Hernand

Overview

Hernand is one of the five major regions of Pywel and the starting region of Crimson Desert. After the Greymanes are scattered by the Black Bears and driven from their homeland of Pailune, Kliff and his surviving companions retreat to Hernand and establish the Greymane Camp as their new base of operations.

The region is a mix of towering mountains, wide rivers, dense forests, and medieval architecture. Hernand Castle anchors the region's political center. Compared to the frozen north of Pailune or the red sands of the Crimson Desert, Hernand has a more temperate, almost pastoral character. But it is not safe. Local threats like the Reed Devil terrorize the population, and faction conflicts shape daily life.

The other four regions are Pailune (the Greymanes' lost homeland), Demeniss (political and military center), Delesyia (science and technology), and the Crimson Desert (lawless red sands).

Geography and landscape

Hernand's terrain is dominated by mountains and river valleys. Cliffside settlements cling to rocky outcrops, connected by roads that wind through narrow passes. Rivers cut through the landscape and serve as natural boundaries between territories.

The region also contains dense forests that make it one of the best areas on the continent for logging and fishing. The grappling hook and glider get heavy use here. Mountain faces that look impassable on foot open up once Kliff has the right equipment. River crossings sometimes require finding bridges or fording points, while elevated positions give tactical advantages in combat.

Open fields and reed marshes surround Frozen Soul Mountain. These flatter areas contrast with the rocky highlands and bring a different kind of danger: limited cover and enemies that use the tall vegetation to hide.

The HUD tracks weather conditions in real time, including a temperature gauge in Celsius that shifts based on elevation, wind, and time of day. Normal conditions in Hernand sit around 10°C. Step inside a burning building and the gauge spikes to 50°C.

Hernand Castle and settlements

Hernand Castle is the region's central fortification, featuring medieval architecture with towering walls and fortified gates. During the story, Kliff infiltrates the castle using Hernandian Banquet Attire to gain access to an area connected to the Abyss. The castle's interior and surrounding district function as a major hub for commerce and quest progression.

Beyond the castle, the region contains other notable locations. Roothold is a stronghold centered around the Eldertree, described as a place where "ancient power awaits." It appears as a node on the world map.

Hernand's streets are populated by a diverse array of fantasy races. Giants and antlered elf-like beings walk among the human crowds. NPCs are not static. A blacksmith forges a sword when a player buys one, then switches to hammering armor plates if the next purchase is a chestpiece. Tailors work their looms. Merchants arrange their stalls.

Settlement activities go beyond shopping. Gameplay footage shows Kliff throwing down with settlement residents in bare-knuckle fights, weapons discarded. Some NPCs offer quests. Others challenge you to duels. Pickpockets try their luck. Beggars, if given coins, may hear about the Greymanes and eventually show up at camp to join.

Greymane Camp

The Greymane Camp is the player's home base. Kliff and his companions set it up in Hernand after fleeing Pailune. At the start, the camp is a handful of tents and barely any infrastructure. The Greymanes are at their lowest: their leader Gian is dead, their numbers are scattered, and they have almost nothing.

The camp grows as the player invests resources into it. Construction happens in real time. Players physically place furniture, watch structures go up post by post, and gradually turn the initial tent cluster into a functioning settlement with farms, workshops, a trading center, and companion housing. Each upgrade provides gameplay benefits.

Facilities

Companion dispatch

Reunited companions gather at the camp once found. Some mercenaries hear about the camp in passing and show up on their own. Players can send companions on missions through the Steinfell Fortress interface, dispatching them to gather timber, ore, or other resources. Companions can even be sent to soften fortress defenses before Kliff arrives for a direct siege assault.

Frozen Soul Mountain and the Reed Devil

Frozen Soul Mountain is one of Hernand's most recognizable landmarks and the site of a major boss encounter. The Reed Devil -- known to locals as the Devil of the Reed Fields -- has terrorized the citizens of Hernand long enough to become a kind of bogeyman.

The Reed Devil was once a slum-dweller in Hernand, an outcast whose fate seemed sealed. Upon donning his mask, he "rewrote his destiny." Pearl Abyss's official description calls him "an unwanted bastard child who became disgustingly amoral as a result." Whatever sympathy his origins might invite, the Reed Devil is a genuine menace.

Boss fight mechanics

The fight takes place in an open field of tall wheat and reeds. TheSixthAxis compared the setting to "a vision out of a Robert Eggers film." The Reed Devil is a short, fast swordsman who fights with iaijutsu (quick-draw sword techniques) and uses the tall reeds for concealment.

The encounter unfolds across three phases:

1. Phase 1 -- Standard melee combat. The Reed Devil flits in and out of the reeds, teleporting behind Kliff to deliver rapid sword strikes and throwing daggers at range. His iaijutsu strikes are fast but individually weak. The danger is cumulative. Screen Rant's preview called the fight "less about dodging and more about letting go of being afraid of taking damage."

2. Phase 2 (totems) -- The Reed Devil summons wicker totems across the arena. While the totems stand, he is invulnerable. The bow with explosive arrows is specifically recommended for destroying them. He also summons clones during this phase to keep you disoriented.

3. Phase 3 -- After the totems are destroyed, the Reed Devil enters a final burn phase with increased aggression. The invulnerability is gone. Finish him before accumulated chip damage catches up.

The Reed Devil escapes after defeat rather than dying outright. This is a narrative choice -- he remains a presence in the story even after the boss encounter.

See the Reed Devil article for full strategy details, and Boss Battles for the complete list of boss encounters.

Hernandian Contribution

Hernand has its own regional reputation metric called Hernandian Contribution. The HUD displays both Contribution and Contribution EXP, and this score rises or falls based on the player's actions in the region.

Completing quests, helping residents, and defeating threats increases Hernandian Contribution. Higher standing unlocks new vendors, quest lines, and story branches. Discounts on goods improve with higher contribution.

Committing crimes directly reduces this score. Minor offenses like pickpocketing cost around -5 Contribution EXP, while serious crimes like assault can cost up to -30 Contribution EXP. Reputation damage makes indiscriminate violence a poor long-term strategy.

See Faction Wars for how the reputation system works across all regions.

Crime and the wanted system

Hernand's settlements enforce laws. Crimes start small -- pickpocketing a resident, swiping dropped fruit from a vendor stall -- and can escalate into bullying, assault, and open conflict with an entire town.

When Kliff accumulates enough infractions, a Wanted Poster appears in the UI showing his face and bounty amount. Guards become hostile -- and they come in numbers, sometimes dozens at once. Bounty hunters track Kliff across the region. If caught, Kliff is arrested and thrown into a wooden holding cell. The alternative is paying fines. Turning an entire town hostile cuts off quest givers, vendors, and faction content in that settlement.

The crime system is not specific to Hernand -- it operates across all of Pywel -- but because Hernand is the starting region, it is where most players will first encounter these consequences. The connection to Hernandian Contribution means crimes erode long-term standing, not just create immediate combat problems.

Faction territory and liberation

Multiple factions control parts of Hernand. Some areas are blockaded by hostile groups like the Wolf Trackers, who restrict access until their territory is liberated through faction quests. The region also connects to the Calphade rebellion questline, where Kliff searches for Oongka while helping Marquis Stefan Lanford put down a betrayal.

Liberating an area has concrete results. After clearing all enemies and the area's boss, the territory is officially freed:

• Displaced residents return and rebuild

• New vendors and services open in the settlement

• Trade routes unlock, expanding commerce options

• New quests become available from returning NPCs

• Materials are awarded that contribute toward the long-term goal of rebuilding Pailune

Exploration

Hernand's mountain terrain hides caves, ruins, and out-of-the-way areas containing gear, Abyss Fragments, and crafting materials. Enemy levels are fixed by location -- no scaling -- so wandering into the wrong area early means facing enemies that are too strong. Returning later after gearing up is worth it.

Environmental puzzles appear throughout the region. Boarded-up cave entrances, hidden mechanisms, and ruins with locked doors follow discovery patterns found across Pywel. Treasure maps found in crypts elsewhere on the continent can lead back to hidden locations in Hernand.

Fishing is available in Hernand's rivers and lakes. Catches can be used for cooking or sold to vendors. Gathering resources like flowers, insects, and minerals feeds into alchemy, crafting, and camp upgrades. Hunting animals with bows (using stealth gear for better results) yields meat and hides.

Role in the story

Hernand is where the Greymanes regroup. After the Black Bears kill Gian and shatter the mercenary band, Kliff and his surviving companions flee Pailune and settle in Hernand. The wizard Alustin later reveals that stopping the chaos threatening the Abyss was once Gian's mission -- a burden that now falls on Kliff.

The faction relationships, combat skills, and resources built here carry forward as the story expands into Demeniss, Delesyia, and the Crimson Desert itself. The Greymane Camp remains relevant throughout the game as a persistent home base the player continues developing.

The ultimate goal is to reunite the Greymanes, confront Myurdin and the Black Bears, and reclaim Pailune. Hernand is where that begins.

Traversal

See Exploration & Traversal for the full movement mechanics breakdown.

See also