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Ambition in the Ruins
April 25, 2026 at 03:14 PM
Rewired 1 wikilink to longer matching article titles
Ambition in the Ruins is a chain quest that belongs to the Hernand Commissions faction in Crimson Desert. This sidequest takes place around Calphade Castle and tasks Kliff with investigating stolen supplies by gathering information from the local villagers. Unlike most side quests in the game, Ambition in the Ruins is a deduction-based investigation rather than a standard combat or fetch objective. Players must pay careful attention to conversations, then correctly answer a series of questions posed by a Calphadean Defender to identify the culprit behind the thefts.
The quest is classified as a chain quest, meaning it involves multiple connected steps that must be completed in sequence. It is one of several investigation-style commissions available in the Hernand region, similar in structure to The Weight of Knowledge, which also requires players to question suspects and piece together clues.
Detail | Information |
|---|---|
Quest Name | Ambition in the Ruins |
Quest Type | Chain Quest (Sidequest) |
Faction | |
Location | |
Reward | Kinetic Dolphin (trophy collectible) |
Ambition in the Ruins becomes available through the Hernand Commissions notice board. Once accepted, travel to the Calphade Castle area to begin the investigation. The quest objective directs you to speak with the villagers living and working around the castle grounds to gather intelligence about suspicious activity related to stolen supplies.
The first phase of the quest requires you to speak with all the villagers in the Calphade Castle area. Each conversation provides a snippet of useful information about the workers, merchants, and craftsmen nearby. Pay close attention to what each villager says, because you will need to recall specific details later. There is no journal or log that records the clues for you, so the quest relies on your memory of these conversations.
Talk to every available NPC in the area before proceeding. The villagers share observations about supply chains, working hours, relationships between workers, and the general mood around the castle. Some details may seem minor at first but become relevant during the interrogation that follows.
After speaking with all the villagers, head to the Calphadean Defender stationed at the foot of Calphade Castle. When you speak to him, he will present a series of six questions about the villagers and the information you gathered. You must select the correct answer for each question from the available dialogue choices. Choosing wrong answers may require you to restart the interrogation sequence.
The correct answers, in order, are listed in the table below.
Question # | Correct Answer |
|---|---|
1 | "The quartermaster and merchant are suspicious." |
2 | "The workers and the blacksmith are all working till dawn." |
3 | "Didn't look too happy with Caspar." |
4 | "The lad seemed troubled, with all the iron coming from who knows where." |
5 | "The supplies they received were in poor condition." |
6 | "He seems to take pride in the things he crafts." |
These answers correspond to the clues gathered during the information-gathering phase. The first answer points suspicion at the quartermaster and merchant. The second establishes that workers and the blacksmith keep unusually long hours. The third references someone's dissatisfaction with a person named Caspar. The fourth highlights concerns about the origin of iron materials. The fifth notes the poor quality of incoming supplies. The sixth describes someone who takes personal pride in their craftsmanship.
Once you have answered all six questions correctly, the Calphadean Defender identifies the culprit as a man named Helmut. You are then directed to track him down and bring him in. When you arrive at Helmut's location, a cutscene triggers in which he attempts to flee. Kliff trips him during the chase, and Helmut falls to the ground.
After the cutscene, you need to bind Helmut and pick him up. While carrying him, you can mount your horse to travel faster to the delivery point. Carry the bound Helmut to the objective marker, where soldiers are waiting to take him into custody.
Deliver Helmut to the soldiers at the marked location to complete the quest. The soldiers will take him off your hands, and you will receive your reward. The quest concludes once the handoff is complete.
Completing Ambition in the Ruins rewards you with the Kinetic Dolphin, a trophy collectible. Like other collectible trophies earned from Hernand Commissions chain quests, the Kinetic Dolphin can be displayed as a decorative item in your home or sold for silver if you prefer the currency instead.
Listen carefully to every villager. The quest does not provide a clue log or recap of what NPCs told you. If you skip dialogue or rush through conversations, you may struggle to identify the correct answers during the interrogation.
Talk to all villagers before approaching the Defender. Make sure you have spoken to every NPC in the Calphade Castle area. Missing even one conversation could leave you without the information needed for a specific question.
Use your horse when carrying Helmut. After binding Helmut, mount your horse to speed up the delivery. Carrying him on foot is slow, and the destination can be some distance away.
Save before the interrogation. If you are unsure of your answers, consider saving your game before speaking to the Calphadean Defender. This way you can retry the sequence without having to redo the information-gathering phase.
Compare with similar quests. If you enjoyed this investigation-style quest, try The Weight of Knowledge at the Institute of Knowledge in Scholastone, which follows a similar deduction format.
Hernand Commissions (faction overview)
The Weight of Knowledge (similar investigation chain quest)
Faction Quests (all side quest factions)
Side Quests and Activities (complete side content guide)
