Secret at the Church is mission 68 in Crimson Desert's main story, sitting inside Chapter 5 (Guest Unbidden) under the sub-chapter titled Black and White. It picks up directly after completing Bloodwind, and the whole thing takes place in the Demeniss region. Two puzzles stand between you and the next quest, and neither one is obvious the first time you see it.
Quest overview and requirements
Before diving in, here's a quick snapshot of everything relevant to this quest, confirmed across all three sources.
The quest description from Pearl Abyss reads: the sacred relic fitted into the stone pagoda disengages a hidden mechanism, sending a tremor through the earth and awakening the Spire of Soaring. That's the narrative payoff you're working toward.
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This quest has no loot reward listed, but completing it advances the main story and unlocks the Spire of Soaring, which is tied to subsequent progression.
Orphanage door triggers cutscene
Objective 1: How do you gather information at the orphanage?
The quest opens with a search area centered on the orphanage, which sits in the same general zone as the church. According to the walkthrough documented by Game8, you're looking for a small house that faces a flower garden. That's where you'll find Abbess Marina.
According to PowerPyx's walkthrough, the specific trigger is interacting with the door of the house in the northern section of the courtyard. Doing so starts a cutscene where a woman fills you in on the relic. Once that dialogue ends, your map updates and the next objective becomes active.
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The orphanage and church are close together in Demeniss. The Pillar of Radiance where the quest technically starts sits between the two buildings, so you'll pass it on your way.
Objective 2: How do you find the church's relic?
This is where players tend to lose time. The relic is not inside the church itself.
Head slightly south from the orphanage to the church. According to PowerPyx, behind the church in the yard there is a crypt. Go inside and climb down the ladder. TheGamer's walkthrough adds useful detail: on the left side of the church's entrance, there's a small shack at the very end, and entering it reveals stairs leading to the basement.
Once you're down there, you'll find a puzzle box on the altar. Solve it to retrieve the Dagger of Radiance.
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Do not enter the church expecting to find the relic inside. The crypt entrance is behind or to the side of the building, not through the main doors.
How do you solve the relic puzzle (puzzle box)?
The puzzle requires you to light up all the blocks by pressing four corner buttons in the correct sequence. All three sources confirm the same solution, though the order of steps is described slightly differently. The version confirmed by both PowerPyx and Game8 is:
- Press the lower right box
- Press the upper left box
- Press the lower left box
- Press the upper right box
PowerPyx notes this puzzle uses the same mechanic as the earlier Gate to the Otherworld quest, so if you've already cleared that one, the logic will feel familiar. TheGamer's source describes the tile behavior: selecting a tile causes all tiles connected to it horizontally and vertically to move, so you can only press tiles that are currently raised.
Once all symbols light up, the box opens and you can take the Dagger of Radiance.
Objective 3: How do you activate the Pillar of Radiance?
With the Dagger of Radiance in hand, return to the Pillar of Radiance located between the church and the orphanage. This is where the quest started.
On PlayStation, look at the pillar using L1/LB, then interact with Square/X. On PC, use focus mode to get the interact prompt (TheGamer describes this as the "plant option"). Placing the Dagger of Radiance into the pedestal causes the pillar to rise from the ground and reveal a disc puzzle.
How do you solve the Pillar of Radiance disc puzzle?
The disc puzzle asks you to rotate rings until they form an eye symbol. Use the directional inputs to select which ring to spin and left/right to rotate it.
Game8's walkthrough offers the clearest guidance here: you only need to move the first and second outer rings to complete it. As you rotate each ring, wait for it to light up to confirm it's locked into the correct position. The eye shape becomes visible once both rings are properly aligned.
PowerPyx confirms the target image is an eye symbol and that the solution involves spinning the discs using the down input to select rings and left/right to spin them.
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Rotate one ring at a time and wait for the light-up confirmation before moving to the next. Trying to rush both rings simultaneously makes it harder to track which positions are correct.
What happens after completing Secret at the Church?
Finishing the Pillar of Radiance puzzle completes the quest and advances the story. According to PowerPyx, the Spire of Soaring awakens and the path opens toward the enemy. The next main quest in the sequence is Toward the Nest (Spire of Soaring).
The quest itself carries no listed reward, but it's a mandatory story gate. Skipping or getting stuck here blocks all subsequent Chapter 5 content.
For more Crimson Desert quest breakdowns, boss strategies, and puzzle solutions, browse more guides over at GAMES.GG.