Overview
Bluemont Manor is a large noble estate in the southwest section of the City of Hernand, serving as the personal residence of Count Leon Roberts. The manor grounds consist of two main buildings (a northern structure and a southern structure) set among landscaped gardens and courtyards. Count Roberts is well known for hosting lavish banquets and supporting artists within his estate, making the manor a center of culture and social activity across the Hernand region.
The manor is closely tied to House Roberts, one of the influential noble houses that shape Hernand's political landscape. Players interact with Bluemont Manor extensively through the Estate in Dismay faction questline, which begins outside the manor and eventually leads inside to meet the Count himself. The estate also houses two strongbox puzzles that reward valuable accessories, making it a worthwhile stop for players interested in early-game gear upgrades.
Location and Layout
Bluemont Manor sits in the southwest portion of the City of Hernand. From the main plaza notice board, heading south brings you toward the estate grounds. The manor is divided into two distinct buildings:
Northern Building: The smaller stone structure connected to the surrounding shops. This is where Count Leon Roberts works and resides. His office and bedroom are located on the second floor. The first strongbox (the owl puzzle) is found in a room on this floor, close to where the Count usually works.
Southern Building: A larger building situated just west of the local butcher shop, near a manor with a fountain further to the west. This building houses the second strongbox (the piston puzzle) on its second floor, in a side bedroom by the window.
Both buildings feature guarded entrances at ground level, but the upper floors can be reached by climbing the exterior walls and entering through unguarded second-floor windows with closed wooden shutters. This climbing approach allows access even before the quest-gated doors are officially opened.
Access Requirements
There are two ways to gain entry into Bluemont Manor:
Quest Access
The interior of Bluemont Manor officially opens after progressing through the House Roberts faction questline. Specifically, completing the First Trial of Trust and Troubled Count quests (the first two stages of the Estate in Dismay arc) during Chapter 2 grants legitimate access through the front doors. Without completing these quest stages, guards stationed at the entrances will turn you away.
Climbing Access (Alternate Entry)
Even before completing the House Roberts quests, you can access both buildings by scaling the exterior walls. Look for second-floor windows with closed wooden shutters and no glass. The guards only patrol the ground-floor doorways, so the upper balconies and window ledges are left unguarded. This allows you to reach both strongbox puzzles early, though you will still need a mask to take any stolen items.
Notable NPCs
NPC | Location | Role |
|---|---|---|
Northern building, 2nd floor | Count who owns the manor. Patron of the arts and host of extravagant banquets. Stands behind his desk during the Troubled Count quest. | |
Outside the manor entrance | Key NPC for the Estate in Dismay questline. Gives instructions at Bluemont Manor and later at Karin Quarry. | |
Near Bluemont Manor, south of the notice board | Quest giver who initiates the First Trial of Trust, the opening quest of the Estate in Dismay arc. |
Strongbox Puzzles
Bluemont Manor contains two strongbox puzzles that reward accessories upon completion. Because the contents of strongboxes are classified as stolen goods, you must equip a mask before you can actually take the rewards. Taking stolen items also incurs an unavoidable -5 Contribution penalty in the Hernand region, regardless of whether anyone witnesses the theft.
First Strongbox: The Owl Puzzle
Located on the second floor of the northern building, in a room near where Count Leon Roberts usually works. The strongbox has a hexagonal prism with an image of an owl printed across four rotating cylinder sections. Four numbered buttons (1 through 4, left to right) sit along the front of the box. Each button rotates a different combination of cylinders, so pressing them in the wrong order will misalign sections you have already corrected.
Solution
Press the buttons in the following order to align all four panels into the complete owl image:
Button 4: Press once. This rotates panels 1 and 4 so that panel 4 locks into its correct position.
Button 1: Press three times. This rotates panels 1 through 3 until panel 1 is correctly aligned.
Button 2: Press four times. This rotates panels 2 and 3 until panel 2 snaps into place.
Button 3: Press four times. This rotates only panel 3 until all four panels display the complete owl.
Reward
Opening the strongbox reveals a Small Box containing the Oath of Darkness earring. This accessory grants +2 Defense and can be refined multiple times to unlock a bonus passive power, making it one of the more valuable early-game accessories you can find. The earring can also be sold for approximately 4 Silver if you prefer the coin.
Second Strongbox: The Piston Puzzle
Located on the second floor of the southern building, in a corner of the bedroom near the window. This strongbox, sometimes called a resistance pin puzzle, uses a tumbler-style lock mechanism with five small segmented wheels (dials) arranged in a row. Each dial controls the height of a corresponding piston inside the box. A reference image on the surface of the strongbox shows the target height each piston needs to reach. Rotating a dial upward moves its piston downward and vice versa. Once all five dials are set correctly, pull the switch on the right side of the mechanism. If the pistons align with the reference image, the box opens. If not, the puzzle resets and you must readjust.
Once quest access to Bluemont Manor has been unlocked, reaching this strongbox is straightforward. Simply walk in through one of the doors on the ground floor and head upstairs to the bedroom. The strongbox sits in the corner, ready to be solved.
Solution
Working from left to right, lower each dial the following number of times:
Dial | Number of Turns |
|---|---|
Dial 1 (leftmost) | 5 times |
Dial 2 | 2 times |
Dial 3 | 4 times |
Dial 4 | 3 times |
Dial 5 (rightmost) | 5 times |
After setting all five dials, grab the knob on the right side of the mechanism and turn it. The pistons will jump, and if they match the target pattern, the strongbox opens.
Reward
The strongbox contains a Small Box with a Finely Crafted Gold Necklace. This necklace provides +1 Attack and Critical Rate Level 1, giving a useful boost to offensive stats early in the game. It can be sold for approximately 4 Silver, but keeping it is usually the better choice.
Like other accessories, the Finely Crafted Gold Necklace can be refined at any Blacksmith (such as Turnali in Hernand). Accessory refinement requires Azurite, a blue crystal ore that is less common than standard crafting materials in the early game. Because the necklace grants both Attack and Critical Rate, it is a strong refinement candidate for players pursuing a damage-focused build.
Mask and Theft Mechanics
Both strongbox rewards count as stolen property, so you need to be wearing a Mask to pick up the items after solving the puzzle. Hold the left bumper and aim your cursor at the item inside the strongbox to grab it. Without a mask equipped, the game will not allow you to take the loot.
Masks can be obtained in several ways:
Looting a bandit's corpse after defeating them.
Completing bounty targets (such as the bounty for Jeffrey).
Purchasing one from the Back Alley Shop east of Hernand for 10 coppers.
Every theft incurs a flat -5 Contribution penalty in the region where the crime was committed. This penalty applies whether or not anyone witnesses the theft. For more details on how stealing works, see the How to Steal Items and Crime System articles.
Estate in Dismay Questline
Bluemont Manor is the primary hub for the Estate in Dismay faction questline, the first arc of the House Roberts Quests. This questline becomes available at the start of Chapter 2 and consists of five sequential quests. Most quests in the arc flow directly into one another, so you rarely need to backtrack to find the next objective.
Quest | Starting Location | Objective | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
Near Bluemont Manor | Speak with House Roberts's Servant, then travel southeast to Muckroot Ranch. Clear Bleed Bandits from the Bluemont Cask House. | ||
Talk to Erich outside the manor, then enter the northern building and speak with Count Leon Roberts on the 2nd floor. | None (dialogue quest) | ||
Travel to Karin Quarry north of Hernand. Defeat the Excavatron boss, then eliminate Bleed Bandits until the occupation bar reaches 0%. | Gold Vein Map x1, Mining Knuckledrill x1 | ||
Speak with Erich, receive the Crane Control Room Key, ride the crane elevator to the top, and operate the crane to extract a buried relic. | None (required for next quest) | ||
Return to Count Roberts in the manor to conclude the arc. | Azurite x3, Bloodstone x3, Engraved Gold Earring x1, +200 Hernandian Contribution, Formal Alliance |
Completing The Count's Honor grants the Formal Alliance status with House Roberts and unlocks the next arc, Continuing Concern. Do not skip the Sealed in Stone quest even though it offers no direct reward; it is a mandatory step before The Count's Honor becomes available, and skipping it will stall your faction progress.
Items and Collectibles
In addition to the two strongbox rewards, Bluemont Manor has extra chests in its rooms that can contain supplementary loot. The key items associated with the manor are:
Item | Source | Stats / Notes |
|---|---|---|
Owl strongbox (northern building) | +2 Defense. Refinable for bonus passive. Sells for ~4 Silver. | |
Piston strongbox (southern building) | +1 Attack, Critical Rate Level 1. Sells for ~4 Silver. | |
The Count's Honor quest reward | Accessory earned upon completing the Estate in Dismay arc. | |
Stolen Quarry quest reward | Tool reward from the mid-arc quest at Karin Quarry. | |
Stolen Quarry quest reward | Map item received alongside the Mining Knuckledrill. |
Tips
Both strongboxes can be accessed before completing the House Roberts quests by climbing the exterior walls and entering through upper-floor windows. This allows you to grab powerful accessories early in the game.
Always carry a spare mask when exploring manor strongboxes. If you forget to equip one, you will solve the puzzle but cannot pick up the reward.
The Oath of Darkness earring is considered one of the better early-game accessories because of its refinable passive. Consider keeping it rather than selling it.
The Finely Crafted Gold Necklace provides a combination of Attack and Critical Rate that stacks well with aggressive builds focused on damage output.
During the Stolen Quarry quest, the Karin Quarry gate is locked from the front. Approach from the west or south hillside to bypass the locked entrance.
When fighting Bleed Bandits at the Bluemont Cask House during First Trial of Trust, pull them out one or two at a time instead of charging the whole group.
A hidden area below the crane platform during Sealed in Stone contains a Palmar Pill. Do not skip this quest or you will miss the loot.
If you plan to refine the Finely Crafted Gold Necklace, stock up on Azurite early. Azurite is rarer than Iron Ore or Copper Ore in the early chapters, so gathering it ahead of time prevents delays at the Blacksmith.