The Sealed in Stone faction quest in Crimson Desert trips up a lot of players, and not because of the combat. There isn't any. The problem is the crane controls, which feel unintuitive until you understand exactly where the hook needs to go. This guide walks you through every step, from unlocking the quest to pulling that stubborn relic out of the ground at Karin Quarry.
What is the Sealed in Stone quest?
Sealed in Stone is the fourth faction quest in the House Roberts questline. Unlike most of the other House Roberts missions, which send you into enemy territory to fight your way through, this one puts you in the operator's seat of a giant crane. A worker got injured on the job, and Erich needs someone to step in and extract a large square relic buried in the quarry pit. Short quest, no enemies, but the crane mechanics can catch you off guard.
How to unlock the Sealed in Stone quest
You can't jump straight into this one. The quest only becomes available after you finish Stolen Quarry, the mission that has you defeat Marni's Excavatron boss and liberate Karin Quarry for House Roberts. The full House Roberts chain starts near the Bluemont Manor area in Hernand, so if you haven't touched that faction yet, that's your starting point.
Once Stolen Quarry wraps up, head back to Karin Quarry. The area is now a safe zone rather than hostile territory. Look for Erich near the crane elevator and talk to him. He explains the situation, hands you the Crane Control Room Key, and the quest officially begins.
You can sprint while turning the elevator handwheel to reach the crane control room faster. It saves maybe 30 seconds, but every bit helps if you're chaining quests.
Karin Quarry crane overview
How to reach the crane control room
The crane sits on top of a set of massive wooden pillars. You can't climb them directly. Instead, find the elevator lift right next to Erich and step onto it. Interact with the handwheel and keep turning it to raise yourself to the top. Once you're up there, exit the lift, turn left, and use the Crane Control Room Key to open the door. Inside, interact with the control wheel near the windows to take over the crane.
How to operate the crane and extract the relic
This is where most players get stuck. The crane controls work on two axes:
The relic is a large square stone block sitting in the pit below, positioned toward the right side of the quarry. Your goal is to get the claw directly above it and lower it until it latches on automatically.
Align the hook above the relic
Here's the exact sequence that works:
- Use the D-Pad left and right to move the claw horizontally until it's roughly above the square relic.
- Use the D-Pad down to lower the claw toward the relic, stopping just before you overshoot it.
- Nudge the claw sideways so one edge of the hook sits just outside the relic's edge.
- Lower slightly again while shifting the claw back toward the center. The hook will automatically latch onto the relic.
- Once attached, press D-Pad up repeatedly to raise the relic out of its buried position.
The relic will shake and resist for a moment before breaking free. Keep pressing up and it will come loose. The quest completes as soon as it's fully extracted.
The claw is more mobile than it looks, and small inputs can overshoot your target. Take your time with the positioning steps. Most players need two or three attempts before the hook catches cleanly.
What happens after you complete Sealed in Stone?
Once the relic is out, two things open up. First, the House Roberts questline continues, and you can return to Count Roberts at Hernand Town to keep progressing toward the end of the faction chain. Second, moving the relic reveals a previously blocked underground area beneath the quarry. Inside, you'll find the Abyss Teleporter disk, which is a required item for the Mysterious Energy Zone puzzle near Howling Hill Camp. That's worth grabbing before you leave.
For more walkthroughs across all types of quests, browse more guides on GAMES.GG to keep your playthrough moving.