route below in order — it runs from the Outskirts of Mammon all the way to Marrow Keep, hitting every dialogue reset and the key pickup along the way.
STEP 1/17
Drop into the Outskirts of Mammon

From Marrow Keep, head toward the dark corrupted teleporter and fall to the ledge below.
STEP 2/17
Push through the gate

Run past the ranged enemies and go through the gate — they can’t follow you once you drop down.
STEP 3/17
Cross the Road to Absolution

Follow the bridge forward and dodge the incoming lightning arrow as you go.
STEP 4/17
Drop down to Vlas

Fall off the edge and press attack on the way down to cancel the fall damage.
STEP 5/17
Talk to Vlas

He tells you his companion is missing and asks you to help find the cat.
STEP 6/17
Search the wreckage for clues

Inspect the debris scattered around him until his dialogue updates.
STEP 7/17
Take your first Coin of Mammon

Checking the cage earns you a Coin of Mammon, and he asks you to keep watch.
STEP 8/17
Rest at a Beacon and return

Warp back, refresh at a Beacon, then return and talk until he decides to move on.
STEP 9/17
Read the note he leaves behind

Interact with the note on the box; his final line here is that they’ve left him no choice.
STEP 10/17
Travel to the Gate of Mammon Beacon

Fast-travel over and work your way up through the section toward the spire.
STEP 11/17
Climb to the top of Lonesome Spire

Take the wooden staircase up, past the enemies, all the way to the summit.
STEP 12/17
Shop with the Brigand first

Buy anything you want here, especially the Glimpse — this is your only chance to trade with him.
STEP 13/17
Speak with the caged Vlas

Find him locked up behind the Brigand and exhaust his dialogue.
STEP 14/17
Grab the Unremarkable Key

Slip out the right side of the camp and break into the small shack to collect it.
STEP 15/17
Free Vlas with the key

Return and keep offering him the Unremarkable Key until he finally takes it.
STEP 16/17
Reunite with Vlas at Marrow Keep

Back home, find him behind the main Beacon along the Slayer Seal route.
STEP 17/17
Activate his final note

Return to where you first met him and read the note he leaves there.
Video help
The Unremarkable Key is where most players get stuck, because it isn’t handed to you near the cage. From the top camp at Lonesome Spire where Vlas is imprisoned, head back outside and bear to the right. Look for a stone archway — go through it toward a walled-off shack at the edge of the camp, roughly north of the Sentry’s Grave dungeon.
Break the wooden wall there and the key is waiting inside. Accounts of the exact spot differ a little — a table in one telling, a broken structure in another — so if it isn’t obvious, sweep the small buildings just past the archway. Once it’s in hand, take it straight back to Vlas and keep offering it until he accepts.
What Mutton does at Marrow Keep
Once Vlas is free he makes his own way home. Back at Marrow Keep you’ll find him settled in as a resident with Mutton finally safe, and speaking to him there hands you your second Coin of Mammon.
The cat doesn’t stay put. Mutton wanders to random corners of the keep — you’ll often catch it in spots like the elevator room — and it’ll hiss if you crowd it. You can also pull out the Troubadour’s Lute and play it a tune; like everyone else in Marrow Keep, it’ll break into a little dance.

When Vlas won’t move on
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Vlas has nothing new to say | Exhaust all of his dialogue on each visit — the quest won’t tick over until he’s repeating himself. |
| Talking again doesn’t progress it | Rest at a Beacon, or leave and re-enter the area, between visits; his lines only refresh after a reset. |
| Vlas won’t stand up or move on | Keep resting and returning; if he’s still seated, push a little further into the story and then check back. |
| The Brigand and his shop are gone | You freed Vlas too soon, so his stock and the Glimpse are lost for this run — reload an earlier save to recover them. |
This quest stalls in a few predictable places, and the common thread is that it advances on Beacon rests, not on talking to Vlas over and over. If progress dries up, work through the fixes below before assuming anything’s bugged.
Related Mortal Shell 2 guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vlas become a merchant again after moving to Marrow Keep?
No. Unlike in the first game, Vlas doesn’t reopen as a vendor once he settles at Marrow Keep — he’s there purely as a hub resident, not a shop. Anything you wanted to buy from him has to come from the Brigand at Lonesome Spire before you free him.
Can you pet or interact with Mutton after saving the cat?
You can. Mutton will hiss whenever you get close, but it’s completely harmless — you can even scoop the cat up and carry it around with you while you loot the keep.







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