Revision 5

Overview

Strongboxes are locked treasure containers found throughout Pywel in Crimson Desert. Each one is protected by a unique mechanical puzzle that must be solved before it can be opened. The rewards inside are some of the best accessories, recipes, and key items available in the game, making them well worth seeking out. There are 19 strongboxes in total, spread across three regions: Hernand (6), Demeniss (10), and Pailune (3).

Because the items inside strongboxes count as stolen goods, you must be wearing a mask to collect the contents after solving the puzzle. Without a mask, you can still solve the puzzle, but you will not be able to claim the loot. Masks can be purchased from the Back Alley Shop southeast of the Church of Hernand for about 10 copper coins, looted from Bleed Bandits, or earned by capturing the bounty target Jeffrey at the Hernand Constabulary.

Puzzle Types

The 19 strongboxes use four different puzzle mechanics. Understanding the type before you start saves time and frustration.

Quick Reference Table

Use this table for a fast overview of every strongbox. Detailed solutions for each one are provided in the sections below.

Hernand Region Strongboxes

The Hernand region contains six strongboxes, most of which are found inside manor houses and notable buildings in and around the City of Hernand. These are the first strongboxes most players will encounter, and several of them offer excellent early-game accessories.

1. Northern Bluemont Manor Strongbox

Location: Second floor of the northern building at Bluemont Manor, in the bedroom of Leon Roberts. Bluemont Manor is on the western side of the City of Hernand. The northern building is the smaller stone structure. Climb the exterior wall and enter through a second-floor window if the front entrance is blocked by guards.

Prerequisites: Access to Bluemont Manor may require completing the first two stages of the First Trial of Trust quest during Chapter 2. A mask is required to take the contents.

Puzzle Type: Button sequence. This strongbox features a hexagonal prism with an image of an owl printed across four rotating cylinder sections. Four buttons are positioned along the front, and each button rotates a different combination of cylinders. The goal is to align all four sections so the owl picture is complete.

Solution: Press the buttons in this order: 4, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3. That is, press Button 4 once, Button 1 three times, Button 2 four times, and Button 3 four times. This sequence rotates each cylinder to the correct position to complete the owl image.

Reward: Oath of Darkness earring. This accessory provides +2 Defense, making it one of the strongest defensive earrings available early in the game. It sells for approximately 4 silver and 26 copper.

2. Southern Bluemont Manor Strongbox

Location: Second floor of the southern building at Bluemont Manor, on the western side of the room. The southern building is the larger house west of the butcher shop.

Puzzle Type: Scroll wheel (cylinder tumbler). Five segmented wheels control the height of pistons inside the box. Each wheel can be rotated to raise or lower its corresponding piston. The strongbox displays a reference image showing the target height. Set all five wheels correctly, then pull the switch on the right. If the pistons match the image, the box opens.

Solution: First raise all five wheels to their maximum position. Then, working left to right, lower each wheel by the following number of scrolls:

After setting all five wheels, pull the switch on the right side. Remember that one full scroll equals Kliff's thumb lifting back to the top of the wheel. Each scroll contains two thumb movements.

Reward: Finely Crafted Gold Necklace. This accessory provides +1 Attack and Critical Rate Level 1. It sells for approximately 4 silver.

3. Hillside Manor Strongbox

Location: Second floor, southwestern room of Hillside Manor in the City of Hernand. Hillside Manor sits below the eastern tip of Hernand Castle, above the Church of Hernand. Enter via the back window on the northern side by climbing to the second floor.

Puzzle Type: Scroll wheel. This puzzle uses the same cylinder tumbler mechanism as the Southern Bluemont Manor strongbox. Five wheels control piston heights, and you must set them correctly before pulling the switch.

Solution: Working left to right, scroll each wheel the following number of times:

Pull the switch on the right side after setting all five wheels.

Reward: Saint's Necklace. This accessory grants a temporary stamina boost when used, making it a situationally useful pickup for stamina-intensive builds.

4. Lioncrest Manor Strongbox

Location: Second floor, eastern room of Lioncrest Manor, on the northwest outskirts of the City of Hernand, up the hill west of the castle. Climb the exterior wall and enter through a second-floor window. This location becomes accessible during the side quest "Bruna's Request."

Puzzle Type: Rotation. The strongbox displays a misaligned painting of a girl with fairy wings split into nine rotating fragments arranged in a 3x3 grid. Rotate each fragment individually until they all combine into the complete image.

Solution: This puzzle arrangement is randomized for every player, so there is no single fixed solution. Simply rotate each of the nine fragments until the full image comes together. There is no penalty for rotating in the wrong direction, no time limit, and no move limit. Work through the fragments methodically, starting from the corners and edges.

Reward: Engraved Gold Earring. This accessory can be further refined at a crafting station to unlock additional passive bonuses.

5. Hernand Castle Strongbox

Location: Top floor of Hernand Castle, inside a locked room in the third-floor bedroom area of the main keep. Two flights of stairs lead up to the locked door.

Prerequisites: You need Hernandian Attire (or Canta Armor) to pass through the castle gates. Hernandian Attire can be earned by completing the chimney-cleaning task for the tailor near Muckroot Ranch south of the city, or purchased from the Tailor's Shop in Hernand for 3 silver. You also need a key for the locked door, purchasable from the Back Alley Shop east of Hernand. Equip a mask before entering the room.

Puzzle Type: Melody replication. The strongbox has a crank dial on the right side and eight piano-style keys on the front. The top row contains three keys (numbered 1 through 3 from left to right), and the bottom row contains five keys (numbered 4 through 8 from left to right). Crank the dial until it catches, then release it to hear a seven-note melody. You must replicate the melody by pressing the correct keys in order.

Solution: The key sequence is: 1, 7, 6, 7, 3, 4, 3. That translates to: Top 1st, Bottom 4th, Bottom 3rd, Bottom 4th, Top 3rd, Bottom 1st, Top 3rd. You can crank the dial multiple times to replay the melody if you need to hear it again.

Note: The visual hint on the box is currently bugged for many players, making the image clue unreliable. Use the audio melody and the key sequence above instead.

Reward: Recipe: Lavish Meal. This cooking recipe allows you to prepare a meal that restores stamina and temporarily removes stamina consumption, making it one of the better food recipes in the mid-game.

6. Mudridge Cabin Strongbox

Location: Inside Mudridge Cabin in Pororin Forest, Hernand region, southeast of Unicorn Cliff. Climb up the posts of the cabin to reach the upper level. Defeat the bandits outside, then enter through the door. The strongbox is immediately beside you upon entering.

Puzzle Type: Sliding tile. The puzzle presents a 3x3 grid of image fragments that must be rearranged by sliding tiles in cardinal directions (up, down, left, right) to reconstruct the original painting.

Solution: Follow these 10 moves in order:

1. Move center right square down

2. Move center square right

3. Move center left square right

4. Move bottom left square up

5. Move bottom center square left

6. Move center square down

7. Move center left square right

8. Move bottom left square up

9. Move bottom center square left

10. Move bottom right square left

Reward: Flower Petal Earring. An accessory with stat bonuses useful for various character builds.

Demeniss Region Strongboxes

The Demeniss region contains ten strongboxes. These puzzles include sliding tiles, button sequences, scroll wheels, and melody replication, and generally require more exploration to reach. One strongbox (Church of West Demeniss) is tied to a main quest, while the others are optional.

7. Church of West Demeniss Strongbox

Location: Inside the Church of West Demeniss at Byron Estate. This strongbox is encountered during the "Secret at the Church" main quest and cannot be missed if you follow the story.

Puzzle Type: Button sequence. The strongbox features four boxes arranged in a 2x2 grid (upper left, upper right, lower left, lower right). Press them in the correct order to unlock it.

Solution: Press the boxes in this order:

1. Press the lower right box

2. Press the upper left box

3. Press the lower left box

4. Press the upper right box

Reward: Dagger of Radiance. This is a quest item used to activate the Pillar of Radiance inside the church. After obtaining it, plant the dagger into the slot at the Pillar of Radiance to progress the quest.

8. Southern Court Strongbox

Location: Second floor of Southern Court in Demeniss. Access the building from the rear entrance where guards are absent, then make your way upstairs to the room containing the strongbox.

Puzzle Type: Button sequence. This is one of the simplest strongbox puzzles in the game, requiring only two button presses.

Solution: Press the 1st button, then press the 2nd button. That is all it takes.

Reward: Witch's Earring. An accessory with unique stat bonuses.

9. Azerian Manor Strongbox

Location: Second floor of Azerian Manor in the Demeniss region. The strongbox is hidden behind a rotating wall that conceals a secret room. Look for an interactable wall section on the second floor to reveal the hidden chamber.

Puzzle Type: Button sequence. Three numbered buttons must be pressed in a specific repeating pattern.

Solution: Press the buttons in this order: 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3. That is Button 1 twice, Button 2 three times, and Button 3 three times.

Reward: Ancient Earring. A rare accessory with notable stat bonuses.

10. Sungrove Manor Strongbox

Location: Second floor of Sungrove Manor, northwest of the city of Demeniss. Head around the back of the manor to the southeastern side, where there are no guards. Climb up the walls and enter through the window. The strongbox is immediately to your left upon entering.

Puzzle Type: Rotation. Similar to the Lioncrest Manor puzzle, this strongbox displays a scrambled image split into multiple rotating panels. The arrangement is randomized each time you attempt it.

Solution: There is no fixed solution because the puzzle spawns in a random formation every time. Rotate each panel until it matches the target image displayed on the strongbox. You can take as many turns as needed, and there is no time limit or move penalty. Work methodically from the corners inward.

Reward: Sungrove Manor Key. This key item unlocks additional content within Sungrove Manor, so do not sell it.

11. Western Court Strongbox

Location: Underground, in the basement of Western Court, northwest of Demeniss. Navigate to the basement level to find this strongbox in a concealed underground room.

Puzzle Type: Sliding tile. This is one of the longest sliding puzzles in the game, requiring 16 precise moves on a 3x3 grid.

Solution: Follow these 16 moves in order:

1. Move bottom center square right

2. Move bottom left square right

3. Move center left square down

4. Move center square left

5. Move center right square left

6. Move bottom right square up

7. Move bottom center square right

8. Move bottom left square right

9. Move center left square down

10. Move center square left

11. Move bottom center square up

12. Move bottom left square right

13. Move center left square down

14. Move center square left

15. Move bottom center square up

16. Move bottom right square left

Reward: Karanda's Necklace. A powerful necklace accessory.

12. Reventine Monastery Strongbox

Location: Hidden behind a revolving bookshelf inside Reventine Monastery, located on the far western edge of the Demeniss region. On the second floor, find the left hallway and interact with the bookshelf to reveal the hidden room containing the strongbox.

Puzzle Type: Sliding tile. Another 16-move sliding puzzle, similar in complexity to the Western Court strongbox.

Solution: Follow these 16 moves in order:

1. Move center right square down

2. Move center square right

3. Move bottom center square up

4. Move bottom left square right

5. Move center left square down

6. Move center square left

7. Move bottom center square up

8. Move bottom right square left

9. Move center right square down

10. Move center square right

11. Move bottom center square up

12. Move bottom left square right

13. Move center left square down

14. Move center square left

15. Move center right square left

16. Move bottom right square up

Reward: Reventine Monastery Exclusive Document. A collectible item tied to this location's lore.

13. City of Demeniss Manor Strongbox

Location: Inside a manor along the north inner wall of the City of Demeniss. The strongbox is hidden behind a bookshelf on the first floor. Approach from the north side to avoid the guards posted near the main entrance.

Puzzle Type: Scroll wheel. This puzzle uses the same cylinder tumbler mechanism as the Bluemont Manor South, Hillside Manor, and Arboria Castle strongboxes. Five wheels control piston heights, and you must set them correctly before pulling the switch.

Solution: First raise all five wheels to their maximum position. Then, working left to right, lower each wheel by the following number of scrolls:

After setting all five wheels, activate the switch on the right side. The black lines on the cylinders should line up with the bottom reference mark when correctly positioned.

Reward: Recipe: Meal. A cooking recipe that unlocks a standard restorative dish at camp cooking stations.

14. Brookfield Manor Strongbox

Location: Second floor of Brookfield Manor, located in the northeastern section of the City of Demeniss. The strongbox is concealed behind a rotating bookshelf. Since guards block the front entrance, climb up to the second floor balcony and enter through the window.

Puzzle Type: Melody replication. The strongbox has a crank dial on the side and a set of keys arranged in two rows on the front panel. Crank the dial to hear the target melody, then replicate it by pressing the correct keys in order. The top row contains three keys and the bottom row contains five keys.

Solution: Press the keys in this order:

1. Top 3rd key

2. Bottom 3rd key

3. Bottom 4th key

4. Bottom 5th key

5. Bottom 4th key

6. Bottom 3rd key

7. Bottom 5th key

You can crank the dial multiple times to replay the melody if you need to hear it again.

Reward: Recipe: Extravagant Meal. An advanced cooking recipe that produces a high-quality feast with strong stat buffs. This is one of the best food recipes in the game.

15. Demeniss Castle Strongbox

Location: First floor of Demeniss Castle, in the southwestern corner of the building. The strongbox is hidden behind a rotating bookshelf. To enter without alerting guards, climb up the castle walls and glide down toward the side entrance on the southwestern side.

Puzzle Type: Button sequence. The strongbox features a hexagonal prism with an image of two deer facing each other, split across four rotating cylinder sections. Four buttons along the front each rotate different combinations of cylinders. The goal is to align all sections to complete the deer image.

Solution: Press the buttons in this order: 4, 4, 4, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3. That is Button 4 four times, Button 1 four times, Button 2 twice, and Button 3 four times.

Reward: Ogre's Ring. A powerful ring accessory with strong combat stats. This is one of the more valuable strongbox rewards in the Demeniss region.

16. Demeniss Tribunal Strongbox

Location: Hidden second floor room at the Demeniss Tribunal, located on the southwest side of the City of Demeniss. The building is heavily guarded. To reach the strongbox, climb onto the moat wall and glide down to the second floor window connected to the tower. Enter through the window to access the concealed room.

Puzzle Type: Melody replication. Same mechanical format as the Hernand Castle and Brookfield Manor strongboxes. Crank the dial on the side to hear a seven-note melody, then press the corresponding keys in sequence.

Solution: Press the keys in this order:

1. Bottom 3rd key

2. Bottom 1st key

3. Top 2nd key

4. Bottom 3rd key

5. Bottom 2nd key

6. Top 3rd key

7. Top 1st key

As with all melody puzzles, you can replay the tune by cranking the dial again if you lose track of the sequence.

Reward: Golden Deer's Tear. A rare accessory with distinctive stats, named after the decorative deer motif found throughout Demeniss architecture.

Pailune Region Strongboxes

The Pailune region contains three strongboxes. Two are found at Stellen Manor (one in the dining room, one in the tower), and the third is in the basement of Arboria Castle. These tend to be late-game strongboxes that you will encounter as the story progresses into Pailune.

17. Stellen Manor Strongbox (Dining Room)

Location: Second floor dining room of Stellen Manor in the Pailune region, northeast of Drakesfall Gorge. Access the building by climbing in through a window on the exterior.

Puzzle Type: Button sequence. The strongbox has a rotating board with keys arranged in two rows. Press the keys in the correct order to unlock it.

Solution: Press the keys in this order:

1. Press Bottom 1st key

2. Press Bottom 3rd key

3. Press Bottom 4th key

4. Press Bottom 2nd key

5. Press Bottom 1st key

6. Press Bottom 3rd key

7. Press Bottom 4th key

Reward: Stellen Manor Closet Key. This is a progression item that unlocks additional rooms in Stellen Manor, so do not sell or discard it.

18. Stellen Manor Strongbox (Tower)

Location: Tower room at Stellen Manor. Reach the tower by climbing through a window at the top of the building's exterior.

Puzzle Type: Scroll wheel. Five wheels must be set to the correct positions before pulling the switch, using the same mechanism as the Bluemont Manor South and Hillside Manor strongboxes.

Solution: Working left to right, scroll each wheel the following number of times, then activate the switch on the right:

Remember that one full scroll is indicated by Kliff's thumb lifting up to return to the top of the wheel.

Reward: Finely Crafted Gold Ring. A valuable ring accessory.

19. Arboria Castle Strongbox

Location: Basement of Arboria Castle, at the center of the lowest level in an area full of spider webs. Arboria Castle sits in the hills between the Hernand and Demeniss regions.

Puzzle Type: Scroll wheel. Five dials and a switch, using the same cylinder tumbler mechanism as other scroll wheel strongboxes.

Solution: Scroll each wheel the following number of times from left to right, then activate the switch:

Pull the switch on the right side after setting all five wheels.

Reward: Equipment Manual. A crafting resource used for equipment upgrades.

Tips and Strategies

• Always carry a mask. You never know when you will stumble upon a strongbox while exploring. Keep a mask in your inventory at all times to avoid backtracking to the Back Alley Shop. Masks can be toggled on and off by holding the Left D-Pad on a controller (or F2 on keyboard), navigating to the top-left mask silhouette, and pressing LT/RT (Xbox), L2/R2 (PlayStation), or scrolling the mouse wheel.

• Stealing costs contribution. Taking items from a strongbox causes an unavoidable -5 Contribution penalty in that region, regardless of whether anyone sees you. Factor this into your plans if you are trying to maintain high reputation with local factions.

• Watch for witnesses. After stealing, a red search area appears on the minimap. If guards or NPCs spot you within this zone, you receive a bounty (typically 5 copper for theft). Either escape the search area quickly or pay your bounty at a Confessional using a Writ of Absolution.

• Puzzles can be reattempted. If you step away from a strongbox puzzle, it resets. There is no penalty for experimenting with button presses, wheel rotations, or tile movements. Take your time.

• Solve Bluemont Manor puzzles early. The Oath of Darkness earring (+2 Defense) and Finely Crafted Gold Necklace (+1 Attack, Crit Rate) are meaningful stat boosts in the early game. Visit Bluemont Manor as soon as it becomes accessible during Chapter 2.

• Scroll wheel tip. For all scroll wheel puzzles (Bluemont Manor South, Hillside Manor, Stellen Manor Tower, Arboria Castle), raise all five wheels to their maximum height first. This gives you a consistent starting position. Then lower each wheel by the number of scrolls listed in the solution. Count carefully: one full scroll equals Kliff's thumb lifting back to the top.

• Sliding tile tip. For the Mudridge Cabin, Western Court, and Reventine Monastery puzzles, follow the move sequences exactly as listed. If you make a wrong move, step away from the strongbox to reset the puzzle and start over from the beginning.

• Do not sell key items. The Stellen Manor Closet Key and Sungrove Manor Key are progression items that unlock additional content. The Dagger of Radiance is needed for the Secret at the Church quest. Keep these items instead of selling them.

• Check for Hernandian Attire before Hernand Castle. You cannot enter the castle without Hernandian Attire or Canta Armor. The cheapest option is to buy the attire from the Tailor's Shop in Hernand for 3 silver.

See Also

• Masks and Stealing: Full guide to the crime and stealing system

• All Puzzle Solutions: Complete list of all puzzles in Crimson Desert

• Accessories: All earrings, rings, necklaces, and cloaks

• Recipes: Cooking and crafting recipe list

• City of Hernand: Overview of Hernand and its districts

• Bluemont Manor: Location page for Bluemont Manor

• Hernand Castle: Location page for Hernand Castle

• Lioncrest Manor: Location page for Lioncrest Manor

• Stellen Manor: Location page for Stellen Manor