Crimson Desert drops you into the massive open world of Pywel with very little hand-holding, and the sheer number of locations, quests, and systems can make those first few hours feel genuinely chaotic. Knowing exactly where to point your horse early on separates players who struggle through the opening chapters from those who arrive at their first major boss fight fully geared and ready. This guide breaks down the most valuable places to visit early, why they matter, and what you should grab while you're there.
What Are the Best Places to Visit Early in Crimson Desert?
Here's a prioritized breakdown of the top early-game locations worth visiting as soon as you gain open-world access.
Witch of Wisdom Sanctums (Temperance, Penitence, and Benediction)
The three Witch of Wisdom Sanctums (Sanctum of Temperance, Sanctum of Penitence, and Sanctum of Benediction) are among the most rewarding early detours in the game. The key insight here is timing: if you visit these Sanctums before triggering the Witch of Wisdom questline, the chests inside are fully accessible without any combat requirement.
Those chests contain Abyss Gear, which provides powerful stat bonuses you'd otherwise spend hours grinding toward. Once you start the questline, enemies populate these areas and the encounters can be punishing at low gear levels. Front-running the questline to grab the loot first, then returning better-equipped for the fights, is the smarter play.
The Sanctum of Absolution is also worth noting separately. It holds a standout two-handed weapon that can carry you through multiple chapters if you find it early.
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Visit all three Sanctums (Temperance, Penitence, and Benediction) before accepting the Witch of Wisdom quest. Once the questline activates, enemies guard the chests and the free loot window closes.
Hernand village early exploration
Mysterious Energy Locations Across the Map
Mysterious Energy locations are scattered throughout the world and marked distinctively on the map. These spots serve two critical early-game functions: they frequently contain fast travel unlock points, and they reward puzzle-solving with unique loot.
Fast travel in Crimson Desert isn't freely available from the start. You unlock specific nodes by visiting and interacting with them, so hitting Mysterious Energy locations early expands your travel network and saves significant time during later quest chains. Some loot within these areas sits behind environmental puzzles, which range from straightforward to genuinely tricky, but the payoff is worth the effort.
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Mysterious Energy locations that require puzzle solutions often reward Abyss Artifacts, which are the currency for purchasing skill point upgrades. Prioritizing these early gives you access to key abilities like Blinding Flash Finisher and Forward Slash much sooner.Hernand Highlands Cavern (Diamond Mining)
Located southeast of your camp in Howling Hill, the Hernand Highlands Cavern is the earliest reliable source of diamonds in the game. Diamonds are a required crafting component for Abyss Gear, so accessing this mine early keeps your crafting pipeline moving without having to wait for story-gated content to open up material sources.
The cavern is accessible from the beginning of your time in the Howling Hill area, making it one of the most convenient early detours on the map. If you're planning to craft Abyss Gear rather than relying purely on looted pieces, this location should be one of your first stops after setting up camp.
Hernand Cavern diamond mining spot
Three Saints Falls Cave (Palmar Pills Blueprint)
Head north along the river at Three Saints Falls and look for a cave entrance on the left wall, just below the "D" in the Hernand map label. Inside, you'll find several Palmar Pills and, more importantly, the Palmar Pills Blueprint.
The Blueprint teaches you the crafting recipe: x2 Water and x15 of any flower (flowers grow in abundance across the open world). You can combine these ingredients at the cauldron inside the cave itself. Palmar Pills revive Kliff after death, making them essential for boss fights. Stocking up on the Blueprint early means you're never caught without a safety net during difficult encounters.
Waterfall Caves Throughout Hernand
Waterfalls in Crimson Desert often hide small cave systems behind their curtains of water. To enter, approach a waterfall and use the R1+Triangle input (Stab). If the action connects and you pass through, a cave is present. If Kliff bounces off, move on.
These caves are compact but consistently contain Palmar Pills (sometimes the golden variant that restores 100% health) and a chest holding armor or weapons. The cave near your spawn point in Hernand is a great starting point. Systematically checking waterfalls as you travel between objectives is a low-effort way to accumulate gear and consumables without any dedicated farming.
Waterfall cave hidden chest loot
Cairn House (Unlocking the Mineral Shop)
North of Three Saints Falls, Cairn House is occupied by Bleed Bandits who are manageable in the early game. Clearing them out unlocks the Mineral Shop, which stocks Iron Ore and Copper Ore alongside other upgrade materials.
These minerals are the backbone of early weapon and armor upgrades at the Hernand Blacksmith. The shop inventory refreshes every few in-game days, and consistently purchasing from it lets you push your gear to Level 4 before your first major boss encounter. That upgrade margin makes a meaningful difference in how much punishment you can absorb and dish out.
How Should You Spend Your First Abyss Artifacts?
Once you start collecting Abyss Artifacts from puzzles and exploration, the order in which you spend them matters. The recommended priority for new players is to invest first in Health, Stamina, and Spirit before branching into offensive abilities. For attack upgrades, Blinding Flash Finisher, Forward Slash, and improvements to Focus offer the best returns in early combat.
This foundation ensures you can survive long enough to use your offensive tools. Rushing into damage upgrades before your health pool and stamina bar can support extended fights leads to frustrating deaths against bosses that require sustained pressure.
What Else Should You Prioritize in the Early Game?
Beyond specific locations, a few broader habits accelerate your early progress significantly.
Faction Quests before story progression is one of the most impactful decisions you can make. Hernand Faction Quests act as informal tutorials, teaching cooking mechanics, recipe crafting, and granting unique gear rewards. They also raise your Contribution XP ranking, which is required to enter Hernand Castle and advance the main story. Treating Faction Quests as your primary activity in the opening hours keeps you geared and informed.
Reaching Chapter 3 to unlock the Howling Hill Camp is the other major milestone. The camp lets you rest to skip time, cook food, and build faction upgrades including a blacksmith and a farm. The Greymane Faction Quests tied to camp progression unlock further additions that meaningfully expand what you can craft and produce at your homestead.
If you want more strategies to build on this early foundation, browse more guides covering Crimson Desert builds, boss strategies, and progression systems.