How to get Orc Keys in Return to Moria

Return to Moria Orc Keys - An Orc totem — (Image credit: North Beach Games)

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Working out how to get Orc Keys in Return to Moria is one of the many mysteries you'll have to contend with while raiding enemy encampments around the Elven Quarter and in Moria at large. At the centre of each mini-camp is an Orkish Chest that requires a special Orc Key to open.

You've likely murdered every enemy nearby, and yet, the key to the chest still hasn't dropped. You actually have to do something very specific to get these keys—other than stabbing Orcs—and it's well worth it for the loot you can plunder. So, here's how to get Orc Keys in Return to Moria so you can open Orkish Chests.

How to get Orc Keys

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Return to Moria Orc key — Smash the totem in the centre of each camp to get an Orc Key(Image credit: North Beach Games)

After you defeat the Goblins or Orcs hanging around—I suggest bringing a shield—you need to smash the totem-like structure at the centre of their camp. These are easy to spot since they have a red Orc face painted on them, and you can easily destroy each with a pickaxe. Doing so will drop an Orc Key you can pick up and use to open the nearby Orkish Chest in the camp.

These chests usually contain gold, gems, ingots, ore, meat, and occasionally Muznakans. Considering you only need to kill a few enemies to loot each of them, it's definitely time well spent. It's also worth noting that smashing the totem at the centre of an Orc camp will make the enemies disappear permanently, so it's easier to pass through the area unharassed in future. If you want to loot a load of these chests early, explore the Elven Quarter to find its many Goblin Man encampments.

Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.