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Howling Hill is a hilltop location in the Hernand region of Crimson Desert that overlooks the surrounding countryside. According to local legend, wolves once gathered on this hill every night and their howls were so fierce they drove off nearby bandits, though the animals are now rare in the area. The hill sits south of the city of Hernand, perched atop a cliff with clear sightlines across the rolling fields below.
After Kliff and the Greymanes defeat the Kailok the Hornsplitter boss at the end of Chapter 2, the Marquis Serkis grants the mercenaries permission to claim the hill. The Greymane Camp is then established here, making Howling Hill the player's first permanent base of operations. It remains the central hub throughout the game, growing from a handful of tents into a full settlement with production facilities, a farm, a ranch, and specialized workshops.
Howling Hill occupies an elevated plateau south of Hernand City. The hilltop itself is relatively flat, providing enough space for the camp and its eventual expansions. The surrounding terrain drops off steeply on several sides, giving the position natural defensive advantages. To the south lies Thinker's Meadow and Muckroot Ranch, both of which are considered sub-areas of the greater Howling Hill location.
The landscape around the hill features grassy slopes, scattered boulders, and patches of wildflowers typical of the Hernand countryside. Several dirt paths wind down from the camp toward the ranch and the meadow. On clear days, the view from the hilltop extends across much of the Hernand region, with the city walls visible in the distance.
Sub-Area | Description |
|---|---|
The main camp area on the hilltop with facilities, quest-givers, crafting stations, and a bonfire. Functions as an expandable base where construction projects can be started and tracked through the dispatch system. | |
Bonfire | A resting point at the center of the camp. Used to pass time, cook food at the nearby cooking pot, and wait for construction projects or dispatch missions to finish. Players cannot rest at the bonfire consecutively and must perform another activity between rests. |
A meadow south of the camp. The hidden Abyss Nexus for Howling Hill's fast travel point is located in an underground chamber accessed through this area. | |
A ranch area below the camp to the south. A secret trapdoor in a pig sty here leads to the underground chamber containing the Abyss Nexus teleportation stone. The ranch also is the access point for the Dragon's Stone Chamber puzzle to the south. |
Howling Hill becomes available during Chapter 3 of the main story. The chapter is divided into three sub-chapters: Homestead, The Face Behind the Mask, and Pioneering. Throughout these quest lines, players set up the camp, recruit scattered Greymane members, investigate threats in the Hernand countryside, and eventually expand the settlement into a functional base.
This is also where Damiane Spencer is unlocked as a playable character. She joins the camp after the initial setup is complete, expanding the player's combat options with her distinct fighting style. The chapter concludes with the Greymanes Reunited quest, a cutscene in which the comrades gather at the expanded camp to celebrate before the story progresses to Chapter 4.
The quest A Fresh Start tasks the player with completing four construction objectives to get the camp operational. The four tasks can be done in any order:
Move the Sacks - Three sacks near broken shelves need to be picked up one at a time and carried to the highlighted storage area behind you.
Drive the Stakes - Pick up the mallet from a small table nearby, equip it from the item wheel, and hammer four tent stakes three times each to secure the tent.
Push the Wagon - A wagon full of straw needs to go under cover, but boulders block the path. Use the pickaxe to break the rocks, then push the wagon into the tent.
Raise the Banner - Pick up the Greymane banner from the ground. When prompted, use Nature's Grasp to lift it, place it in the banner socket, and interact with the socket to set it upright.
Once all four tasks are complete, the quest Reward for Their Sweat begins. The player must cook at least two servings of Clear Soup (requires 1 Tough Meat, 1 Barley, and 1 Water per serving, all found on a nearby stool) and serve the meal to the workers at the camp table. A cutscene plays as the Greymanes eat together for the first time at their new home.
The camp starts with basic amenities and grows as the player progresses through camp expansion projects. The following facilities and NPCs are available at Howling Hill:
Facility / NPC | Function | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
Bonfire and Beds | Rest to pass time, accelerating dispatch missions and construction timers. Each rest session advances up to 12 in-game hours. | Available from camp setup |
Cook meals using recipes. The cook also sells ingredients once unlocked. | Available from camp setup; cook NPC unlocked after A Rumor in Glenbright Farm mission | |
Provisions Keeper. Manages the Supply Chest (230 slots), accepts donations of materials and coins to boost camp growth, and handles the trading wagon system for selling packaged goods at trading centers. | Available from camp setup | |
Camp blacksmith. Buys and sells weapons, armor, ammunition, and refinement items. Stock is limited and rotates. | Unlocked through story progression | |
Dispatch coordinator. Assigns recruited Greymane members to missions across the region for resources, enemy suppression, and camp materials. | Unlocked after first camp expansion (Bustling Hill) | |
A storage chest with 240 inventory slots. Consumables stack up to 50 per slot; equipment takes one slot each. Located behind Carl. | Added in Patch 1.00.03 (March 23, 2026). Requires completion of Greymanes Reunited. | |
Quartermaster | Sells specialty supplies and equipment not available through the blacksmith. | Unlocked alongside the cook after A Rumor in Glenbright Farm |
Well | Provides a constant supply of water at camp. Eliminates the trip to a river or stream when Cooking recipes that require water, since water can be drawn on demand from inside Greymane Camp itself. | Added in Patch 1.04 as part of the wider Greymane Camp improvements. Available at Howling Hill once the patch is installed. |
The camp can be expanded through the dispatch mission system. The first expansion is triggered during the Bustling Hill quest in the Pioneering sub-chapter of Chapter 3. To start it, open the map, hover over the Howling Hill camp icon, and inspect it (Y on Xbox, Triangle on PlayStation, double-click on PC). Navigate to the Mission List tab and select the Howling Hill Camp Expansion mission.
The initial expansion requires dispatching at least two recruits (Luke and Ronald) and takes 17 in-game hours to complete. Players can rest at the bonfire, explore the surrounding area, or work on other quests while waiting. Once the timer finishes, Kliff receives a notification that the comrades have returned and the expansion is ready.
After the first expansion, new tents and carts appear around the camp, and Ross becomes available as the dispatch coordinator with a helmet icon marker. Subsequent expansions require more recruits, additional resources (food, silver, stone, timber, armaments), and progress through specific faction quests. The camp eventually grows to include:
A farm for planting seedlings and harvesting crops
A ranch for raising livestock (chickens, cows, goats)
Production workshops such as the Timberturner Wainwright (trade wagons) and Emberwind Workshop (Cloudcarts)
A Barber Shop and Dyehouse for cosmetic changes (unlocked after the second expansion)
An Alchemy Lab for potion and elixir crafting (unlocked after the second expansion)
The fourth expansion requires 10 recruits, 1,500 armaments, 2,500 stone, 2,500 timber, 4,000 food, and 100,000 silver. Later chapters unlock additional reconstruction projects beyond the standard expansion tiers.
NPC | Role |
|---|---|
Marshal of the Greymanes. Oversees camp operations and assigns early objectives during Chapter 3. Referred to as Marshal Middler. | |
Unlockable playable character who joins the camp during First Step to Rebuilding. A pickaxe can be collected from a crate near where she initially stands. | |
A wounded Greymane clansman who is escorted back to camp during Return of the Comrade. Found in the Scrapfold area of Hernand. He later assigns camp upgrade objectives. | |
Provisions Keeper who manages the Supply Chest and camp donations. His restorative item prices were reduced from 10 Silver to 1 Silver in Patch 1.00.03. | |
Handles dispatch assignments and mission coordination after the first camp expansion. | |
Greymane companion who introduces the Royal Trading system through side quests. | |
Greymane member stationed at Howling Hill. | |
Offers side quests that unlock pets and color dyes. | |
Provides side quests in the Scattered Embers category. | |
One of the first recruitable Greymane members. Excels at construction-related dispatch missions. | |
Recruitable Greymane member. Dispatched alongside Luke for the first camp expansion mission. |
The following main story quests take place at or around Howling Hill during Chapter 3. They are grouped by their sub-chapter.
Quest | Summary |
|---|---|
Speak with the Marquis Serkis, who grants the Greymanes permission to use Howling Hill. Follow a soldier to the site and meet Barden Middler at the camp. Damiane is introduced during this quest. | |
Complete the camp by performing four construction tasks: moving sacks, driving stakes, pushing the wagon, and raising the banner. Can be done in any order. | |
Cook at least two servings of Modest Clear Soup and serve the feast to the workers at the camp table. | |
Travel to the Scrapfold in Hernand to find Marius, who is surrounded by beggars. Escort him back to camp on horseback. | |
Investigate the House of Healing and follow Yann to deal with a familiar threat. Begins from the camp. |
Quest | Summary |
|---|---|
Return to Howling Hill and examine a Dragon Head Totem at the shrine near the camp. Read Shakatu's letter found beside the totem. | |
Dispatch the Howling Hill Camp Expansion mission. Assign Luke and Ronald, then wait 17 in-game hours for the expansion to complete. New structures appear around the camp. | |
Return to the expanded camp for a reunion cutscene with your comrades. This is the final quest of Chapter 3, leading directly into Chapter 4. |
Players can find the following resources and tools at Howling Hill:
Item | Location |
|---|---|
Gathered from boulders scattered around the hilltop and along the paths leading down from the camp. | |
Found in a crate near Damiane's initial position during the camp setup quests. | |
Available from a plywood stack at the camp. Used to drive tent stakes during the A Fresh Start quest. | |
Available from the same plywood stack as the mallet. | |
Cooking ingredients found on a stool near the cooking pot. Used to prepare Clear Soup during Reward for Their Sweat. |
Patch 1.00.03, released on March 23, 2026, added Private Storage to Howling Hill Camp. This feature was not available at launch and was one of the most requested quality-of-life improvements from the community. The storage chest is located behind Carl, the Provisions Keeper NPC.
The chest provides 240 inventory slots. Consumable items such as food and crafting ingredients stack up to 50 units per slot, so storing 50 pieces of meat only occupies a single slot. Equipment items (weapons and armor) each require their own slot. Private Storage is also available at the initial temporary lodgings in Hernand, giving players two locations to manage their inventory.
The same patch also reduced Carl's restorative item prices from 10 Silver to 1 Silver, making it much cheaper to stock up on healing supplies at camp.
The Abyss Nexus for Howling Hill is not immediately accessible. It is hidden underground and requires significant story progression to unlock. The teleportation stone is located beneath Muckroot Ranch, accessible through a secret trapdoor in a pig sty. Reaching it involves several steps:
Complete the Sealed in Stone and Scholastone quests in Act Four of the story.
Travel to Karin Quarry, northeast of Hernand City, and enter the hole beneath the crane area.
Use the Focused Force Palm skill (obtained during the Scholastone quest) to break through a purple crystallized wall underground.
Retrieve the Abyss Teleporter disk using Axiom Force.
Return to Howling Hill and burn away the vines covering a stone structure east of Kliff's residence using the blinding flash ability.
Place the disk on the stone platform's indent and execute an Aerial Force Palm midair to affix it.
Once activated, fast travel to and from Greymane Camp is permanently unlocked. Look for the small white circle on the minimap near Muckroot Ranch to locate the trapdoor if you lose track of the entrance.
Several notable locations and puzzles surround Howling Hill:
Location | Details |
|---|---|
A puzzle chamber in a chasm south of Howling Hill. Accessible by gliding down toward a red doorway on the northern wall. Contains an Abyss Cresset puzzle involving sun, moon, tree, gear, and animal pattern alignment. | |
Mysterious Energy Zone (East) | Located east of Kliff's residence at the camp. A vine-covered stone structure marks the location of the Abyss Nexus fast travel activation point. |
Dragon Head Totem Shrine | A shrine near the camp with a dragon statue. During the A Gentle Touch quest, players examine this totem and read a letter from Shakatu. |
Investigated during the Face Behind the Mask sub-chapter. Located in the Serkis Estate area of Hernand, reached from the camp. |
Patch 1.04 added a new well at Howling Hill, giving the Greymane Camp a permanent on-site source of water. Before the patch, players had to travel out from camp to a nearby river or other water source any time a Cooking recipe called for water, which made even basic meal prep an errand. With the well in place, water is available directly at camp, so recipes like Clear Soup can be cooked back-to-back without leaving the hilltop.
The well is part of a broader set of Patch 1.04 changes to Pywel. Alongside the Howling Hill well, additional ores and wells were placed across the region, so gathering water and ore for Cooking and crafting is less dependent on long trips to fixed spots on the map.
A well was added at Howling Hill, providing a constant water supply inside Greymane Camp. Drawing water no longer requires a detour to a river or stream.
The well pairs well with the existing Cooking Pot at camp. Recipes that need water, including the Clear Soup prepared during the Reward for Their Sweat quest, can now be made in a single visit to the camp.
After the camp is moved to Pailune as part of later Camp Expansion progression, players also receive a private storage item that can be placed through the Personal Housing system. The storage item is separate from the well, but both are part of the same Patch 1.04 pass on camp quality of life.
Additional ores and wells were placed across Pywel more broadly, reducing the amount of backtracking needed to top up on water and basic mining nodes. Howling Hill is one of the more prominent additions because the camp is a major player hub.
Gathering and mining were also tuned in the same patch so that the quantity of items obtained is applied consistently. Combined with the new well and ore placements, cooking and crafting rounds tend to need fewer trips out to faraway nodes.
For a full overview of the camp progression the well plugs into, see Camp Expansion Guide, Camp Vendors, and Camp Buildings. The well is a permanent fixture of Greymane Camp and remains available to Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka whenever they pass through the hilltop base.
Use the bonfire to pass time while waiting for camp construction projects and dispatch missions to finish. Each rest session advances up to 12 in-game hours, so a 17-hour expansion mission requires one rest plus some additional activity.
Cook health-restoring food before heading out to tackle the boss fights and combat encounters associated with Chapter 3. The cooking pot at camp is available from the start.
Store duplicate boss weapons and armor in the Private Storage chest rather than discarding them. These items cannot be obtained again if dropped.
Take advantage of Carl's reduced prices (1 Silver per restorative item after Patch 1.00.03) to stock up on healing supplies cheaply before leaving camp.
The four camp setup tasks in A Fresh Start can be completed in any order. Tackle whichever is closest first to save time running back and forth.
While waiting for the 17-hour expansion timer, explore the surrounding Hernand countryside to gather Abyss Artifacts or complete side activities.
Look for the small white circle on your minimap near Muckroot Ranch to locate the trapdoor leading to the underground Abyss Nexus chamber.
Donate unwanted weapons, armor, materials, and coins to Carl to accelerate camp expansion when you are short on specific resources.
