First Trial of Trust

Overview

First Trial of Trust is the opening faction quest in the Estate in Dismay quest chain for House Roberts in the Duchy of Hernand. A servant of House Roberts approaches Kliff near Bluemont Manor, explaining that bandits in red clothing have been raiding the count's stores. Kliff is directed to Erich, the Roberts caretaker, at Muckroot Ranch to begin clearing the threat.

This quest becomes available during Chapter 2 and is the entry point to the House Roberts storyline. It introduces the location liberation mechanic, where Kliff must deplete a green occupation bar by defeating all enemies in a designated area. Completing the quest unlocks the rest of the Estate in Dismay chain and earns Contribution EXP toward Hernand faction standing.

The Estate in Dismay arc is the first of three sub-arcs in the House Roberts faction line, which contains 10 quests total. The entire House Roberts chain is almost entirely combat-driven, centering on dismantling the Bleed Bandits presence across the Hernand region.

Quest Details

Objectives

1. Speak with the man near Bluemont Manor (House Roberts's Servant)

2. Travel to Muckroot Ranch and speak with Erich, the House Roberts caretaker

3. Travel to Bluemont Cask House

4. Defeat the Bleed Bandits occupying the cask house (deplete the green progress bar)

5. Report back to Erich

Walkthrough

Meeting the Servant

When you begin Chapter 2, head to the City of Hernand and look for a distressed servant standing in front of a house near Bluemont Manor, south of the Plaza's Notice Board. Speaking with him reveals that bandits wearing red have been raiding Count Roberts's stores, threatening the estate's livelihood. The servant cannot deal with the problem himself and directs you to Erich at Muckroot Ranch for further instructions.

Speaking with Erich

Head southeast from the city to Muckroot Ranch. Erich is seated on a bench beside a tree in a flower field at the ranch. He is curt but gets straight to the point: the Bleed Bandits keep sneaking onto the count's land, and the guards have been unable to catch them. He asks Kliff if he is willing to take on the task and directs you south to the Bluemont Cask House, where a group of bandits have set up camp among the count's stored goods.

Clearing the Cask House

Travel south to the Bluemont Cask House to engage the Bleed Bandits camping in and around the building. When you arrive, a green progress bar appears on screen, representing the enemy occupation level. You must deplete this bar completely by defeating all the bandits in the area.

The bandits are clustered both inside and around the cask house. Their numbers can be overwhelming if you charge in without a plan. The recommended approach is to lure enemies out of the cask house one or two at a time rather than fighting the entire group simultaneously. Stand near the entrance or throw a projectile to draw their attention, then back away and engage them on your own terms. This prevents you from getting cornered inside the building where the tight space works against you.

Once the green progress bar is fully depleted, the Bluemont Cask House is liberated. This location liberation mechanic is used throughout Crimson Desert whenever you need to clear an enemy-occupied area. After the location is cleared, return to Erich to report your success and complete the quest.

Rewards

The +100 Contribution EXP goes toward your Hernand faction standing. Contribution works like a regional experience bar: every time you fill the bar, you earn a Contribution Point that can be spent at the Contribution Shop to purchase unique equipment, camp items, and horse equipment. Completing this quest also unlocks the next faction quest in the chain, Troubled Count.

Estate in Dismay Quest Chain

First Trial of Trust is the first of five quests in the Estate in Dismay sub-arc. This arc is the opening segment of the larger House Roberts faction line, which contains 10 quests across three sub-arcs: Estate in Dismay, Continuing Concern, and Boulder From the Sky. The full Estate in Dismay chain escalates from clearing bandits near the manor to confronting threats at Karin Quarry and eventually securing a Formal Alliance with Count Roberts.

Do not skip Sealed in Stone even though it offers no direct reward. It is a required step before The Count's Honor becomes available. Missing it will stall your progress toward the Formal Alliance with House Roberts.

Enemy Information

The enemies encountered during this quest are Bleed Bandits, a hostile faction that operates throughout the Hernand region. They are recognizable by their red clothing and masks. The Bleed Bandits are tougher than the wildlife encountered in earlier parts of the game, but at this point in the story they serve as an introduction to human enemy combat.

You will encounter Bleed Bandits repeatedly throughout the House Roberts quest chain and in various camps scattered across the Hernand countryside. Learning their attack patterns during this quest pays off in later, harder encounters such as Stolen Quarry and the fights in the Continuing Concern arc.

If you acquire a Scarlet Blades Cloth Armor or Scarlet Blades Gas Mask (obtainable as random drops from Bleed Bandits or purchased from the Back Alley vendor in Hernand), you can wear it as a disguise to avoid detection when passing through Bleed Bandit camps elsewhere in the region. This does not apply during the quest itself, where combat is mandatory.

Tips

• This is the easiest House Roberts quest and a good introduction to the location liberation mechanic. If you can clear this cask house, you are ready for the rest of the chain.

• Pulling enemies out of the cask house to fight them individually is the safest approach, especially at lower levels. Stand near the entrance and wait for one or two bandits to come to you.

• Use ranged attacks or projectiles to draw individual bandits away from the group before engaging in melee.

• Avoid fighting inside the cask house where the tight corridors limit your dodging and rolling options. Open ground gives you more room to maneuver.

• Completing this quest is required to unlock Troubled Count and eventually access the Mining Knuckledrill from the Stolen Quarry quest later in the chain.

• The +100 Contribution EXP may seem small, but every bit counts toward your next Contribution Point. Pair this with other activities like liberating nearby bandit camps and completing commissions to fill the bar faster.

• After clearing the cask house, loot the bodies and any containers in the area. Bleed Bandits can drop weapons and armor pieces that sell for decent money early in the game.

Related Quests

• Troubled Count (next quest in the Estate in Dismay chain)

• Stolen Quarry (third quest; rewards the Mining Knuckledrill)

• The Count's Honor (final quest; grants Formal Alliance with House Roberts)

• Trials of Kindness (Chapter 1 main quest that introduces Hernand)

• Faction Quests (overview of all faction quest chains in the game)

Reward

Hernandian +100

Completion

The Bleed Bandits cast a shadow over the Roberts Estate. You passed a small test and gained a clue to reach the Count.