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Mystical Key
May 23, 2026 at 03:59 PM
Content update (2026-05-23)
Mystical Key is a main quest in Chapter 1: The First Encounter of Crimson Desert. After completing all three Trials of Kindness quests, the Shabby Wooden Key has transformed into an Engraved Key that glows with mysterious energy. Kliff must disguise himself in Hernandian Attire, enter Hernand Castle, find the locked alchemist's chamber, and pass through an Abyss Gate hidden within. This quest marks Kliff's first voluntary entry into the Abyss.
Detail | Information |
|---|---|
Chapter | Chapter 1: The First Encounter, Trace |
Region | |
Location | |
Previous Quest | Heart Beyond Borders (plus True Wisdom in Kindness and Actions Speak Louder Than Words) |
Next Quest | |
Requirements | Complete all three Trials of Kindness quests |
Rewards |
Open your inventory and find the Engraved Key. Use the examine function (X + A on controller) to inspect it. Hold L1/LB to zoom in on the key's tip. This triggers a brief cinematic showing the key glowing.
Before heading to the castle, make sure you have the Hernandian Attire equipped. This disguise was earned during Actions Speak Louder Than Words. If you approach the castle gates without it, the guards will turn you away and the dialogue repeats until you equip it.
With the attire equipped, approach the castle gates. The soldiers recognize the outfit and open the gates. Walk through the training yard past the Contribution Shop and through the inner gate.
Enter the main castle building and take the first right doorway to reach a staircase. Climb to the second floor and enter the hallway on the right. Nobles are conversing in the grand hallway, and a maid nearby mentions that the alchemist's chamber door is always locked. The alchemist's chamber is the first door on the left in this corridor.
Use the Engraved Key to unlock the door and step inside. The alchemist's chamber contains shelves of equipment and reagents. Open the glowing chest to receive a Faded Abyss Artifact. Next to the shelves, an Abyss Gate shimmers in the wall.
Interact with the Abyss Gate (Square/X) to pass through it. Kliff is transported into the Abyss, beginning the next quest, Polar Opposites. This is Kliff's first time choosing to enter the Abyss rather than being forced there (as happened during the Prologue).
If the guards keep blocking you at the castle gate, check your inventory. The Hernandian Attire must be equipped, not just carried.
Explore the castle before heading to the chamber. There are NPCs with lore dialogue and a Contribution Shop with useful items for sale.
The Faded Abyss Artifact in the chest is easy to miss if you rush straight to the gate. Open the chest first.
This quest has no combat. It is an infiltration and exploration sequence.
To trigger this quest, open your inventory and select the Engraved Key. Use the examine function (X + A on controller) to inspect the key in detail. Hold L1/LB to zoom in on the key's tip, where you can see faint engravings glowing with a blue-purple energy. This close inspection triggers a brief cinematic showing the key resonating with power, which updates your quest log with the objective to visit Hernand Castle.
After the castle gate guards permit entry (provided you are wearing the Hernandian Attire), you pass through the castle's outer grounds. The training yard is on your left, where soldiers practice combat drills. The Contribution Shop is on the right side of the courtyard, selling items that can be purchased with Contribution points earned from quests and NPC interactions. Browse the shop before heading inside the castle proper; several items here become useful in the Abyss sections ahead. Continue through the inner gate to reach the main castle building.
On the second floor of the castle, after ascending the staircase and entering the grand hallway, you will hear nobles conversing. A maid standing near one of the doors provides a crucial hint: she mentions that "this door is always locked" and that no one has been able to open it. This is the door to the alchemist's chamber, and the Engraved Key is the only way to unlock it. The maid's dialogue confirms you are in the right place.
The alchemist's chamber is a medium-sized room filled with shelves of equipment, reagents, and old texts. A glowing chest sits near the desk in the center of the room. Open it to receive a Faded Abyss Artifact. After collecting the artifact, turn toward the shelves behind the desk. An Abyss Gate shimmers in the wall between two bookcases. This gate was invisible before you opened the chest; the artifact's energy appears to have revealed it. Interact with the Abyss Gate to be transported into the Abyss, beginning the next quest.
