Challenges and Changes

Overview

Challenges and Changes (also called Greymane's Vow) are a set of 9 challenges in Crimson Desert that belong to the Life category. These challenges are a mixed collection of tasks tied to the Greymane mercenaries' identity and world exploration: visiting faction shrines, traveling without moving, jumping from the Abyss, winning Thrones matches, catching cheaters in Duo, and finding fellow Greymane members. Completing all 9 unlocks the Lord of Honor trophy and achievement.

These challenges are spread across multiple regions and test different aspects of your play. Some require story progression (like recruiting Greymanes), while others can be attempted early if you find the right Sealed Abyss Artifact. The name was changed from "Greymane's Vow" in an early patch, so older guides may use the previous label.

How Challenges and Changes Work

Each challenge is gated behind a Sealed Abyss Artifact hidden along roadsides across Pywel. Artifacts are not marked on the world map but appear as purple icons on the minimap when you are nearby. You can also use the sword's Guiding Light ability (L1 + R1 on PlayStation, LB + RB on Xbox, Ctrl + Left Click on PC) to reveal a blue glimmer pointing toward nearby artifacts.

After picking up an artifact, the associated challenge appears in your Journal under Challenges. Progress only counts after you have collected the artifact, so pick them up before attempting the related activity. Once the objective is met, open your inventory and use the Sealed Abyss Artifact to claim the rewards.

Challenge Variety

This category is the most varied of the Life challenges. It includes everything from platforming (jumping from the Abyss to the ground in 30 seconds) to passive travel (covering 2 km on the Ironcrawler without moving yourself) to competitive minigames (winning 3 Thrones matches in a row). The unifying theme is that they all connect to the Greymane faction's story and traditions.

Greymane Shrines are scattered across the world and serve as lore points for the faction. Finding all 12 is one of the challenges here. Greymane members are NPCs recruited through the main story and faction missions; finding 20 of them is another challenge.

All Challenges and Changes

Challenge #4 has not yet been widely documented. Its Sealed Abyss Artifact location and objective remain unconfirmed.

Detailed Walkthroughs

1. Abyssal Star That Cleaves the Heavens

The artifact sits on a stone altar at the intersection by the Goldleaf Trading Post in Hernand, directly south of the "A" in HERNAND on the world map. The challenge asks you to jump from any Abyss location and land on the ground within 30 seconds.

First, unlock at least one Abyss fast-travel point through the story. Teleport up to it, then run to the edge and jump off. The Abyss floats high above the surface, so freefall alone may not be fast enough. Hold the descent button (X on PlayStation, A on Xbox) to accelerate your fall. Aim for a clear landing zone without trees or rocks that could catch you mid-air and waste time. If you land on a slope and slide, the timer keeps running, so pick a flat area.

A normal unassisted freefall from the Abyss takes roughly 35 seconds, which is over the limit. Holding the descent button cuts that to around 20 to 25 seconds, giving you a comfortable margin.

2. Well-Informed Greymane

The artifact is at the intersection southeast of Windrose Farm in Delesyia. Your task is to visit all 12 Greymane Shrines scattered across Pywel. Each shrine adds a Knowledge entry about the Greymane faction's history.

Shrines are not marked on the main map by default. They appear as small stone markers, and their icons show up in the Environment section of the map legend once you get close enough to reveal them on your minimap. Explore off-road paths, mountain passes, and forest clearings. Some sit near faction camps while others are in more remote locations.

Unfogging the entire map by activating all 8 hidden bells helps considerably, since it reveals road outlines and makes it easier to spot shrine icons when you pass nearby. Check your Knowledge menu to track how many shrines you have found out of 12.

3. Under the Ashen Banner Pike

The artifact is at the intersection northwest of Phoniel Ranch in Hernand. The objective is to find 20 Greymane members. These are NPCs recruited to your faction through the main story and faction side missions.

As you progress the narrative, more Greymanes join your Greymane Camp and become available. This challenge tracks naturally as you play the game. Focus on completing main story chapters and faction quests to recruit new members. By mid-game you should have well over 20 Greymanes if you have been doing side content alongside the main questline.

5. A Voyage Without Wind or Sails

The artifact is on the roadside north of the Chittering Forest Ironcrawler Station in Delesyia. The objective is to travel 2 km without moving on your own. The simplest method is to board the Ironcrawler train and stand still.

The Ironcrawler runs a continuous loop through Delesyia and the Crimson Desert region. Board it at any station, then put down your controller (or take your hands off the keyboard). The train carries you along its route while the game tracks your passive distance. Two kilometers takes a few minutes of real time. Stay on the train until the challenge notification appears.

Do not touch the movement stick or keys at all while riding. Even a slight input can reset the passive distance counter. This is one of the easiest challenges in the category, so consider doing it while you take a short break.

7. Consecutive Wins in Thrones

The artifact is on the roadside east of the Spire of Clockwork in Demeniss. The objective is to win 3 matches of Thrones in a row without losing. If you lose any match, your streak resets to zero.

Thrones is the in-game board game that NPCs play at taverns and gathering spots. Practice against weaker opponents first to learn the rules and develop a strategy. Focus on controlling the center of the board early and keeping your pieces connected. The Fortune II reward makes this challenge worth the effort.

Save your game before starting the streak. If you lose a match, reload and try again rather than grinding through a fresh three-win sequence. This is particularly useful while you are still learning optimal Thrones strategy.

9. Catch Cheating

The artifact is at the intersection northwest of the Wild Raiders Camp in Hernand. The objective is to catch an NPC cheating during a Duo card game match. Some guides refer to this challenge as "Spot the Trickery in Duo."

To complete this challenge, sit down at a Duo table in a tavern (like the inn on the first floor in Hernand) where there are at least three other players. You need a minimum of 15 Silver to play. During the match, when another player is dealing cards, watch for suspicious behavior. If you suspect a player is cheating, press and hold the Accuse button prompt that appears on screen. If the accusation is correct, the cheater is kicked from the game and their money is distributed among the remaining players. If your accusation is wrong, you are the one who gets kicked.

Recognizing the Signs

Detecting cheaters becomes easier after you have learned to recognize the signs. When a cheating NPC is dealing, they may glow with a subtle blue outline. You need to witness cheating in progress three separate times during your total Duo play sessions to permanently unlock the ability to spot cheaters reliably. This happens naturally if you play enough rounds, so be patient and keep joining games.

This challenge requires some luck since cheating NPCs do not appear in every match. Play multiple rounds at taverns with more players to increase the odds that someone will attempt to cheat. Once you see the Accuse prompt, do not hesitate. The Bloodbane II reward is one of the stronger rewards in this category.

6. Greymane's Vow

The artifact is at the intersection south of Tinkerton in Delesyia. You need to acquire four faction items: the Hernandian Signet, the Demenissian Signet, the Delesyian Signet, and the Tashkalp Seal. Each signet is obtained by building reputation with its respective region through quests, trade, and other activities. This is a long-term challenge that tracks naturally as you progress through the story and explore all regions.

8. 4-Player Duo Champion

The artifact is in Delesyia. Win a 4-player Duo match. Standard Duo is a 2-player game, but certain gambling dens host 4-player tables where the stakes and competition are higher. Find a 4-player table and win the match to complete this challenge.

6. Greymane's Vow

The artifact is at the intersection south of Tinkerton in Delesyia. You need to acquire four faction items: the Hernandian Signet, the Demenissian Signet, the Delesyian Signet, and the Tashkalp Seal. Each signet is obtained by building reputation with its respective region through quests, trade, and other activities. This is a long-term challenge that tracks naturally as you progress through the story and explore all regions.

Tips

• The Ironcrawler challenge (A Voyage Without Wind or Sails) is essentially free. Board the train and walk away for a few minutes.

• Greymane Shrines are spread across all regions. Check your Knowledge menu regularly to see how many of the 12 you have found.

• Greymane recruitment happens naturally through the story. Keep playing main story chapters and faction quests, and the 20 Greymanes requirement will fill itself.

• For the Thrones win streak, save before your first match so you can reload on a loss rather than restarting the count.

• The Abyss jump challenge requires holding the descent button to fall fast enough. A normal freefall without acceleration is too slow to beat the 30-second timer.

• For Catch Cheating, play Duo at tables with 3 or more opponents to maximize the chance of encountering a cheater.

• Use the Guiding Light sword ability to locate Sealed Abyss Artifacts along roads. They glow blue when you activate the ability nearby.

• Progress on a challenge only counts after you have picked up the associated Sealed Abyss Artifact. Collect artifacts early to avoid losing credit for activities you have already done.

See Also

• All Challenges

• Life Challenges

• Sealed Abyss Artifacts

• Thrones

• Duo

• The Greymanes

• Greymane Camp

• Ironcrawler