Crimson Desert hides some of its best loot behind clever mechanical puzzles locked inside strongboxes scattered across castles and manors. These aren't your typical treasure chests you can crack open with a lockpick. Each strongbox features a unique contraption requiring a specific solution, and the rewards inside are absolutely worth the effort.
There are currently five known strongbox puzzles in the Hernand region, each guarding a distinct piece of valuable loot. This guide walks you through exactly where to find every strongbox and how to solve each one, so you can pocket those rewards without wasting time on trial and error.
Where Are All the Strongbox Puzzles?
All five currently confirmed strongbox puzzles sit within the Hernand region. Two are inside Bluemont Manor, one in Hillside Manor, one in Lioncrest Manor, and the final one inside Hernand Castle itself. The puzzles vary significantly in type, ranging from rotating picture panels and cylinder tumbler locks to a musical key sequence.
According to IGN's wiki, this page is still being updated, meaning additional strongbox locations beyond Hernand may be added as the guide expands.
Northern Bluemont Manor Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Oath of Darkness Earring
Bluemont Manor sits on the western side of Hernand Town. The northern building (the smaller stone structure attached to some shops) is your target here. Head south from the main plaza notice board tree to find it. Conveniently, this northern building has no guards and no locked entrance.
Climb to the second floor and enter the southernmost room. The strongbox here features a rotating owl picture split into four panels, each controlled by buttons numbered 1 through 4 from left to right. Pressing certain buttons rotates multiple panels simultaneously, so order matters.
Follow this exact sequence:
- Press button 4 to rotate panels 1 and 4 until panel 4 is correctly aligned.
- Press button 1 to rotate panels 1 through 3 until panel 1 is correctly aligned.
- Press button 2 to rotate panels 2 and 3 until panel 2 is correctly aligned.
- Press button 3 to rotate only panel 3 until it aligns with the rest.
Once all four panels form the complete owl image, the door unlocks and you can grab the Oath of Darkness Earring. This item can be refined multiple times to unlock a bonus passive power, making it well worth the effort.
Bluemont Manor owl puzzle
Southern Bluemont Manor Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Finely Crafted Gold Necklace
The larger southern building of Bluemont Manor (located just west of the butcher shop, between the manor with the fountain further west) holds a second strongbox on the second floor's western side. All ground floor entrances are guarded, but the second floor balcony remains unguarded. Note that the door to the room itself is locked and requires a key.
This strongbox uses a cylinder tumbler mechanism. Think of it like a physical combination lock: several metal cylinders each sit on a rotating board, and you need to raise each cylinder to the correct height. The goal is to position every cylinder so the silver tops sit above the wood paneling line while the golden bottoms remain below it.
- Adjust each cylinder individually using its rotating board.
- Use the button on the right side to test your current alignment.
- The far left and far right cylinders need to be raised the highest.
- The middle cylinders require only slight elevation adjustments.
Once every cylinder is at the correct height, pressing the right-side button causes the lower wooden paneling to swivel open, revealing the Finely Crafted Gold Necklace inside.
Test each cylinder's height incrementally before committing. The right-side button gives you feedback on how close each cylinder is to the correct position, so use it frequently rather than guessing.
Hillside Manor Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Saint's Necklace
Hillside Manor sits just below the eastern tip of Hernand Castle, above the Church of Hernand. The main doors are closely guarded, but you can bypass them entirely by climbing up to a second floor window on the southwest side.
This strongbox uses the same cylinder tumbler mechanism as the Southern Bluemont Manor puzzle. Apply the same logic: raise each cylinder so the silver tops clear the wood paneling line, with the far left and far right cylinders needing the most elevation and the middle ones needing only minor adjustments. Use the right-side button to check progress on each individual cylinder before pressing it to unlock.
The reward here is the Saint's Necklace, which grants a temporary stamina boost when used.
Hillside Manor is closely watched at its main entrances. Attempting to force your way through the front will alert guards and make looting the strongbox significantly harder. Always use the southwest window climb instead.
Lioncrest Manor Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Engraved Gold Earring
Lioncrest Manor occupies the northwest outskirts of Hernand Town, up the hill due west of the castle with a large cliff at its back. The manor is heavily staffed and its entrances are well-guarded, but a second floor window around the back near the rear entrance lets you slip inside without confrontation.
Once inside, find the locked door on the southeastern side (use the single door, not the double doors) to reach the strongbox room. This puzzle features a misaligned painting of a girl with fairy wings, split into nine rotating fragments arranged in a grid.
The solution is straightforward compared to the other puzzles: rotate each of the nine fragments individually until they all combine into the complete, correct image. There's no specific button sequence required here, just patience in rotating each piece to its proper orientation.
The reward is an Engraved Gold Earring, which can also be refined further to unlock a passive bonus.
Hernand Castle Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Lavish Meal Recipe
The most dramatic strongbox in Hernand sits at the very top of Hernand Castle's main keep. Head into the keep's tall central room with the stairwell and climb all the way to the third floor. A locked door leads to a bedroom containing the strongbox (and a hidden memory, accessible by sleeping in the bed until daytime if anyone is present in the room).
This strongbox uses a set of eight piano-style keys that must be pressed in a specific order. The clue is built into the strongbox itself: wind up the gears on the side panel to hear a tune made up of seven distinct notes. Match each note you hear to the corresponding key on the front panel, then press them in that same order.
- Wind the side gears to play the built-in musical clue.
- Listen carefully to identify all seven notes in sequence.
- Match each note to the correct key on the front panel.
- Input the sequence to unlock the strongbox.
The prize inside is a recipe for a Lavish Meal, a buff-boosting feast that requires a large number of ingredients to prepare but delivers meaningful combat or exploration advantages.
What Rewards Are Worth Prioritizing?
Not all strongbox rewards carry the same long-term value. Here's a quick breakdown to help you decide which puzzles to tackle first:
- Oath of Darkness Earring (Northern Bluemont): High priority. Refineable multiple times for a stacking passive power bonus.
- Engraved Gold Earring (Lioncrest): High priority. Also refineable with a passive bonus unlock.
- Saint's Necklace (Hillside): Medium priority. The temporary stamina boost is situationally useful.
- Finely Crafted Gold Necklace (Southern Bluemont): Medium priority. A solid accessory but less unique than the earrings.
- Lavish Meal Recipe (Hernand Castle): Situational. Great for preparing buff-heavy meals before tough encounters.
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