Chapter 1: The First Encounter Walkthrough

Chapter 1 takes place in and around the City of Hernand. It is split into two sub-chapters: Trials of Kindness (five quests focused on exploring the city and helping townsfolk) and Trace (four quests involving the Abyss and the mysterious Alustin). This chapter introduces Axiom Force, the Visione mechanic, Hernand Castle, and several early-game systems including equipment refinement, cooking, mining, and logging. Upon arriving in Hernand, Kliff meets Bentley, who accompanies him into the city. Guards at the gate deny entry because Kliff is not wearing proper attire, so he must first earn the trust of the local townsfolk before gaining access to Hernand Castle.

Chapter 1 Quest List

Chapter 1 Location Route

The main story path through Chapter 1 follows a specific route through the Hernand region. You will travel through these locations roughly in this order:

Notice Board and Faction Quests

When you first arrive at the City of Hernand, look for a notice board near a single tree. This board contains faction quest postings from local NPCs. These quests serve as tutorials for core gameplay systems and should be completed before progressing the main story. The quests become available from Renee, Turnali, and Rhett. Note that Renee's Request does not unlock until you have finished both Turnali's Request and Rhett's Request.

Turnali's Request

Read Turnali's poster on the notice board, then visit Turnali at the smithy. He gives you a Logging Axe and directs you to a stand of trees east of Hernand, on the island between the rivers. To chop trees, hold Left D-pad to open the equipment wheel and select the axe in the top-left slot. Then hold LB to aim the targeting circle at a tree trunk and press RB to chop into it. Collect 3x Timber (or 3x Fine Timber), then return to Turnali.

Turnali teaches you equipment refinement by having you upgrade the Bekker Shield he provides. The first refinement costs 10x Timber.

Rewards: Bekker Shield, 10x Timber, Logging Axe (kept), Contribution points, Standard Inventory Expansion Tool.

Rhett's Request

Read Rhett's poster on the notice board, then find Rhett at his equipment stall in the middle of town. He asks for Iron Ore and gives you a free Pickaxe. Head east past the river to the mining spot just underneath Anvil Riverside Terrace. Equip the Pickaxe from the equipment wheel, then target ore veins and strike them to collect Iron Ore. You need 2x Iron Ore for the quest.

Important: you do not return the ore to Rhett himself. Instead, deliver it to his assistant, who is located south of the city just beyond the farmlands near Bloomwood Ranch.

Rewards: Standard Inventory Expansion Tool, Pickaxe (kept), Contribution points.

Renee's Request

After completing both Turnali's Request and Rhett's Request, visit Renee at the butchery in Hernand (down the alley past the Inn). Renee has always cooked meat and wants to try fish for the first time. She hands you the recipe and ingredients for Fish Porridge. The recipe requires: 1x Oats (or Barley/Wheat), 2x Fish Fillet, 1x Salt, and 3x Water.

Open the cooking interface, select the Modest Fish Porridge recipe, set the quantity to 3, and cook. Hand all three portions to Renee. Do not substitute a higher-quality porridge variant; she specifically wants the Modest version.

Rewards: Standard Inventory Expansion Tool (Medium Bag, grants +3 inventory slots), Fish Porridge recipe (permanently learned), Contribution points.

Church of Hernand

Inside the City of Hernand you can visit the Church of Hernand. This location introduces the Conversion mechanic: by speaking with the priest, you can convert items or make donations. Donating to the church increases your Dispatch yields, meaning the companions you send on gathering missions will bring back more resources. The church also houses a Confessional where you can buy a Writ of Absolution to clear any bounty you have accumulated.

Minigames Available in Chapter 1

Several minigames are available in and around Hernand during Chapter 1:

Sealed Abyss Artifacts

During your exploration of the area near Anvil Riverside Terrace, look for Sealed Abyss Artifacts. These glowing collectibles unlock Challenges that grant valuable rewards. Two artifacts are accessible during Chapter 1:

Grab these early. Challenges provide experience, Silver, and unique equipment that will help throughout the rest of the chapter.

Trials of Kindness

Where Rumors Gather

Kliff enters the Hernand Tavern to gather information. This short quest introduces the arm wrestling minigame.

1. Look around Hernand Tavern - Head south to the minimap marker. Enter the tavern building.

2. Try arm wrestling - Find the arm wrestler seated at a table inside. Target him with L1/LB, then press X/A to challenge him. Mash Square/X to fill your meter red, then hit the quick-time event prompts (X/A) at checkpoint moments. Keep filling the meter until you win.

Winning the arm wrestling match completes the quest and leads directly into "Mysterious Man." While in the tavern, look around for other patrons who may offer Seotda card games.

Mysterious Man

Outside the tavern, children are taunting an old beggar on the ground. Kliff must show an act of kindness.

1. Give a coin to the old beggar - Exit the tavern and turn left. Look behind the low wall in the front yard. The beggar is sleeping on the ground. Target him with L1/LB and select "Give Alms" with Square/X. This costs a small amount of Copper.

2. Note the hatch - After the beggar moves away, a hatch on the floor becomes visible. This leads to a ladder and is used in the next quest.

Giving the beggar Copper earns you a Shabby Wooden Key. Keep this item; it transforms into the Mystical Key used later to access Hernand Castle's alchemist chamber.

Reward: 1x Standard Inventory Expansion Tool, Shabby Wooden Key.

True Wisdom in Kindness

Strange sounds are coming from the iron grate where the beggar was lying. Kliff investigates the Hernand Sewers below.

1. Enter the sewer - The trapdoor is at the spot where the beggar was. Interact with it to descend into the Hernand Sewers.

2. Traverse the sewer - Follow the tunnel forward. Use the jumping-to-target mechanic to leap across gaps where the floor has collapsed. The camera shifts to show the landing point; press X/A at the right moment to stick the landing.

3. Find the bound noble - At the end of the tunnel, you find a woman kneeling on the ground, bound and gagged. Lock on to her with L1/LB and press the interact button to untie her.

After freeing the woman, she gives Kliff a Sealed Letter. This letter becomes important later in the story. The quest completes automatically after the rescue.

Actions Speak Louder than Words

Kliff travels to Muckroot Ranch, south of the city walls, and helps a distressed couple with a household chore.

1. Speak with the distressed couple - Navigate to the mission marker near Muckroot Ranch and talk to the woman (Lauren) standing in front of a house. Her partner Arlan is also nearby.

2. Take the broom - During the conversation, you automatically move toward a broom. Pick it up with Square/X.

3. Clean the chimney - Go to the back of the house and climb the boxes to reach the roof. Open your inventory and equip the broom. Then hold D-pad left and press R2/RT to select it from the item wheel. Climb directly on top of the chimney (standing beside it does not work), look down with L1/LB, and press R1/RB when the prompt appears.

Tip: You must stand directly on top of the chimney for the cleaning prompt to appear. Standing beside it will not trigger anything.

Rewards

The Hernandian Attire is the most important reward here. This purple coat is required to enter Hernand Castle. Equip it from your inventory before approaching the castle gates.

Heart Beyond Borders

Kliff helps a troubled child recover a lost cat from the rooftops.

1. Speak with the troubled child - Go to the courtyard marker and find a child named Rulupee in a green cloak. Rulupee is a Shai child looking for a lost cat.

2. Retrieve the cat - Climb onto the nearby cabin rooftops. The cat, named Jiji, is wandering up there. Approach it and press the grab button to pick it up. The game returns you to Rulupee automatically.

3. Pick up the dropped item - After a cutscene, you are kneeling beside a pendant. Pick it up to receive Shai's Pendant.

Reward: Shai's Pendant. This pendant has significance later in the story and is connected to the Shai people.

Bell tower tip: On the rooftop where you found Jiji, there is a tower with a bell. Ring it to unfog the Hernand region map. There are eight bells total across the world. Ringing all eight reveals the full world map.

Entering Hernand Castle

To gain access to Hernand Castle, you must complete two prerequisites:

1. Complete the "Where Rumors Gather" quest to receive the wooden key from the beggar.

2. Complete "Actions Speak Louder than Words" to receive the Hernandian Attire.

Open your inventory and equip the Hernandian Attire (a purple coat). Soldiers at the castle gates will let you pass if you are wearing it. Without the attire, they turn you away regardless of your progress in other quests. Once inside, you can meet Haldwin, who runs the Contribution shop.

Trace

Mystical Key

The Shabby Wooden Key the beggar gave Kliff transforms into an ornate iron key. This quest leads to Hernand Castle and the alchemist's hidden chamber.

1. Examine the engraved key - Open your inventory and inspect the Mystical Key. Zoom in on the tip to see the engravings that match a lock somewhere in the castle.

2. Go to Hernand Castle - Before entering, equip the Hernandian Attire from your inventory. Soldiers at the gate will let you pass. Follow the interior corridors, take the first right, go upstairs to the second floor, and continue through the next right hallway.

3. Find the alchemist's chamber - Take the first left doorway in the corridor. Your key opens this room. Inside you find alchemical equipment and references to Alustin's research.

4. Go through the shining gate - A glowing portal appears in the wall. Interact with it to enter the Axiom Archive and complete the quest.

Polar Opposites

Kliff enters the Abyss for the first time via the Axiom Archive. This quest introduces Axiom Force, the telekinetic power used to manipulate objects throughout the game.

1. Activate the Abyss Nexus - Step onto the circular platform on the ground and stand on it for a few seconds. This unlocks an Abyss Nexus fast travel point. Fast travel points appear as blue icons on the map.

2. Go toward the building - Walk toward the large structure ahead. A cutscene explains Axiom Force mechanics and shows Alustin's guidance.

3. Find a way into the building - You need to align two floor plates using Axiom Force. Activate your lantern (L1/LB) to reveal yellow outlines on the plates. Hold L3 to grapple a plate, then hold L2 to pull or R2 to push while rotating the right stick to align the yellow lines with the power wires. Release with Circle/B if you need to recheck positions.

4. Enter the building - Once both plates are aligned, a cutscene triggers and the entrance opens. Walk down the hallway to meet Alustin, who explains the nature of the Abyss and Kliff's connection to it.

Abyss Without Balance

After a blinding flash, Kliff is back outside the building. Alustin instructs him to restore the Abyss. This quest takes place along the Ethereal Pathway and teaches Force Palm, a punch ability that is used constantly throughout the game.

1. Pass through the Skybridge Gate - Use Axiom Force (hold L3) on the gate. Interact with the totem that appears, grapple its blue center, and rotate it with D-pad until it glows blue. Follow the path downward, ride moving platforms upward, and teleport across to a large garden area.

2. Activate the Abyss Nexus - Stand on the floor plate with the white ring to unlock a fast travel checkpoint along the Ethereal Pathway.

3. Manipulate the floating power cores - Grab the blue glowing cube with Axiom Force and place it on the right pedestal. Leave the left cube on its original pedestal. Both must sit on their pedestals to remove the blockade.

4. Learn Force Palm - Drop into the accessible pit. Find a power cell on the right wall and observe a blue ghost placing it (use L1/LB to look). This holographic demonstration teaches the Force Palm technique.

5. Combine the Abyss Cell - Position the power cell in front of the wall using Axiom Force, then press R3 to execute Force Palm, punching it into place.

6. Activate the power supply - Climb to the center of the large circular cog mechanism and use Force Palm (R3) to activate it. The device transitions from yellow to blue when fully powered.

7. Collect the artifact - Ascend to the summit where a floating item glows. Walk toward it to collect the Faded Abyss Artifact automatically.

Tip: If you accidentally move a cube off its pedestal, you can reposition it using Axiom Force. Both cubes must remain on their respective pedestals for the door to stay open.

Woman in White

The final quest of Chapter 1. Kliff meets the mysterious White Crow and receives the ability to glide.

1. Speak with the Woman in White - Walk forward to trigger a cutscene with White Crow. No combat or puzzle-solving is required. She bestows the Flight ability upon Kliff.

2. Return to Hernand - After the cutscene, you leap from the Abyss. Hit Square/X during the quick-time event to deploy wings, then glide down to Hernand. Conserve stamina as you approach the ground to ensure a safe landing.

Rewards

Chapter Summary and Unlocks

With the conclusion of Woman in White, Chapter 1 ends and Kliff has access to the following Abyss abilities:

Kliff also now has the Visione device, access to equipment refinement, cooking recipes, mining and logging tools, and a cleared path into Hernand Castle. Chapter 2 opens up the world significantly, giving access to new regions beyond Hernand.

Tips for Chapter 1

• Complete all three notice board quests (Turnali, Rhett, Renee) before progressing the story. The free tools and inventory expansions save time later.

• Visit the Church of Hernand and donate. Increased Dispatch yields compound over time as your companions gather resources for the Greymane Camp.

• Grab Sealed Abyss Artifacts near Anvil Riverside Terrace as early as possible. The unlocked Challenges provide useful gear.

• Ring the bell on the rooftop where you find the cat Jiji. It unfogs a large portion of the Hernand map for free.

• Before entering Hernand Castle, use an Anvil to increase your gear's defense rating. The Anvil is near the smithy.

• In the Abyss puzzles, activate your lantern (L1/LB) frequently. It reveals hidden yellow alignment guides on movable plates.

• During the glide from the Abyss back to Hernand, conserve stamina by angling downward intermittently rather than holding a flat trajectory.

See Also

• Main Story Walkthrough

• Chapter 2: A New Dawn Walkthrough

• Hernand

• Hernand Castle

• Axiom Force

• Force Palm

• Sealed Abyss Artifacts

• Minigames

• Challenges

• Equipment Refinement