Deep in an oft-overlooked section of the Dreaming City in Destiny 2 is a locked chest that says it’s “Warded by the Wormhost.” Opening it requires shooting a specific number of Hive worms scattered about the Gardens of Esila. Here’s where to find the chest and all the worms.
How to Open the Warded by the Wormhost Chest in Destiny 2
You’ll find the Warded by the Wormhost chest in the Gardens of Esila, the area to the south of The Strand. Once in the gardens, head past the enemies and toward the waterfall to the right of the large bridge in the first part of the area. The chest sits just underneath the bridge and to the left of the waterfalls.
To open it, you need to find and destroy 10 Hive worms at various locations in the Gardens. Note that there are more than 10 spawn points for these worms, so you’ll need to do some searching. I’ve listed out every worm’s location that I and the community could find.
One thing I did notice, however, was that if you leave the Gardens and return, the worms can spawn places they previously weren’t. For instance, the first worm you can find in the zone wasn’t there on my first entry into the Gardens, but in testing for something else, I happened to leave and come back to find the little bugger waiting for me.
All Worm Locations in the Gardens of Esila
There are 20 total worm spawns in the Gardens of Esila, and while some of my screenshots won’t show the worms, I ask that you trust me that they can, in fact, appear there.
Worm Location 1 in the Gardens of Esila
The first worm is on the cliff facing the mist-covered abyss to the south. Go north of the door near the entrance to the Gardens and down toward the middle of the side of the mountain.
Worm Location 2 in the Gardens of Esila
The next worm is in the righthand planter near the two pillars leading into the first major section of the gardens. A pair of glowing butterflies flutter above it.
Worm Location 3 in the Gardens of Esila
Keep to the left cliffs past the main entrance to the Gardens with the second worm and continue just east of the small rotunda near those cliffs. On a rock a bit higher off the ground near a tree coming out of the wall, you’ll find the next worm.
Worm Location 4 in the Gardens of Esila
We’re still on the left cliffs, this time past the first set of waterfalls and underneath the circular platform at the end of the large bridge. The worm is on the side of the outcropping facing the chasm.
Worm Location 5 in the Gardens of Esila
Continue past the second waterfall on the southern edge of the Gardens, and beneath a pair of small trees near a larger rocky outcropping to find another worm.
Worm Location 6 in the Gardens of Esila
You’ll see yet another worm if you turn directly around from the fifth one on the western side of the large bridge near a branch. I only had this little guy spawn once over several runs, but he did appear.
Worm Location 7 in the Gardens of Esila
Continue along the southern cliffside, go until you reach the second large gazebo. You should see the next worm atop a rock.
Worm Location 8 in the Gardens of Esila
We’re finally heading somewhere that’s not the southern cliffs. Instead, go to the waterfall to the right of the warded by the wormhost chest and then behind it. The worm should be in the pool at your feet.
Worm Location 9 in the Gardens of Esila
If you look out at the Gardens from the waterfall, to your left will be a set of Awoken statues. Another worm sometimes appears on the orb held by the statue closest to the waterfall. I never ran across it, but can anecdotally confirm that it does spawn there sometimes.
Worm Location 10 in the Gardens of Esila
We’re done with the first area of the Gardens. Take the path north from the larger gazebo, and at about the midway point between it and a set of pillars is a rock you can jump on. Do so, then look at the cliffs to your right. Another worm can be on a small ledge with some grasses on it a little up the cliff face. This worm is another I can’t personally confirm, but I’ve seen plenty of images of it there.
Worm Location 11 in the Gardens of Esila
Continue north until you reach a shallow stream. Rather than crossing the bridge or going farther into the garden, turn left and head to the edge of the cliff. The worm is at the end of the stream.
Worm Location 12 in Garden of Elisa
The next worms are a bit out of order, as I found them and/or their locations after the others above. The twelfth worm I managed to find is back in the first area near the largest rock in the pond, the one in the center of the small group of rocks.
Worm Location 13 in Garden of Esila
The next worm is on the platform with the large tree above the first main area in the Gardens of Esila. You can either make your way all the way through the level or do some careful platforming to get up there. The worm is on the south side of the circular part under the tree’s branches.
Worm Location 14 in Gardens of Esila
The 14th worm location on our list is actually just beyond the entrance to the Gardens. Once you pass the pillars leading into the first main area, make an immediate right, and you’ll see a rocky outcropping jutting sharply out of the wall, flanked by a pair of small trees. The worm is on said rock.
Worm Location 15 in Gardens of Esila
Forgive my missing this worm, but you can actually find it before you even start ascending the stairs to the first enemy. You’ll find it in the foliage just left of the door that’s on your left as you come out of the hallway and into the open air.
Worm Location 16 in Garden of Esila
This worm is a little out of the way. From the entrance, keep to the southern cliffs and look out into the chasm through the first opening. You should see a large outcropping rising from the mists. There can sometimes be a worm resting atop it.
Worm Location 17 in Gardens of Esila
You’ll find this worm on the westernmost rock underneath the circular platform at the end of the bridge. You should be able to see the gazebo to your left some distance away, with some of the branches supporting the bridge coming up in front of you.
Worm Location 18 in Gardens of Esila
You can find the next worm in the open-air gazebo between the first main area and the path toward the stream. It’s resting between a pair of benches on the eastern side.
Worm Location 19 in Gardens of Esila
The next worm is near the end of the area, against the wall just before the Taken portal underneath the large gazebo. While I wasn’t able to confirm this worm location myself, I’ve seen it spawn there for other players.
Worm Location 20 in Gardens of Esila
The final worm (on this list, anyway) is just past the portal and down the stairs of the bridge overlooking the main area. Or, more specifically, against the wall on the east side of the stairs as you’re facing the large gazebo. Simply go down to the bottom of the stairs, turn left, and keep their edge on your left. You should see the worm up against the larger wall if it’s spawned there.
Those are all the locations of the worms in the Gardens of Esila in Destiny 2. Finding 10 of them opens the Warded by the Wormhost chest, which, if I’m honest, isn’t really worth the effort. All you get is some Glimmer and Dark Crystals. But hey, pride and accomplishment, right? In any event, for more on Destiny 2, check out our guides hub for the game.
