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Overview
The Ethereal Pathway is a location within The Abyss in Crimson Desert. It is a large area featuring a circular pit surrounded by trees growing in a ring formation, connected by floating platforms that players traverse during the Abyss Without Balance main quest. The Ethereal Pathway is notable as the location where White Crow the Witch first reveals her true form to Kliff.
Location
The Ethereal Pathway is located on the floating sky islands of The Abyss, accessible from the area near the Axiom Archive. Players reach it by passing through the skybridge gate and traversing a series of floating platforms. The pathway itself consists of multiple connected islands with a central pedestal that activates the Abyss Nexus when stepped on.
Puzzle Challenges
The Ethereal Pathway features several puzzle and platforming challenges that introduce core Abyss mechanics.
Abyss Nexus Activation
After hopping across a series of floating platforms to reach a larger island, players find a pedestal at its center. Stepping on this pedestal activates the Abyss Nexus, which powers up the area's mechanisms and reveals additional puzzle elements.
Power Core Puzzle
A floating blue power core hangs in the air near a deactivated lantern. Players must grab it using Axiom Force and move it to the lantern, attaching it until the lantern reactivates. This removes a blocking wall that prevents further progress.
Abyss Cell Placement
Below the main platform, an Abyss Cell can be picked up with Axiom Force. Players carry it to a wall slot at the rightmost corner and place it there. A hologram appears demonstrating the Force Palm technique, which players must then use to punch the cell into position.
Power Supply Activation
After learning Force Palm, players use the ability on a circular cog device. When struck correctly, the device transitions from yellow to blue, indicating the power supply for this section of the Abyss has been restored.
White Crow Encounter
Upon collecting the Abyss Artifact at the top of the stairs, a talking bird descends onto the Ethereal Pathway. The bird transforms into a woman dressed in white, revealing herself as White Crow the Witch. This is the player's first direct encounter with the Witch, who later becomes an important NPC merchant and quest giver. She eventually assigns the quest to cleanse all six Sanctums across Pywel.
Rewards
Force Palm ability (learned via hologram demonstration)