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Regions of Pywel
March 1, 2026 at 07:03 AM
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Pywel is the continent where Crimson Desert takes place. It is divided into five regions, each with its own landscape, factions, and storylines. The world is seamless with no loading screens between zones. The map is roughly twice the size of Skyrim and bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2.
Enemy levels are fixed. There is no level scaling. Regions have set enemy difficulties. You can wander into any area from the start, but dangerous regions have enemies that are significantly stronger than you early on. This rewards returning to challenging areas once you have better equipment and artifacts.
While the open world is freely explorable, the main story progresses through regions in a specific order. Based on gameplay coverage, the intended progression is:
Pailune -- The starting region and original homeland of the Greymanes.
Hernand -- The medieval castle region with mountains and rivers.
Demeniss -- The political and military center of Pywel.
Delesyia -- The technology and science region with steampunk aesthetics.
Crimson Desert -- The final, most dangerous region.
The northernmost region of Pywel and the original homeland of the Greymanes. Pailune is characterized by gorgeous autumn weather, green highlands, and sweeping autumn-hued valleys. This is where the game begins -- the story opens with a tutorial mission before the Greymanes are completely shattered. The leader Gian dies, the Black Bears attack, and Kliff must flee. Returning to Pailune later in the game carries narrative weight as it is the home the Greymanes lost.
A region defined by mountains, rivers, and medieval castles. Hernand serves as a hub for early commerce and quest-giving after leaving Pailune. The region features faction-driven quests and initial faction conflicts. Hernand's terrain offers natural climbing challenges and river crossings that reward the use of the grappling hook and gliding mechanics.
The political and military center of Pywel. Demeniss features white-walled cities with grand architecture. Faction politics run deep here. The region serves as a stage for the game's political storylines, with established power structures and competing interests. Faction quests in Demeniss revolve around political maneuvering and military conflict.
The science and technology region with a steampunk aesthetic. Delesyia is home to flying robots, mechanical constructs, and the battle mech. The region's architecture and inhabitants reflect an industrialized society that contrasts sharply with the rest of Pywel's more medieval settings. This is where the mech mount is found and where steampunk enemies (mechs with robotic companions) are encountered.
The red sands region that gives the game its name. This is the most dangerous area in Pywel, characterized by lawlessness, extreme temperatures, sandstorms, and powerful enemies. The Crimson Desert is home to some of the toughest content in the game. It serves as the final frontier of exploration. See the Crimson Desert region page for detailed coverage.
Each region has distinct enemy types that reflect its culture and environment:
Location | Description |
|---|---|
Regular soldiers | Standard human enemies found across faction-controlled territory in all regions. |
Mages | Magical enemies that cast spells and require different combat approaches. |
Steampunk mechs | Found in Delesyia. Mechanical enemies with robotic companions that fight alongside them. |
Wildlife and creatures | Region-specific fauna ranging from minor threats to major boss encounters. |
The world map includes a faction overlay that shows which factions control which areas. Enemy-controlled territories are highlighted in red on the map. As you liberate areas and shift faction alignments, the map updates to reflect the changing balance of power across Pywel.
Each region features a mix of content scales:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Massive battlefields with large numbers of NPCs fighting simultaneously. | -- |
Fortress sieges | Large-scale assault events with siege equipment, mounted combat, and environmental destruction. |
Character-focused missions -- Smaller, personal quests tied to individual NPCs. | -- |
Boss encounters | Unique boss fights tied to each region's lore and landscape. |
Quiet moments | Wagon rides, conversations, and exploration without combat. |
Above Pywel, the Abyss exists as a separate dimension. Floating islands and Abyss Dungeons hang in the sky, accessible via hot air balloons. Fragments of the Abyss rain down onto the continent, creating Traces of the Abyss that serve as fast travel points and progression resources. A special vision mode can be activated to reveal Abyss-related objects in the environment that are otherwise invisible.
