Azure Moon Labyrinth

Overview

The Azure Moon Labyrinth is a hidden underground dungeon located beneath the ruins of Phoniel Ranch in The Witchwoods, southwest of Hernand. It is one of 37 Ancient Ruins scattered across the world of Pywel, each containing a puzzle that must be solved to activate an Abyss Cresset. The labyrinth stands out among the ancient ruins for its multi-stage design: players must first navigate a gauntlet of fire traps and collapsing rubble before reaching the puzzle chamber at the bottom. The puzzle itself is unique because it requires exploration of the overworld; a mural inside the labyrinth points to five marked trees near Pororin Forest, and each tree bears a symbol that corresponds to one of the stone blocks in the puzzle room.

Completing the Azure Moon Labyrinth rewards an Abyss Artifact skill point, a fast travel point, and the Memory of Tide, a consumable treasure that permanently reveals the locations of eight hidden caves in the Alfonso State region of Hernand. For players who are focused on early-game exploration and building out Kliff's The Abyss skill tree, the Azure Moon Labyrinth is one of the more rewarding ruins to tackle.

Location and Entrance

The labyrinth entrance is hidden at Phoniel Ranch, a ransacked homestead in the northern part of The Witchwoods. Phoniel Ranch sits southwest of the city of Hernand and roughly west of Greymane Camp. To reach it, follow the path leading southwest from Hernand toward the Witchwoods. The ranch is located on the southwestern side of the area, near the border with the deeper forest.

Once you arrive at Phoniel Ranch, look for a small wooden shed or booth on the southern outskirts of the ranch, situated between two destroyed wagons. The shed sits just northeast of the Witch's House. It does not look remarkable from the outside, but inside you will find a ladder leading underground. Climbing down the ladder takes you into the entrance corridor of the Azure Moon Labyrinth. On the map, the ranch is marked as a question mark point of interest.

Navigating the Fire Traps

Immediately after descending the ladder, you will enter a narrow corridor lined with fire-spewing traps mounted on the walls. These traps activate on a timed cycle, blasting jets of flame across the passageway. Below the corridor, a pit filled with lethal spikes waits to punish anyone who falls. Players have several options for getting past this section:

• Timing your movement: Watch the fire jets and move between bursts. Run to the first safe platform when the flames stop, wait for the next cycle to end, then run and glide to the second platform. This is the safest approach but requires patience.

• Wall climbing: Cling to the left wall and shimmy across to the next platform, staying above the spike pit while the fire traps cycle. This bypasses the need to time your runs through the corridors.

• Tanking the damage: If your health and armor are high enough, you can simply sprint through the fire and absorb the damage. Equip healing items beforehand and be ready to use them on the other side. This is the fastest option, though risky at lower levels.

In addition to the fire traps, falling rubble drops from the ceiling in certain sections. Keep moving and watch for visual cues like dust particles falling from above. After clearing the gauntlet, you will reach a lever beside a sealed stone door. Pull the lever to open the gate and enter the puzzle chamber below.

The Mural Clue

Before reaching the main puzzle room, you will pass a mural painted on the wall of the corridor. This mural is the key to solving the Azure Moon Labyrinth puzzle. It depicts a map of the region surrounding Pororin Forest, with five locations marked by red X symbols. Each marked location corresponds to a specific tree in or near Pororin that has a letter-like symbol painted on its trunk.

Take note of the mural's layout before proceeding. If you have not yet visited the five trees, you can leave the labyrinth, travel to Pororin Forest (located southeast of Hernand), find each marked tree, and record the symbols. Alternatively, you can attempt the puzzle through trial and error, though this is significantly slower. The mural cannot be viewed again once you pass it and enter the puzzle room, so it is worth studying or taking a screenshot before moving on.

Five-Button Puzzle

The puzzle room contains eight stone blocks (slabs) arranged on the walls, each inscribed with a different ancient symbol. Five of the eight blocks are correct, and the other three are decoys. To solve the puzzle, you must use Force Palm on each of the five correct blocks. The order in which you press them does not matter; only the correct combination of five symbols is required.

The five correct symbols correspond to the markings found on the trees near Pororin Forest. The symbols resemble stylized ancient letters. The five tree locations and their markings are:

1. North of Pororin village: A tree bearing a P-like symbol with three horizontal lines.

2. Southeast of the first tree: A tree bearing a P-like symbol with a single horizontal line.

3. East of Pororin village: A tree bearing a symbol resembling the letter F.

4. Outskirts of Pororin: A tree bearing a plain P-like symbol.

5. South of Pororin village: A tree bearing an F-like symbol with a single horizontal line.

A sixth tree in the area, near an NPC who provides a side quest, bears a symbol resembling the letter E with a vertical bar. This symbol is not part of the five-button solution and is a red herring (or additional lore marker).

Once you have pressed all five correct blocks with Force Palm, the stone gate on the south side of the chamber opens. Beyond the gate lies the Abyss Cresset and the rewards.

Hazards

The Azure Moon Labyrinth presents several dangers beyond the main puzzle:

• Fire traps: Wall-mounted flame jets in the entrance corridors activate on a timed cycle. Getting hit deals significant fire damage and can stagger your character into the spike pit below.

• Spike pits: Lethal spike traps line the bottom of the cliff sections inside the labyrinth. Falling into them results in instant death, regardless of health or armor. Careful platforming and wall-climbing are essential.

• Falling rubble: Sections of the ceiling collapse as you navigate the corridors. Watch for dust and debris particles as a warning before chunks of stone drop.

• Ancient machines: Mechanical guardians left behind by the Ancients patrol parts of the labyrinth interior. They can be fought or bypassed, depending on your playstyle and level.

Rewards

Solving the Azure Moon Labyrinth puzzle provides three distinct rewards:

Connection to the Ancient Ruins System

The Azure Moon Labyrinth is part of the broader Ancient Ruins puzzle system in Crimson Desert. There are 37 ancient ruins in total, and each one contains a puzzle that must be solved to activate its Abyss Cresset. The ruins vary in complexity: some require simple statue rotation or device alignment, while others (like the Azure Moon Labyrinth) involve multi-step exploration across the open world.

The Abyss Artifact skill points earned from these ruins feed directly into The Abyss skill tree, which unlocks powerful supernatural abilities for Kliff. Players who want to fully unlock the Abyss tree will need to seek out and complete as many ruins as possible. For a complete guide to all 37 puzzles, see the Ancient Ruins Solutions article.

Tips and Strategy

• Visit the trees first. Before entering the labyrinth, travel to Pororin Forest (southeast of Hernand) and locate the five marked trees. Note down or screenshot each symbol. This lets you solve the puzzle in a single trip without backtracking.

• Use wall climbing in the fire gauntlet. Clinging to the left wall and shimmying across is the most consistent way to clear the fire traps without taking damage. Running through the corridors works, but the timing can be tight, especially with falling rubble.

• Bring healing items if tanking. If you plan to brute-force through the fire traps, stock up on healing potions or food beforehand. The fire damage adds up quickly at lower levels.

• Force Palm has no order requirement. You can press the five correct stone blocks in any order. If you are unsure about one symbol, activate the ones you are confident about first, then try the remaining blocks one at a time.

• Use the Memory of Tide immediately. Once you receive it, use the Memory of Tide right away to reveal eight hidden cave entrances across the Alfonso Estate and southern Hernand coastline. These caves contain additional loot, enemies, and exploration content.

• Grab the fast travel point. The Abyss Cresset activates as a fast travel station. This is valuable for returning to The Witchwoods quickly from anywhere on the map.

• Be careful around cliff edges. The spike traps at the bottom of the labyrinth's vertical sections are instant kills regardless of your health pool. Take your time on narrow ledges and do not attempt risky jumps.

Trivia

• The name "Azure Moon Labyrinth" suggests a connection to lunar imagery and the Ancients' civilization, which recurs throughout many of the game's ruins and Abyss-related lore.

• The mural puzzle design is unusual among the 37 ancient ruins because it requires leaving the dungeon to gather information from the overworld. Most other ruins contain all clues within the puzzle area itself.

• The Memory of Tide is one of several "Memory" items in the game that reveal hidden content on the map. It is particularly useful for completionists tracking down every cave in the Hernand region.

• Phoniel Ranch (sometimes romanized as "Fonial Ranch" in early translations) appears to have been abandoned before the events of the game. The destroyed wagons and ruined structures suggest it was attacked, though no quest explicitly explains what happened.