Overview
During the Mystical Key main quest in Crimson Desert, players are tasked with entering Hernand Castle. When you first approach the castle gates, the guards will block your path and refuse to let you in, telling you that you cannot just walk into the castle dressed the way you are.
A notification appears in the top-left corner of the screen explaining that certain castle areas require specific outfits for entry. The solution is straightforward: equip the correct outfit. However, there are actually multiple ways to gain castle access depending on how far you have progressed.
This encounter is the game's tutorial for the disguise system. Crimson Desert features multiple warring factions, and wearing faction-specific clothing lets Kliff bypass guards and enter restricted areas without fighting. The Hernand Castle gatekeep is your first hands-on introduction to this mechanic, and disguises become increasingly useful as the story progresses and you encounter more faction-controlled territories.
Method 1: Hernandian Attire (Primary Method)
The intended solution is to equip the Hernandian Attire, a purple chest armor piece that displays the faction colors of House Celeste, the ruling power in Hernand. The guards recognize these colors and grant you entry.
How to Get the Hernandian Attire
The Hernandian Attire is awarded as a quest reward for completing the "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" side quest. Here is how to complete it:
Travel to the farms south of the Hernand city walls, near Murkroot Ranch.
Find two villagers standing next to a building with smoke coming from the chimney. Speak with them to start the quest.
Pick up the Broom item near the building.
Climb onto the rooftop of the house and position yourself directly over the chimney.
Aim at the chimney with L1/LB and press R1/RB to sweep it clean.
Return to the villagers on the ground and speak with them again.
They reward you with the Hernandian Attire as thanks for cleaning their chimney.
Bonus: While you are at this location, check behind the house near some stacked boxes. You can find a Palmar Pill, a revival item that restores 30% of your health when you die.
In addition to the Hernandian Attire itself, completing this quest rewards you with 10 Lentils, 5 Apples, and a Standard Inventory Expansion Tool. The Expansion Tool is particularly valuable early in the game since it permanently increases your carrying capacity.
Equipping the Attire and Entering
Find the Hernandian Attire. It is a purple item that resembles a formal coat.
Equip it in the chest armor slot. It replaces your current chest armor (such as the Ynitium Leather Armor).
Walk back to the guards at the Hernand Castle entrance.
The guards will inspect your outfit. Since you are now wearing the proper attire, they will raise the gate and allow you through.
The Hernandian Attire actually offers better defensive stats than the Ynitium Leather Armor it replaces, so equipping it is an upgrade rather than a sacrifice.
Only the chest piece needs to be the Hernandian Attire. You can keep your own headgear, gloves, footwear, and cloak equipped alongside it. The guards only check whether you are wearing the correct top. The item description itself states that it grants access to Hernand Castle, so if you are unsure whether you have the right piece, look for that note in your inventory.
Once the guards grant you entry for the first time, they will remember you on subsequent visits. You can change back into your regular gear and enter the castle freely after that initial check. This means you only need to wear the Attire for one visit during the Mystical Key quest, and from that point forward you can use whatever armor you prefer when returning.
What If You Sold the Attire
If you accidentally sold the Hernandian Attire to a merchant, you can get it back. Return to the same merchant where you sold it, open their shop interface, and look for the "Repurchase" tab. This option lets you buy back any items you previously sold. The Attire will appear in the Repurchase list at the price you sold it for, so recovering it is quick and inexpensive.
Method 2: Canta Armor Set
An alternative method is to purchase any piece of the Canta Plate Armor set from the Hernand reputation vendor inside the castle. This requires building your Contribution with Hernand first. Once you own any piece of the Canta set, the guards recognize it and allow entry. This method takes longer than the Attire quest but gives you access to some of the best armor available in Chapter 2.
Another option for gaining castle access is the Hernandian Banquet Cloak. This cloak can be purchased from the Hernand Tailor's Shop in the city center for 7.86 Silver, right next to the blacksmith. It can also be obtained as a reward from the "Close Threat" faction quest. Like the Hernandian Attire, wearing the Banquet Cloak satisfies the guards' dress code and grants passage through the castle gates.
Method 3: Chapter 3 Permanent Access
Once you reach Chapter 3 of the main story, the castle gates open permanently. You can walk in wearing whatever you like and the guards will not stop you. This applies for the rest of the game.
Inside the Castle
Once inside Hernand Castle, you can access several important facilities:
Reputation Vendor: Sells the Canta armor set and other Hernand-exclusive items in exchange for Contribution points.
Castle Kitchen: Contains a free cooking recipe you can pick up from the counter.
Alchemist's Chamber: Part of the Mystical Key questline. Accessible deeper inside the castle.
Strongbox: A locked container in the castle that requires solving a separate puzzle to open.
Disguise System Context
The Hernand Castle entry requirement is your first encounter with the disguise system, but it is far from the only place where faction-specific clothing matters. Throughout the game world, different factions control various territories, and wearing their colors or insignia lets Kliff move through their areas undetected. This opens up alternative approaches to missions that would otherwise require combat or stealth.
Disguises in Crimson Desert come in several forms. Faction-specific body armor, cloaks, and headgear all contribute to how convincing your disguise is. Wearing a full matching set of a faction's gear strengthens the effect, while partial sets still provide some benefit but enemies may see through the disguise more quickly. The Disguise Cloak available from the Back Alley Shop for 20.88 Silver provides a generic civilian disguise useful across multiple situations.
Other faction disguises become available as you progress. The Bolton Plate Cloak, Hernand Ceremonial Guard Cloak, and Scholastone Cloak are all purchased with Contribution points earned by completing tasks for their respective factions. Each one allows access to different restricted zones controlled by that faction.
Tips
The Hernandian Attire should be in your inventory by the time you reach the Mystical Key quest. If you do not see it, complete the "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" quest at Murkroot Ranch.
No fighting or stealth is required for the primary entry method. It is purely a costume check.
After entering the castle, you can switch back to your preferred gear for any combat encounters inside.
The Hernandian Attire is also useful for other social areas in Hernand where faction clothing grants access.
Pick up the free recipe in the castle kitchen; it is easy to miss on a first visit.
If you sold the Hernandian Attire, use the "Repurchase" tab at the same merchant to buy it back.
You only need to wear the Attire's chest piece to pass the gate check. Your headgear, gloves, boots, and cloak can be anything you want.
After gaining entry once, the guards remember you. Future visits do not require the Attire at all.
The Hernandian Attire quest ("Actions Speak Louder Than Words") also rewards a Standard Inventory Expansion Tool, which is one of the earliest ways to increase your carrying capacity.
Look at the item description in your inventory if you are not sure which piece to equip. The Hernandian Attire explicitly states that it provides access to Hernand Castle.