Mudridge Cabin

Mudridge Cabin is a wooden structure located in the Pororin Forest region of Hernand, southeast of Unicorn Cliff. The cabin is partially hidden by dense jungle foliage and sits on elevated terrain, making it easy to miss during casual exploration. It is a bandit hideout and contains two separate sliding painting puzzles: one that unlocks a strongbox on the upper level, and another that opens a hidden door on the lower level. Solving both puzzles yields the Petal Flower Earring and the Meliara's Lesser Elixir Recipe, making this location a worthwhile stop for players exploring the Hernand countryside.

Location

Mudridge Cabin sits in a swampy, jungle-covered area of Pororin Forest, positioned southeast of the Unicorn Cliffs. To reach it, descend from the Unicorn Cliffs and head into the dense forest below. Look for a wooden cabin partially obscured by foliage and elevation changes. The cabin is built on raised posts and has two distinct levels that can be accessed separately.

How to Reach the Cabin

From Unicorn Cliff, descend the rocky terrain heading southeast into Pororin Forest. The cabin blends into the jungle surroundings, so keep an eye out for a wooden structure among the trees. The upper level is accessible by climbing up the wooden posts on the side of the cabin. Before you can interact with the strongbox inside, you must defeat the bandits guarding the area.

Bandit Encounter

The cabin is occupied by bandits that must be cleared before you can solve the puzzles. After climbing up to the upper level, a group of bandits will confront you. Defeat them to gain access to the cabin interior and the strongbox. These are standard enemies and should not pose a significant challenge to players who have been progressing through the main story normally.

Mask Requirement

Items inside strongboxes count as stolen goods. You must equip a mask before opening the strongbox to claim the loot. Without a mask, you can solve the puzzle but will not be able to take the reward. Masks can be obtained by looting defeated bandits or purchased cheaply from the Back Alley Shop. Taking stolen items also incurs an unavoidable -5 Contribution penalty in the Hernand region, regardless of whether anyone witnesses the theft. After stealing, you must stay hidden until the suspicion timer runs out.

Puzzle Overview

Both puzzles at Mudridge Cabin are sliding painting reconstruction puzzles. A complete painting has been split into several square fragments arranged in a grid, and you must slide the pieces into their correct positions to restore the original image. Unlike the mechanical strongboxes found at locations such as Bluemont Manor or Hernand Castle, these puzzles rely on visual observation rather than button sequences or musical patterns.

The general strategy for solving both painting puzzles is to focus on visual continuity. Match fragment edges by following lines, color transitions, and shape outlines across adjacent pieces. Start by identifying corner and edge fragments first, then work inward. Do not force pieces randomly; instead, look for distinctive features like curves, color boundaries, and repeating patterns that indicate where each piece belongs.

Strongbox Puzzle (Upper Level)

The strongbox is located inside the upper section of the cabin. After climbing the posts and defeating the bandits, enter through the door to find the strongbox. Interacting with it presents a sliding puzzle featuring a painting of a tree. The grid contains movable square fragments with one empty space, and you must slide the squares into their correct positions to complete the image.

Step-by-Step Solution

The following sequence solves the strongbox painting puzzle. Each move slides one square into the adjacent empty space:

1. Move the center-right square down

2. Move the center square right

3. Move the center-left square right

4. Move the bottom-left square up

5. Move the bottom-center square left

6. Move the center square down

7. Move the center-left square right

8. Move the bottom-left square up

9. Move the bottom-center square left

10. Move the bottom-right square left

Once all pieces are in their correct positions, the tree painting is restored and the strongbox unlocks automatically.

Reward: Petal Flower Earring

Completing the strongbox puzzle rewards the Petal Flower Earring, an accessory that provides 5 Defense and includes a special music box feature that allows you to play a song. This earring is a solid pickup during the mid-game, particularly for builds that benefit from the defensive stat boost.

Hidden Door Puzzle (Lower Level)

The second puzzle is found on the exterior lower ledge of the cabin. This puzzle is easy to miss if you do not explore the outside of the structure carefully. Navigate around and below the cabin to find a locked door with another sliding painting puzzle. This one has a painting depicting a black cat with some bottles and shrubbery in the background.

The mechanics are identical to the strongbox puzzle: slide the square fragments into their correct positions to reconstruct the complete image. Once the painting is restored, the hidden door unlocks and grants access to a small interior room.

Reward: Meliara's Lesser Elixir Recipe

Inside the hidden room, on top of a stack of books, you will find Meliara's Lesser Elixir Recipe. This is an alchemy crafting recipe that should be learned immediately upon pickup so it gets added to your crafting system. The elixir provides temporary combat buffs that are useful during early and mid-game encounters.

Meliara's Lesser Elixir is a lower-tier version of Meliara's Elixir, providing shorter buff durations. Despite being a lesser variant, the combination of increased max health and boosted attack speed makes it valuable for tougher fights encountered during the Hernand region's exploration.

Tips

• Bring a mask. Purchase one from the Back Alley Shop before visiting the cabin. Without a mask you cannot loot the strongbox after solving the puzzle.

• Check both levels. Many players solve the upper strongbox and leave without noticing the hidden door puzzle on the lower ledge. Explore the exterior of the cabin thoroughly.

• Learn the recipe immediately. Meliara's Lesser Elixir Recipe must be consumed from your inventory to add it to your crafting list. Do not leave it sitting in your bag.

• Start puzzles from the edges. For both sliding puzzles, identify corner and edge fragments first. This reduces the number of possible placements and makes the center pieces fall into place more naturally.

• Watch for the contribution penalty. Looting the strongbox deducts 5 Contribution in the Hernand region. If your Contribution is low, consider raising it through commissions or other activities before stealing.

Related Articles

• Strongbox Puzzle Locations and Solutions

• All Puzzle Solutions

• Hernand

• Pororin Forest

• Accessories

• Alchemy

• All Recipe Locations

• Disguise System

• Contribution System