Revision 11

Overview

Sealed Abyss Artifacts are collectible items found throughout the continent of Pywel in Crimson Desert. There are 141 total Sealed Abyss Artifacts scattered across the five major regions of the game world. Each artifact unlocks a corresponding entry in the Challenges menu, covering Mastery, Combat, and Life categories. Finding and completing every single challenge is required for the Platinum trophy on PlayStation and 1000 Gamerscore on Xbox, making these artifacts essential for 100% completion.

Unlike standard Abyss Artifacts (which can be spent immediately as skill points in the Abyss skill tree), Sealed Abyss Artifacts come with a specific requirement that must be fulfilled before the artifact unseals. Requirements range from defeating enemies with particular weapons to completing life skill tasks, trading goods, or performing horseback feats. Once unsealed, the artifact becomes a spendable point for upgrading Kliff's abilities.

This guide organizes all 141 artifacts by the five regions of Pywel: Hernand, Demeniss, Pailune, Delesyia, and the Crimson Desert region. For a detailed list of individual artifact positions, see the companion article Sealed Abyss Artifact Locations.

How to Find Sealed Abyss Artifacts

Sealed Abyss Artifacts are not marked on the world map. They do appear as purple icons on the minimap when you are within range, which is the primary way to detect them while exploring. Every artifact is placed along a road, path, or intersection. You will never find one deep in the wilderness, inside a dungeon, or underwater.

The most reliable detection method is the Guiding Light ability. Hold your sword aloft and activate it (L1 + R1 on PlayStation, LB + RB on Xbox, CTRL + Left Click on PC). When a Sealed Abyss Artifact is nearby, a blue glimmer appears in its direction, making it easy to pinpoint the exact position even before the minimap icon becomes visible.

You can also hold up your lantern while exploring. Sealed Abyss Artifacts emit a distinct white ring of light when illuminated by the lantern, making them visible from a greater distance than the minimap range alone. This technique is especially useful while riding through open terrain at night.

Physically, Sealed Abyss Artifacts sit on small stone cairns or altars placed alongside primary travel paths. Around 90% of them are positioned directly next to the road at intersections, bridges, or bends. The remaining few are on short side paths branching off main roads.

Challenge Categories

Each Sealed Abyss Artifact is tied to one challenge in the Challenges menu. Challenges are organized into three main tabs, which are further divided into subcategories. The table below shows every subcategory and the approximate number of artifacts associated with each.

The approximate total across all subcategories adds up to roughly 134 accounted artifacts. The remaining artifacts are distributed across subcategories where exact counts vary slightly depending on the source, and some subcategories may contain one or two more entries than listed above. The confirmed grand total is 141.

Region Summary

The 141 artifacts are distributed unevenly across the five regions. Hernand contains the most by a significant margin, since it is the largest and most densely populated region. The table below provides an overview.

Note: Exact per-region counts are approximate because official sources organize artifacts by challenge category rather than by geographic region. The numbers above are based on documented artifact positions from community guides and interactive maps.

Hernand

Hernand is the starting region and by far the most artifact-dense area in Crimson Desert. It is a lush landscape of rolling grasslands, dense forests, and farmland, centered around the medieval city of Hernand Castle. The region's extensive road network connects dozens of towns, farms, outposts, and shrines, and Sealed Abyss Artifacts are placed along nearly every major road.

Players will encounter their first Sealed Abyss Artifacts here during the early chapters of the story. Because Hernand has the highest concentration of artifacts and the broadest variety of challenge categories represented, it is the best region to begin a focused collection run.

Notable Landmark Areas in Hernand

The following landmarks in Hernand are surrounded by clusters of artifacts. When planning a collection route, these serve as natural waypoints.

Challenge Categories Found in Hernand

Hernand contains artifacts from all three major challenge tabs. The Mastery artifacts here cover Sword, Shield, Spear, Bow, Two-Handed Weapon, Rapier and Shield, and Horse categories. Combat artifacts include Training, Battle, and Operations entries. Life artifacts span Hunting, Above the Law, and Challenges and Changes subcategories.

Because the region is so rich in artifacts, players who thoroughly explore Hernand's road network before progressing to other regions can unlock a substantial portion of the challenge menu early on. This gives normal gameplay activities (fighting enemies, trading, hunting) a head start on counting toward challenge completion.

Demeniss

Demeniss is the political and military heartland of Pywel. It sits in the central-eastern portion of the map and is home to powerful noble houses like House Thorel and House Byron. The landscape features castle-lined roads, fortified farmland, and religious sites. Sealed Abyss Artifacts here tend to cluster along the roads connecting major estates and military installations.

Notable Landmark Areas in Demeniss

Challenge Categories Found in Demeniss

Demeniss has a strong concentration of Mastery artifacts, particularly for Horse, Sword, Spear, Bow, and Rapier and Shield categories. The Horse artifacts are especially prominent here, with multiple Horse challenge entries found along the roads near Stonewell Farm, Ironwood Farm, and the House of Healing.

Combat and Life artifacts are also present but in smaller numbers compared to Hernand. The Challenges and Changes subcategory has at least one entry near the Spire of Clockwork, requiring players to win consecutive games of Thrones (a card game found at taverns).

Pailune

Pailune lies in the northern reaches of Pywel and is defined by its snowy tundra and icy mountain passes. This is the homeland of Kliff's people, the Greymane mercenaries. The harsh terrain means roads are fewer and more spread out compared to southern regions, but each road tends to have artifacts placed at key intersections.

Notable Landmark Areas in Pailune

Challenge Categories Found in Pailune

Pailune's artifacts lean heavily toward Mastery and Combat categories. The Two-Handed Weapon subcategory has a notable presence here, with artifacts near Skoghorn and Torvak Camp. Operations artifacts are found near River Breeze Hearth. The Trade subcategory also appears in Pailune Town, where players can find an artifact tied to transporting oak barrels.

Due to the region's mountainous terrain and fewer road connections, artifact collection in Pailune requires more deliberate routing. Players should activate the bell in this region early to reveal the full road network and plan their path accordingly.

Delesyia

Delesyia is the technological frontier of Pywel, located in the western portion of the map. The region is defined by its advanced workshops, mechanical inventions, and dense forests. It stands apart from the medieval atmosphere of Hernand and Demeniss, featuring more industrial landmarks and experimental facilities. The roads here pass through trading posts, research stations, and the Chittering Forest.

Notable Landmark Areas in Delesyia

Challenge Categories Found in Delesyia

Delesyia's artifacts show a mix of Mastery, Combat, and Life categories. The Cannon Mastery subcategory has entries here, fitting the region's technological theme. Life artifacts include entries from the Challenges and Changes and general Life subcategories. The Operations subcategory also appears near the South Gate.

Players may reach Delesyia later in the story compared to Hernand and Demeniss. If you are aiming to collect artifacts early, consider making a detour to Delesyia as soon as the region becomes accessible to start unlocking its challenges.

The Crimson Desert Region

The Crimson Desert region occupies the southern portion of the map and is the harshest environment in the game. The landscape is a barren wasteland of crimson-colored sand, extreme temperature swings between day and night, and frequent sandstorms that reduce visibility. Bandits and hostile groups control much of the territory. Despite the danger, the region contains a substantial number of Sealed Abyss Artifacts along its roads.

Notable Landmark Areas in the Crimson Desert

Challenge Categories Found in the Crimson Desert

The Crimson Desert region contains artifacts across all three challenge tabs. Mastery artifacts here include Bow, Gun, Cannon, and Special Equipment entries, which fits the region's emphasis on ranged and specialized weaponry. The Special Equipment subcategory is particularly notable: the Knuckledrill and Lightning Spear artifacts are both found in this region near Isvatu Fortress and Arcosa respectively.

Life artifacts in this region cover Hunting, Life, Trade, and Above the Law subcategories. Combat artifacts include Battle entries near Tommaso. Collecting artifacts in the Crimson Desert can be challenging due to sandstorms and hostile encounters along the roads, so bringing strong equipment and recovery items is recommended.

Recommended Collection Strategy

The most efficient approach to collecting all 141 Sealed Abyss Artifacts begins with unfogging the entire map. 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, seeing the full road network is critical for planning collection routes.

While visiting each bell, activate nearby Abyss Nexus and Abyss Cresset fast travel points. Having fast travel access across all five regions lets you quickly jump between zones during your collection run rather than riding the full distance each time.

Once the map is fully revealed, work through one region at a time. Start with Hernand since it has the highest artifact density and you are most familiar with its roads from the early game. Follow every road systematically, keeping the Guiding Light ability active every few seconds. Artifacts that you have already collected will not appear on the minimap again, so there is no risk of double-counting.

Suggested Region Order

• 1. Hernand (start here for the highest artifact density and easiest terrain)

• 2. Demeniss (accessible early and connected to Hernand's eastern roads)

• 3. Pailune (head north for the snowy region; fewer roads but still significant artifacts)

• 4. Delesyia (travel west for the technological region's scattered artifacts)

• 5. Crimson Desert (save the harsh desert for last when you have strong equipment)

Tips

• Collect artifacts as early as possible. Challenge progress does not count retroactively for most requirements. If you defeat 50 enemies with a sword before finding the Sword 1 artifact, those kills will not count. The sooner you pick up artifacts, the more normal gameplay contributes to challenge completion.

• Use the 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.

• Hold up your lantern at night. Sealed Abyss Artifacts emit a distinctive white glow when illuminated by the lantern. This makes nighttime collection surprisingly effective, especially in open terrain.

• Travel by horse. Horseback travel is the fastest way to cover the long road distances between artifacts. Keep your horse well-fed for maximum speed.

• Check your inventory for unsealed artifacts. After collecting many artifacts, it is easy to lose track of which ones you have completed. Open your inventory and hover over each Sealed Abyss Artifact to read its description and learn what is needed to unseal it.

• Combine with other collectible runs. While following roads for artifacts, keep an eye out for Abyss Cressets, hidden chests, and other collectibles nearby. Roads often pass near these points of interest.

• Use interactive maps. Community-created interactive maps for Pywel mark every known Sealed Abyss Artifact location. Cross-referencing these maps while exploring can help ensure you do not miss any artifacts in a region.

• Some challenges track retroactively. While most challenge counters start from zero when you pick up the artifact, a small number of cumulative challenges (such as total distance traveled or total enemies defeated) do count progress made before collection. Check each challenge description for specifics.

Rewards

Completing the challenges tied to Sealed Abyss Artifacts yields three types of rewards:

The specific reward type varies by challenge. Mastery challenges tend to award Abyss Artifacts (skill points), while Life and Combat challenges may award Faded Abyss Artifacts or Abyss Gears. You can preview each challenge's reward in the Challenges menu after unlocking its entry.

Related Articles

• Sealed Abyss Artifact Locations (detailed position-by-position guide)

• Challenges (full list of all Mastery, Combat, Life, and Minigame challenges)

• Abyss Artifacts (how artifacts work as the skill currency)

• Abyss Artifacts Farming Guide (efficient methods for earning artifacts)

• Bells (locations of all 8 bells for revealing the world map)

• Skills (the Abyss skill tree and how to spend artifacts)

• Trophy Guide (full roadmap to Platinum and 100% completion)

Pickpocket Chance Artifacts by Region

Four sealed abyss artifacts collectively grant up to 70% Pickpocket Additional Item Chance. They are spread across three open-world regions and one Abyss island.

Steel Mountains

Thornbrier Fortress holds a +10% pickpocket relic. Enter through the broken wall near the front gate and complete the three-church candle theft in Demeniss to claim the reward.

Crimson Desert Trader Expanse

Above the Desert Ruins sits a +10% pickpocket relic. Its trial asks you to steal five items within ten seconds. The house beside Rhett and the smithy in Hernand is the standard solution.

Pailune

A +10% relic waits at the Five-Finger Mountain Gate in Pailune. Kill five sleeping burglars at the nearby bandit camp after dark to unlock it.

The Abyss, Twisted Thicketway

The Twisted Thicketway island holds the final piece, a +20% pickpocket relic in a hidden chest past Skyloop Bridge. Defeating the worm boss then taking two left turns reveals the chest, raising the stacked total to 70%.