Crimson Desert Guide: Hernand Castle Strongbox Puzzle Solution

The Hernand Castle strongbox is one of the trickier secrets Pearl Abyss tucked into Crimson Desert's Hernand region. It sits locked behind a music puzzle that asks you to play a specific tune on a set of piano keys, and to make things worse, the mechanism that lets you hear the tune is bugged for a large number of players. Skip the frustration entirely: here's exactly where to find it, how to get inside, and the precise key sequence to crack it open.

What do you need before heading to Hernand Castle?

Before climbing a single staircase, sort out two things: a mask and a key. You need the key to unlock the bedroom door at the top of the tower, and you need the mask to actually steal the reward once the strongbox is open. Without both, the whole trip is wasted.

If you don't already have a key, Grimrak's shop sits southeast of Hernand's walls and sells them directly, as documented by Rock Paper Shotgun. Eurogamer's guide also notes that keys can be purchased from the Hernand Back Alley Shop or found scattered throughout the world. Either source works fine.

Where is the Hernand Castle strongbox location?

The strongbox sits at the very top of the main tower inside Hernand Castle, which is on the north side of the town. Head up the winding paths to reach the castle gates, pass the guard check at the entrance, then look for the castle's central tower.

Once inside the castle, reach the second floor and find the wooden stairwell. Climb all the way to the third floor. At the top, you'll hit a single door to a bedroom. Use your key to unlock it. The strongbox is directly in front of you when you walk in: a large wooden cabinet with piano keys mounted on the front.

As a navigation shortcut, TheGamer's guide recommends teleporting to the Abyss Nexus inside Hernand and then following the path up to the castle on your left.

Climb to the top floor

How do you solve the Hernand Castle strongbox puzzle?

The strongbox has 8 piano keys in total: 3 on the top row and 5 on the bottom row. The puzzle asks you to play a specific tune by pressing them in the right order.

There is a playback mechanism on the right side of the cabinet that plays the tune you need to replicate. However, as confirmed by both Rock Paper Shotgun and Polygon, this mechanism is bugged for many players and triggers an error message claiming you cannot reach it, despite it being right there. The workaround is to find a climbable object in the room (a chair or a box both work) and stand on it to reach the button.

Skip the workaround entirely and just use the solution below.

The exact key sequence

All three sources (Rock Paper Shotgun, Polygon, and TheGamer) confirm the same solution. Using a numbered system where keys 1-3 are the top row (left to right) and keys 4-8 are the bottom row (left to right), press:

• Key 1 (top row, first)
• Key 7 (bottom row, fourth)
• Key 6 (bottom row, third)
• Key 7 (bottom row, fourth)
• Key 3 (top row, third)
• Key 4 (bottom row, first)
• Key 3 (top row, third)

The strongbox plays the tune back to confirm you got it right, then opens.

What is the Hernand Castle strongbox reward?

The reward is the Lavish Meal recipe. It's a consumable recipe that, according to Rock Paper Shotgun, restores Stamina, ignores Stamina consumption, and gains additional special effects when crafted with rare ingredients.

It's not jewelry or a weapon, but a cooking recipe locked behind royal security is a very Crimson Desert thing to find. TheGamer also notes there is additional loot in the small cabinets around the same room, so clear those out while you're there.

For more Crimson Desert puzzle solutions and walkthroughs, browse more guides on GAMES.GG to keep your progress moving through Pywel.