After you complete the Flavors of Mayhem main quest and think you’re about to get back to The Missing Link, it’s time for another deviation. This time Rose needs you to undertake the Fallout 76 Key to the Past main quest. Fortunately, this is the last quest that you need to complete for Rose before you finish The Missing Link, following Signal Strength and Flavors of Mayhem.
How to Complete the Fallout 76 Key to the Past Main Quest
To complete this quest, you need to reassemble a key; one that was divided into five pieces by the old Raider gangs. Each of the gangs kept one of the five key fragments for themselves:
The Blackwater Bandits Key Fragment
The Fallout 76 Key to the Past quest will start automatically once you complete Flavors of Mayhem. Your first objective is to trek out to Blackwater Mine to check a terminal. Although this is the last of Rose’s quests, it is definitely the longest; be prepared for a lot of walking, as you’ll be journeying back and forth between a lot of different locations. Blackwater Mine can be found south of Top of the World in the Savage Divide. Like many mines, the place is likely full of Mole Miners. When you enter, look for the terminal near the entrance and read either of the first two options. Now you need to retrieve the first key fragment; this item belongs to Freddie Lang, whom you’ll have to kill deeper in Blackwater Mine.
The Trappers’ Key Fragment
Once you have the Blackwater Bandits Key Fragment, you can head back to the surface. From the mine, head southeast across the Savage Divide to the Devil’s Backbone, located due east of Huntersville. In this area you can find a Trappers’ Camp. Unfortunately, the place was attacked by Super Mutants, who have absconded with the key fragment. You’ll need to head into Huntersville, a small town filled with Super Mutants, to get it back. You can find the body of Walter Griswold near the middle of Huntersville, and the Trappers’ Key Fragment is in his inventory. Beware, however! The body is booby-trapped. If you have at least Perception 2 the game will notify you. You can either seize the key and run or try to disarm it. Whatever the case, a mini nuke will detonate in 30 seconds, so be quick!
The Diehards Key Fragment
From Huntersville, you need to make a long trip north to Sunnytop Ski Lanes. If you follow the train track from Top of the World, the site is near the end, southeast of the Palace of the Winding Path. Sunnytop, like Huntersville, is filled with Super Mutants, so approach with caution. Be on the lookout for traps, as the Super Mutants have rigged more than a few missile launchers on tripwires and hanging grenades! Fight your way through the super mutants to reach the objective room inside. Unfortunately, the key isn’t here, but you will find Margie McClintock’s Holotape. Listen to this, then head across the lodge and down to the lower floor in search of a terminal. On this machine, access the Inbow and select the “Admin Password” option.
The Diehards Key Fragment has, unfortunately, been destroyed. As a result, you’ll need to make a replica. Make your way northwest from the Ski Lanes to the Palace of the Winding Path. When you arrive, head through the main entrance and search a dresser to find the Palace Admin Password. With this, you can access a Holotape Duplication Terminal located on the floor below. Select the “Duplicate From Archives,” option, and then choose the “Diehards Key Fragment.”
The Gourmands Key Fragment
From the Palace of the Winding Path, you need to cross back over from the Savage Divide into the Forest to find Bolton Greens. This site can be found southeast of Vault 76 close to the border with the Savage Divide. An easy way to get there is to fast travel to Greg’s Mine Supply and travel northeast. At the site, head to the top of the building where you’ll find the Gourmands Note.
Unfortunately, the key isn’t here, and is instead at a place called Wendigo Cave. This cave is in the Savage Divide, northeast of Top of the World. The Wendigo Cave is something of a maze, and filled with Mirelurks. It is, of course, also home to one or more Wendigos. Fight your way through to reach the Gourmands Key Fragment and then get out as fast as possible!
The Cutthroats Key Fragment
The fifth and final key fragment belonged to the Cutthroats gang. The fragment can be found at Big Fred’s BBQ Shack; a site southeast of Top of the World in the Savage Divide. The fragment you need is in the possession of David Thorpe, who has become a powerful Scorched. Fortunately, when you arrive, you’ll find David battling some Feral Ghouls so try and keep out of it initially; let David take as much damage as you can from the Ghouls before you engage and take him down, as he can be quite dangerous. With him dead, retrieve the Cutthroats Key Fragment from his body.
With all five key fragments in your possession, your next task is to return them to Rose at Top of the World. This isn’t the end of the quest, however. The final objective is to find the remains of Rosalynn in the Charleston Capitol Building. This site is in the southern region of the Forest, but getting there should be very easy; you visited Charleston during the Into the Fire quest, so simply fast travel back. Enter the Charleston Capitol Courthouse and access the terminal in the basement. Read the “Doe, J.” entry, and then enter the next room.
At last, you can access the Raider Cache. This cache is in the Pleasant Valley Ski Resort, right next to Top of the World. In the resort’s basement, you’ll find a locked door, but the key is simply under the mat. Now use the keycard reader inside to open the cache, completing Key to the Past in the process. This will also complete the next step of The Missing Link once you retrieve the Broken Uplink. Return to that quest and head to Abbie’s Bunker…