All Sealed Abyss Artifact Locations

Overview

Sealed Abyss Artifacts are collectible items scattered across the continent of Pywel in Crimson Desert. Described in the game's lore as fragments of the Abyss that fell from the skies, these small polygonal cubes sit on stone altars and roadside shrines throughout the open world. There are 141 total Sealed Abyss Artifacts in the game, and collecting every single one is required for 100% completion, the Platinum trophy on PlayStation, and 1000 Gamerscore on Xbox.

Each Sealed Abyss Artifact is tied directly to a specific Challenge entry in the Challenges menu. Challenge progress only starts counting after you pick up the associated artifact, so collecting them early is strongly recommended. The artifacts cover three major categories: Mastery, Combat, and Life. Completing every challenge across all categories is necessary for the full set of trophies and achievements.

How Sealed Abyss Artifacts Work

When you pick up a Sealed Abyss Artifact, it enters your inventory in a locked state. You cannot spend it until you complete the specific challenge printed in its description. Hover over any sealed artifact in your inventory to read what needs to be done. Common unlock requirements include reaching a weapon mastery level, defeating a certain number of enemies with a particular weapon type, performing traversal feats, completing life skill tasks, or finishing specific quests.

Once the condition is met, the artifact unseals automatically. Unsealed artifacts come in three forms:

To spend regular Abyss Artifacts as skill points, open the progression menu and navigate to the Abyss Skill Tree. The tree is split into three color-coded branches: Blue (Stamina), Green (Spirit), and Red (Health). Each upgrade costs one artifact. Abyss Gear items can be managed through the equipment screen, where you slot them into available gear sockets. You can also visit the Witch NPC to manage and attach ability cores to your gear.

How to Find Sealed Abyss Artifacts

Sealed Abyss Artifacts are not marked on the main world map. They only appear as purple icons on the minimap when you get close to one. Every artifact is positioned along a road, path, or intersection. You will never find one buried deep in the wilderness or hidden inside a dungeon.

The most reliable detection method is the Guiding Light ability. When activated, your sword emits a blue glimmer that points in the direction of any nearby artifact. This works even before the purple minimap icon becomes visible, giving you a head start on locating them. The controls are:

Press the Guiding Light input every few seconds while riding along roads to sweep for nearby artifacts. You can also hold up a Lantern at night, which causes Sealed Abyss Artifacts to emit a faint white light from a distance, making them easier to spot in dark environments.

Recommended Collection Strategy

1. Unfog the entire map first. Activate all 8 hidden bells scattered across Pywel. Ringing each bell reveals a large section of the world map, including road outlines. Since every artifact sits on a road, this makes finding them dramatically easier.

2. Grab fast travel points along the way. While activating the bells, interact with every Abyss Nexus (fast travel point) you pass. This lets you return to each region quickly during your collection sweep.

3. Work through one region at a time. The five regions are Hernand, Demeniss, Pailune, Delesyia, and the Crimson Desert. Follow every road systematically within each region before moving on.

4. Collect early, not late. Most challenge progress does not count retroactively. If you defeat 50 enemies with a sword before finding the Sword 1 artifact, those kills will not count. The counter starts from zero when you pick up the artifact. Some cumulative challenges (like total distance traveled) are exceptions, but most are not.

5. Travel by horse. Horseback travel is the fastest way to cover ground between artifact locations. Keep your horse well-fed and rested for maximum speed.

6. Combine with other collectibles. While following roads, keep an eye out for Abyss Cressets, hidden chests, and ancient tablets nearby.

Challenge Categories

Every Sealed Abyss Artifact belongs to one of three major categories that match the structure of the Challenges menu. Understanding which category an artifact belongs to helps you plan your collection route and prioritize the challenges you want to complete first.

Mastery Challenges

Mastery Challenges test your proficiency with each of Crimson Desert's weapon types and horse combat. Each weapon category has its own set of sealed artifacts with escalating difficulty.

Combat Challenges

Combat Challenges focus on performance in fights, large-scale battles, and military engagements. There are three subcategories:

Life Challenges

Life Challenges cover non-combat activities and the various life skills available throughout Pywel:

Artifacts by Region Summary

The 141 Sealed Abyss Artifacts are distributed unevenly across the five major regions of Pywel. The starting region of Hernand has the highest concentration, while the later regions spread artifacts more thinly along their road networks. The table below shows the documented count per region. Note that 134 of 141 artifacts have been confirmed and mapped by the community so far; the remaining 7 are believed to be distributed across the later regions.

Hernand Region

The Hernand region is the starting area and contains the highest concentration of Sealed Abyss Artifacts in the entire game. With over 40 artifacts documented, the roads around Hernand Castle, Goldleaf Trading Post, Calphade, the northern watchtowers, Fort Warspike, and the surrounding farmlands are packed with collectibles. Most players will find their first artifact shortly after leaving Hernand Town during the early chapters of the story. The Hernand region also encompasses sub-areas like Meandering Hills, Rocca's Hill, the Mountain of Frozen Souls, and the Deepfog Basin, all of which contain artifacts along their road networks.

Mastery Artifacts (Hernand)

Combat Artifacts (Hernand)

Life Artifacts (Hernand)

Demeniss Region

The Demeniss region lies to the east of Hernand and is home to the Kingdom of Demeniss. With around 26 documented artifacts, this region has the second-highest concentration after Hernand. Artifacts are spread along the roads connecting Stonewell Farm, Ironwood Farm, the Spire of Clockwork, Reventine Monastery, Thornbriar Fortress, and the southern court area. The Demeniss region also features several roads that wind through steep terrain, so watch for artifacts on cliff-side paths near the Bloodsteel South Gate and Scorchrock Castle.

Mastery Artifacts (Demeniss)

Combat Artifacts (Demeniss)

Life Artifacts (Demeniss)

Pailune Region

The Pailune region is a mountainous northern area known for its harsh terrain and remote settlements. With around 16 documented artifacts, Pailune has fewer artifacts than the southern regions but they are spread across a wide area. Key landmark roads near Pailune town, Skoghorn, Torvak Camp, River Breeze Hearth, and Svinholt Ranch are the primary collection routes. Be sure to check branching side roads in the mountain passes, as several artifacts hide on short dead-end paths.

Mastery Artifacts (Pailune)

Combat Artifacts (Pailune)

Life Artifacts (Pailune)

Delesyia Region

The Delesyia region occupies the western portion of the map and is characterized by its rolling farmlands, coastal areas, and the heavily industrialized districts around Delesyia proper. With around 25 documented artifacts, this region has a strong mix of mastery, combat, and life challenge types. Key collection areas include the Delesyia South Gate, Windrose Farm, Redfox Trading Post, Chittering Forest, Fort Windridge, and the coastline near Sweetbloom Plantation.

Mastery Artifacts (Delesyia)

Combat Artifacts (Delesyia)

Life Artifacts (Delesyia)

The Crimson Desert Region

The Crimson Desert region occupies the southern portion of the map and is the harshest environment in the game. This arid, dangerous landscape is home to some of the toughest enemies and most advanced challenges. With 25 or more documented artifacts, the roads connecting Tommaso, the Well of Reflection, Isvatu Fortress, Arcosa, Varnia, and the Crimson Mountains Fortress all contain collectibles. Many artifacts in this region are tied to high-level special equipment and advanced combat challenges that require endgame strength.

Mastery Artifacts (Crimson Desert)

Combat Artifacts (Crimson Desert)

Life Artifacts (Crimson Desert)

How to Unseal Artifacts

Once you collect a Sealed Abyss Artifact, it sits in your inventory until you complete the associated challenge. Open your Journal and navigate to Challenges, then select the appropriate subcategory (Mastery, Combat, or Life) to find the specific task. Each artifact's description also tells you what to do when you hover over it in the inventory.

Common unlock requirements include:

After the condition is fulfilled, the artifact unseals automatically and can be consumed. Regular Abyss Artifacts become spendable skill points in the Abyss Skill Tree. Faded Abyss Artifacts allow a full skill tree reset. Abyss Gears can be slotted into equipment for stat bonuses. You can also visit the Witch NPC to manage and attach ability cores to your gear.

Relationship to the Challenges Menu

The Challenges menu is where you track your progress toward all Mastery, Combat, and Life objectives. However, challenge entries only appear in the menu after you find the corresponding Sealed Abyss Artifact. Until then, the challenge slot remains hidden.

This has a critical implication: if you complete an activity before collecting the artifact (for instance, defeating 50 enemies with a sword before finding Sword 1), that progress will not count toward the challenge. The counter starts from zero when you pick up the artifact. Some cumulative challenges (like total distance traveled or total enemies defeated) are exceptions and do track retroactively, but most do not.

Completing every challenge across all categories is required for the full set of trophies and achievements. Since each challenge is gated behind a Sealed Abyss Artifact, collecting all 141 artifacts is a prerequisite for the Platinum trophy on PlayStation and 1000 Gamerscore on Xbox.

Tips for Efficient Collection

1. Activate all 8 bells first. Ringing the hidden bells reveals the full world map, including road outlines. Since every artifact sits on a road, seeing the road network makes planning your route much simpler.

2. Use Guiding Light constantly. Press the Guiding Light input every few seconds while riding along roads. The blue glimmer points directly at nearby artifacts and is visible even before the minimap icon appears.

3. Collect early in the story. Most challenge progress does not count retroactively. The sooner you pick up artifacts, the sooner your normal gameplay starts counting toward challenge requirements.

4. Check inventory descriptions. Each Sealed Abyss Artifact has an in-game description explaining how to unseal it. If an artifact has been sitting sealed in your inventory for a while, hover over it to learn what you need to do.

5. Use a Lantern at night. Holding up a Lantern in dark environments causes nearby Sealed Abyss Artifacts to emit a faint white glow, making them easier to spot from a distance.

6. Ride along every road. Artifacts are always found on roads, paths, or at intersections. Never ride off-road hoping to stumble on one. Stick to the road network and you will eventually pass every artifact location.

7. Track by region. Work through one region at a time. The five regions are Hernand, Demeniss, Pailune, Delesyia, and the Crimson Desert. Artifacts you have already collected will not appear on the minimap again, so there is no risk of double-counting.

8. Use the Challenges menu to find gaps. If you are missing a few artifacts near the end of your collection, open the Challenges menu and look for locked entries. This narrows down which artifact types you are still missing, making it easier to search the correct roads.

9. Combine with other collectibles. While following roads, keep an eye out for Abyss Cressets, hidden chests, and ancient tablets along the way.

Notes

• This guide documents 134 of the 141 total Sealed Abyss Artifacts confirmed by the game's challenge tracking system. The remaining 7 are believed to be distributed across the later regions and will be added as they are discovered and verified by the community.

• Artifacts that have already been collected will not reappear on the minimap during subsequent visits to that area.

• Some artifacts are located on short dead-end roads or side paths that branch off from main highways. Be sure to explore branching roads, not just the main routes connecting towns.

• The Horse 8 artifact at Ridgehunter Tannery in Pailune requires clearing a group of enemies before you can access it. This is one of the few artifacts that involves combat just to reach it.

• The Above the Law 9 artifact at Thornbriar Fortress is on a ledge outside the south entrance, not inside the fortress itself. It is easy to miss if you only enter through the main gate.

Pickpocket Chance Sealed Abyss Artifacts

Four sealed abyss artifacts grant the Pickpocket Additional Item Chance stat. Stacked together they reach 70%, which is what makes the noblewoman gold-bar farm in the Demeniss Wildlife Park viable.

Thornbrier Fortress, Steel Mountains

The fortress sits in the Steel Mountains, south side of the map. Approach the front gate and look for a hole in the wall behind a loose stone to reach the sealed chamber. The reward is gated behind stealing the altar candle from three churches: East Demeniss, West Demeniss, and the Cathedral of Demeniss. Every church is an instant-arrest zone, so crouch the moment you grab each candle. Night runs are easier. If guards catch you, you lose the robbery mask but keep the candle, and replacement masks are sold at the Back Alley Shop in Demeniss and in the bottom-right of Hernand.

Above the Desert Ruins, Crimson Desert Trader Expanse

This relic sits above the Desert Ruins in the Crimson Desert Trader Expanse. To claim it you need to steal five objects within ten seconds. The cleanest run is the house next to Rhett and the smithy in Hernand: climb to the second-floor stair during daytime when the building is empty and spam the steal prompt until the timer resolves.

Pailune, Five-Finger Mountain Gate

Next to the Five-Finger Mountain Gate fast-travel marker in Pailune is a sealed relic that demands killing five enemies in their sleep. Head to the bandit camp, wait for nightfall, then jump behind the main tent where the burglars bed down. Crouch and strike each one while they snore.

Twisted Thicketway, The Abyss

Inside the Abyss, reach the Twisted Thicketway island by crossing Skyloop Bridge past the Ice Cradle. Kill the worm boss that guards the area, turn left, then left again to find a hidden chest containing the final pickpocket-chance relic. This one pushes the stacked bonus from 60% to the full 70%.