Crimson Desert scatters some of its best gear inside strongboxes — locked containers that require solving a mechanical puzzle rather than picking a lock. These aren't optional side content if you want the good accessories. Each strongbox guards a specific piece of loot, and the puzzles range from straightforward to genuinely tricky.
Five strongboxes currently exist in the Hernand region. Two sit inside Bluemont Manor, one in Hillside Manor, one in Lioncrest Manor, and the last one waits inside Hernand Castle. The puzzle types include rotating image panels, cylinder height adjustments, and a musical sequence. This guide covers every location and every solution.
| Location | Puzzle Type | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Bluemont Manor | Rotating picture panels (owl) | Oath of Darkness Earring |
| Southern Bluemont Manor | Cylinder tumbler lock | Finely Crafted Gold Necklace |
| Hillside Manor | Cylinder tumbler lock | Saint's Necklace |
| Lioncrest Manor | Rotating picture panels (girl with fairy wings) | Engraved Gold Earring |
| Hernand Castle | Musical piano key sequence | Lavish Meal Recipe |
Northern Bluemont Manor Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Oath of Darkness Earring
Bluemont Manor occupies the western side of Hernand Town. The northern section (a smaller stone structure attached to shops) holds this strongbox. Walk south from the main plaza notice board tree to reach it. No guards patrol this building and the entrance stays unlocked.
Go to the second floor and enter the southernmost room. The strongbox displays a four-panel owl image, with each panel controlled by a numbered button (1 through 4, left to right). Pressing a button rotates multiple panels at once, so the order you press them determines whether you solve it.
Use this button sequence:
- Press button 4 to rotate panels 1 and 4 until panel 4 aligns correctly.
- Press button 1 to rotate panels 1 through 3 until panel 1 aligns correctly.
- Press button 2 to rotate panels 2 and 3 until panel 2 aligns correctly.
- Press button 3 to rotate only panel 3 until it matches the rest.
When all four panels form the complete owl, the door opens and you can take the Oath of Darkness Earring. This earring can be refined multiple times to unlock a bonus passive effect, making it one of the better rewards in Hernand.
Bluemont Manor owl puzzle
Southern Bluemont Manor Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Finely Crafted Gold Necklace
The larger southern section of Bluemont Manor (west of the butcher shop, between the manor with the fountain) contains a second strongbox on the second floor's western side. Guards watch all ground floor doors, but the second floor balcony has no patrol. The door to the strongbox room itself is locked and needs a key.
This strongbox uses a cylinder tumbler lock. Several metal cylinders sit on rotating boards, and you need to raise each cylinder to a specific height. The correct position places the silver cylinder tops above the wood paneling line and the golden bottoms below it.
- Rotate each board to adjust its cylinder's height individually.
- Use the right-side button to test your current setup.
- The far left and far right cylinders need the most elevation.
- The middle cylinders require only minor height changes.
When every cylinder sits at the right height, pressing the right-side button swivels the lower wooden panel open, revealing the Finely Crafted Gold Necklace.
Hillside Manor Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Saint's Necklace
Hillside Manor sits below the eastern edge of Hernand Castle, above the Church of Hernand. The main doors have heavy guard presence, but you can skip them by climbing to a second floor window on the southwest side.
This strongbox uses the same cylinder tumbler mechanism as Southern Bluemont Manor. Raise each cylinder so the silver tops clear the wood paneling line. The far left and far right cylinders need the most height, while the middle ones need only slight adjustments. Use the right-side button to check each cylinder's position before unlocking.
The Saint's Necklace inside grants a temporary stamina boost when activated.
Lioncrest Manor Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Engraved Gold Earring
Lioncrest Manor sits on the northwest outskirts of Hernand Town, up the hill west of the castle with a large cliff behind it. The manor has multiple staff members and guarded entrances, but a second floor window near the rear entrance lets you slip inside without fighting.
Once inside, find the locked door on the southeastern side (use the single door, not the double doors) to reach the strongbox. This puzzle shows a misaligned painting of a girl with fairy wings, split into nine rotating fragments in a grid.
The solution is simpler than the other puzzles: rotate each of the nine fragments until they all form the complete image. No specific button sequence is required. Just turn each piece to its correct orientation.
The Engraved Gold Earring inside can be refined to unlock a passive bonus.
Hernand Castle Strongbox Puzzle
Reward: Lavish Meal Recipe
The hardest strongbox to reach sits at the top of Hernand Castle's main keep. Enter the keep's tall central room with the stairwell and climb 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 someone is in the room).
This strongbox has eight piano-style keys that must be pressed in a specific order. The clue is built into the mechanism: wind the gears on the side panel to play a tune made of seven notes. Match each note to the corresponding key on the front panel, then press them in the same order.
- Wind the side gears to hear the musical clue.
- Listen carefully and identify all seven notes in sequence.
- Match each note to the correct key on the front panel.
- Press the keys in order to unlock the strongbox.
The Lavish Meal Recipe inside requires many ingredients to prepare but provides strong combat or exploration buffs.
What Rewards Are Worth Prioritizing?
Not every strongbox reward has the same long-term value. Here's which ones to prioritize:
- Oath of Darkness Earring (Northern Bluemont): High priority. Refineable multiple times for stacking passive bonuses.
- Engraved Gold Earring (Lioncrest): High priority. Also refineable with a passive bonus.
- Saint's Necklace (Hillside): Medium priority. The temporary stamina boost helps in specific situations.
- Finely Crafted Gold Necklace (Southern Bluemont): Medium priority. A solid accessory but less unique than the earrings.
- Lavish Meal Recipe (Hernand Castle): Situational. Useful for preparing buff meals before tough encounters.
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