Overview
Abyss Cores (also called Abyss Gears) are socketable items that grant bonus effects when embedded into your equipment. To use them, you need equipment with open sockets, and to create those sockets, you must visit a Witch NPC. This system does not become available until you progress through the main story and complete specific faction quests.
When Can You Start Using Abyss Cores?
You can collect Abyss Cores from early in the game by completing Sealed Abyss Artifact challenges scattered across Pywel. However, you cannot actually equip any of them until you unlock the Witch faction through the main story.
The unlock happens in two stages:
Stage | Requirement | What You Unlock |
|---|---|---|
Stage 1: Sylvia | Complete the "Abyss Without Balance" quest. A white bird delivers a letter after fast-traveling to an Abyss Nexus. Read the letter to start "The Hermit Witch" quest. | Socket creation, Abyss Gear embedding, and extraction services |
Stage 2: Elowen | Reach Chapter 5 and complete the "Demenissian Delegation" quest. After the Kearush boss fight, a second bird delivers a letter starting the "Missing Seal" quest. | Abyss Gear crafting, recipe purchases, and an Abyss Artifact shop |
Unlocking the First Witch: Sylvia
After completing the "Abyss Without Balance" quest, you will receive a letter from a white crow. Read it in your inventory to unlock "The Hermit Witch" quest. Follow the quest marker to a cavern in the Witchwoods. When you arrive, clear out the enemies surrounding the area and enter through the roof opening. Inside, untie Sylvia and speak with her to gain access to her Abyss Core services.
Sylvia provides three services:
Create Socket: Adds new Abyss Core slots to your equipment. Costs silver.
Embed Abyss Gears: Installs collected Abyss Cores into equipment sockets. Free.
Extract Abyss Gears: Removes Abyss Cores from equipment so they can be used elsewhere. Free.
Unlocking the Second Witch: Elowen
After the Chapter 5 boss fight against Kearush the Slayer (you can either defeat him or choose "Give Up" to proceed), another white bird delivers a letter. This starts the "Missing Seal" quest, which sends you to raid a farmstead. The NPC you rescue turns out to be Elowen, a second Witch who sets up at her residence near the farmstead.
Elowen offers everything Sylvia does, plus additional services:
Craft Abyss Gears: Create new Abyss Cores using collected recipes and materials.
Buy recipes: Purchase Abyss Gear crafting recipes from her shop.
Buy Abyss Artifacts: Spend silver to acquire additional Abyss Artifacts for skill upgrades.
Sell items: Sell your accumulated loot for silver.
Socket Creation Costs
Creating new sockets on a piece of equipment costs silver, with the price increasing for each additional slot. Installing and extracting Abyss Cores themselves is free; you only pay to open new socket slots.
Socket Number | |
|---|---|
1st slot | 5 Silver |
2nd slot | 10 Silver |
3rd slot | 20 Silver |
4th slot | 30 Silver |
5th slot | 40 Silver |
Total (all 5) | 105 Silver |
Not all equipment supports all 5 slots. The maximum number of sockets depends on the item's quality and rarity. Mid-game and late-game equipment generally supports more slots than early gear.
How to Embed Abyss Cores
Visit Sylvia or Elowen.
Select Create Socket if your equipment does not have enough open slots. Pay the silver cost to open new ones.
Select Embed Abyss Gears.
Choose the piece of equipment you want to modify.
Select an Abyss Core from your inventory and place it into an open socket.
The equipment now gains the bonus effect of that core.
Each core has a specific effect that varies depending on the core type. Some cores are limited to particular equipment slots (weapon only, armor only, etc.), so check the core's description before embedding.
Extracting Abyss Cores
If you want to move an Abyss Core from one piece of equipment to another, visit a Witch and select "Extract Abyss Gears." This removes the core without destroying it, letting you reinstall it into a different item. Extraction is free, so feel free to swap cores between gear sets as your build evolves.
Tips
Do not rush to open all 5 sockets on early-game equipment. You will find better gear as you progress, and the silver is better saved for mid-game or late-game items that you plan to use longer.
Collect every Sealed Abyss Artifact you find during exploration, even before you unlock the Witch faction. The cores will be waiting in your inventory when you finally gain access to the socket system.
Embedding and extracting cores is free. Swap cores freely whenever you change gear or adjust your build.
Elowen's shop sells Abyss Artifacts for silver. If you are short on skill points, this is a reliable way to acquire more.
Some Abyss Cores provide defensive bonuses (health, resistances) while others boost offensive stats (damage, critical chance). Match your cores to your current skill build.
After respeccing your skills (which is free), revisit your Abyss Core setup as well. A defensive core setup paired with an offensive skill build, or vice versa, may not be optimal.
Related Guides
Abyss Cores - Full list of all Abyss Cores and their effects
Equipment Sockets and Enchanting - Equipment upgrade systems
Progression System - Overall character progression in Crimson Desert
How to Respec Skills - Free skill reset guide