City of Hernand

Overview

The City of Hernand is the capital of the Hernand region and the primary hub for players throughout much of Crimson Desert. The city is heavily guarded by the House Celeste faction, and its walls shelter a wide assortment of shops, services, and gathering places. Within the city's vicinity stand Hernand Castle, the Church of Hernand, Hillside Manor, Oakenshield Manor, and Bluemont Manor.

Players visiting the city for the first time will find merchants selling weapons, armor, provisions, and crafting supplies. The city also houses an inn for rest, a stable for mounts, and a bank for managing currency. An Abyss Nexus located northeast of the Saddlery and Stable provides a fast travel point for returning to the city from elsewhere in the world. A bell tower next to the bank lets players reveal the central Hernand region on the map, and the city holds five strongbox puzzles spread across its manors and castle.

An alchemy cauldron sits in a vacant building on the east side of town (identifiable by a dangling sign with a mortar and pestle), and the Alchemist's Chamber can be found on the second floor of Hernand Castle. The Hernand Contribution Shop inside the castle offers exclusive gear in exchange for Contribution Points, while Grimrak's Back Alley Shop southeast of town sells masks and buys stolen goods.

Location

The City of Hernand sits at the center of the Hernand region on the continent of Pywel. Hernand Castle overlooks the city from higher ground, while Muckroot Ranch lies to the southeast, Bluemont Manor is nearby, and Bloomwood Ranch can be reached by following the southern road. The Hernand Sewers run beneath the city streets, accessible during certain quests. To the southeast, Theoric's dyehouse allows players to change the appearance of their equipment and characters.

Shops and Services

The City of Hernand offers a full range of shops and services. Each vendor operates during daytime hours and can be found in the central market district or nearby areas. Completing vendor favor quests rewards additional inventory slots and Hernandian Contribution points.

Entering Hernand Castle

Hernand Castle is gated and guarded, so players cannot walk in freely. To enter, you must equip the Hernandian Attire, a purple coat that signals you belong inside the castle grounds. Only the top piece needs to be equipped; you can mix and match the coat with other armor pieces as long as the Hernandian Attire is in the cloak or body slot.

The Hernandian Attire is obtained during the Trials of Kindness main quest in Chapter 1. During the fourth objective, you help a distressed couple at Muckroot Ranch by sweeping the chimney on their roof. After completing the task, the couple rewards you with the attire. Once equipped, approach any Hernand Castle gate and the guards will raise the barrier.

Inside Hernand Castle, players can access the Alchemist's Chamber on the second floor, the Hernand Contribution Shop run by Haldwin, a strongbox puzzle, and several cooking recipes (including Meat and Vegetable Porridge in the kitchen).

Bell Tower

The Bell of Hernand is the first bell tower most players encounter in the game. It is located next to the Bank in the northern part of the city. Climbing the tower and ringing the bell reveals the central part of the Hernand region on the world map, uncovering nearby points of interest and fast travel locations. There are eight bell towers across Pywel, and ringing each one clears a large section of the map for that area.

Alchemy and Cooking

The City of Hernand has multiple crafting stations for alchemy and cooking:

• Alchemy Cauldron: A cauldron sits in a vacant building on the east side of Hernand town. Look for a dangling sign with a mortar and pestle above the door. This cauldron allows players to brew elixirs and potions using gathered materials.

• Alchemist's Chamber: Located on the second floor of Hernand Castle. From the main castle entrance, turn right and go up the stairs. On the second floor, turn right to the next hallway and enter the first door on the left.

• Hernand Inn Recipes: Dahlia's inn contains a Battered Meat and Fish recipe behind the counter. She also sells Pickled Vegetables, Braised Fish, and Pan-Fried Rice Cakes.

• Castle Kitchen: Inside Hernand Castle, the kitchen contains a recipe for Meat and Vegetable Porridge. Turn right from the entrance to find the kitchen area.

Strongbox Puzzles

The Hernand region contains five strongbox puzzles, all found within the City of Hernand and its surrounding manors. Each strongbox is a pipe-rotation puzzle that rewards valuable loot when solved.

Back Alley Shop

Grimrak operates a Back Alley Shop (also called a black market) located just southeast of Hernand town, at the end of the main road closest to the river. To find it, head east out of the city past the model castle on the left, then follow the road down toward the river.

Grimrak sells masks for 10 copper, which are required for stealing. He also purchases stolen goods and livestock. Players should be aware that stealing costs 5 Contribution XP per item regardless of whether you are caught, so the gains from fencing stolen goods should be weighed against the Contribution penalty.

Contribution Shop

The Hernand Contribution Shop is located inside Hernand Castle, through the door down and to the right of the interior gate leading to the main keep. It is managed by Haldwin, who accepts Contribution Points as currency. Points earned in Hernand can only be spent at this shop; they cannot be transferred to other regions like Demeniss.

Haldwin sells exclusive armor representing the Hernand faction (including Hernand Ceremonial Guard pieces and Bolton Plate gear), as well as camp equipment and horse equipment. See the Contribution System article for a full item list with point costs.

Barber Shop and Dyehouse

A Barber Shop and Dyehouse operated by Theoric is located to the southeast of Hernand. Players can visit Theoric to dye their equipment different colors and alter the appearance of all three playable characters. Additional barber shops and dyehouses can be found at the Greymane Camp and in other towns across Pywel.

Notable NPCs

The City of Hernand is populated by a wide range of characters tied to the main story, faction quests, and city life.

Quests

The City of Hernand is the starting point for dozens of quests, including both main story missions and faction quests posted on the notice board.

Main Quests (Notable)

• Where Rumors Gather: Kliff investigates rumors at the city notice board.

• Mysterious Man: An encounter with a stranger in the city streets.

• Heart Beyond Borders: A story mission connecting Hernand to the broader world.

• Shadow Cast Over the River: Begins at Hernand Square and involves clearing Bleed Bandits.

• Hernand in Chaos: A major story quest that takes place during the city's crisis.

Hernand Commissions

Hernand Commissions are the largest pool of side quests available in the city. These commission quests are posted on the notice board in the town square and involve tasks assigned by individual NPCs around the city. Completing commissions builds trust with specific vendors and earns Contribution XP for the Hernand region. Separate from commissions, Hernand Requests focus on resource delivery and exploration tasks.

Bounties

Once you reach Chapter 2 of the main story, bounty posters begin appearing on various posts around the city. These notices (marked with a purple icon on the minimap) identify outlaws who have evaded justice. Picking up a bounty poster marks the outlaw's last known location on the map. Capturing bounties alive is more lucrative than killing them and provides a significant boost to Contribution XP. See Bounties for a full list.

Minigames

Several minigames can be found in and around the City of Hernand:

Abyss Nexus

An Abyss Nexus can be found northeast of the Hernand Stable and Saddlery. Stepping on the platform activates the fast travel point, allowing players to teleport to and from the city at any time. This is one of the most frequently used fast travel points in the game due to the city's central importance as a shopping and quest hub.

Tips

• Ring the bell tower next to the bank as soon as you arrive in Hernand to reveal the surrounding map and nearby points of interest.

• Equip the Hernandian Attire before approaching any Hernand Castle gate. Only the coat (top piece) needs to be equipped; other armor slots can use different gear.

• Check Dahlia's inn for free cooking recipes behind the counter before buying anything.

• The alchemy cauldron on the east side of town is easy to miss. Look for the mortar-and-pestle sign above the door.

• Bounty posters unlock in Chapter 2. Capturing outlaws alive pays more silver and awards more Contribution XP than killing them.

• Visit Grimrak's Back Alley Shop to buy a mask (10 copper) if you want to attempt stealing, but remember that each stolen item costs 5 Contribution XP even if you are not caught.

• The Hernand Contribution Shop inside the castle sells exclusive armor sets like the Hernand Ceremonial Guard that cannot be obtained elsewhere.

Related Articles

• Hernand

• Hernand Castle

• Hernand Sewers

• Hernand Commissions

• Vendors

• Vendor Directory

• House Celeste

• Faction Quests

• Contribution System

• Hernand Contribution Shop

• Alchemist's Chamber

• Strongbox Puzzle Locations and Solutions

• Barber Shop and Dyehouse

• Grimrak

• How to Enter Hernand Castle

• Bounties