At the start of Fae Farm, the whirlpools sprinkling the ocean outside Azoria block off a sizable portion of the game. You won't be able to meet any Fae romance options in Fae Farm or pick up shipping contracts until you clear the whirlpools. To clear them, you will have to push through the Saltwater Mines and find Neppy the Water Sprite.
The quest to clear the whirlpools consists of three parts. First, you must show Cleo you can handle yourself in the Saltwater Mines. Then, you will have to press through multiple floors until you encounter Neppy. Finally, you'll have to prepare a dinner to share with the lonely Water Sprite.
How To Unlock & Survive Saltwater Mines
You won't be able to access Saltwater Mines until Eddy reveals they house the source of the whirlpools in "The Cleo To Adventure," a story quest featured in Fae Farm's Chapter 3. Cleo has the key to the mines, but she won't just give it up. First, you will need to prepare for the mines by cooking five food items and buying a potion from Vera. You should also ensure your pickaxe is upgraded and you have built the Seal Crafting Station to save your progress in the mines.
To stop the whirlpools, you must push through 25 levels in Saltwater Mines full of ore, gemstones, and enemies. Each time you enter the mines, get as deep as you can with your energy and the food you have brought. The enemies, known as Jumbles, become tougher and more numerous as you get deeper. You can fight the Jumbles or try to sneak around them, but this will get more difficult as more of them fill the levels.
Keep an eye on what seals you need to progress through the levels. The type of seal needed to open a certain level changes every four levels. It progresses from Copper Seals to Hardened Copper Seals to Engraved Copper Seals to Iron Seals to Hardened Iron Seals to Engraved Iron Seals. You must switch seal types at levels 5, 9, 13, 17, and 21.
Making Dinner For Neppy
Once you reach level 25 of Saltwater Mines, you will find Neppy the Water Sprite. They will agree to stop the whirlpools so long as you share a dinner with them, as they have been rather lonely at the bottom of the mine.
For the dinner, Neppy will want 5 Steamed Fish, 3 Sardines, 20 Diced Roots, 10 Sand Dollars, and 10 Corals.
Sand Dollars and Corals appear on the beach, so take a walk by the seashore and pick up any you find. If you can't find ten of each, you will probably have to leave and let the beach reset. Sardines are also easy to find, although it may take some time. Head to Stay-A-While Bay and keep fishing until you have three sardines. Avoid cooking them; otherwise, Neppy won't accept them.
You will need a Prep Table and a Cooking Hearth to make the Diced Roots and Steamed Fish in Fae Farm. The Prep Table requires one Copper Ingot, two Stone Bricks, one Beech Lumber, and one Oak Lumber to build. Meanwhile, the Cooking Hearth asks for two Copper Ingots, three Stone Bricks, three Clay Bricks, and two Beech Lumber. By this point in the game, you should have both built.
Chop root vegetables such as Turnips to make enough Diced Roots at the Prep Table. You'll also need to chop up enough Arugula to make ten Fresh Greens for the Steamed Fish. Take the Fresh Greens to the Cooking Hearth and combine every two Fresh Greens with one Fish Fillet to serve Steamed Fish. Once you have all five dinner elements, return to Neppy and give them everything. The following day, a beautiful cutscene will show off the dinner and clear the whirlpools from Fae Farm.
