Overview
The Truth on the Sand is a faction quest in Crimson Desert that takes place at the Saltroad Trading Post in the Urdavah region. A chest full of gold coins has gone missing from the trading post's strongbox, and a Guard Captain enlists the player to investigate the theft. The quest is structured as a contradiction investigation, requiring players to interview six suspects, take note of each person's testimony, and then report their findings by selecting the correct answers in order.
Unlike combat-oriented quests, The Truth on the Sand is entirely dialogue-driven. There is no fighting involved until the very end, when the player must apprehend the identified culprit. Success depends on paying close attention to what each NPC says, spotting inconsistencies between their stories, and choosing the right summary for each interview when reporting back to the Guard Captain.
Quest Details
Property | Details |
|---|---|
Quest Name | The Truth on the Sand |
Also Known As | |
Type | |
Location | |
Quest Giver | |
Truth on the Sands | |
Culprit | Armin the Apothecary |
How to Start the Quest
Travel to the Saltroad Trading Post in the Urdavah region. On the world map, the trading post is located just to the left of the first "A" in "Urdavah." Look for the Guard Captain near the entrance of the post. Speaking to him triggers the quest and hands the player the Investigation Log: Truth on the Sands. This log tracks the information gathered from each suspect throughout the investigation.
Once the log is in hand, six NPCs become available to interview inside the trading post. Players can speak to them in any order. After talking to all six, the Guard Captain will ask a series of questions about what was learned. Choosing the correct answer for each question is necessary to solve the case.
Suspects and Their Testimonies
Six individuals at the Saltroad Trading Post are considered suspects in the theft. Each has their own account of events, and several of their statements contradict one another. The table below lists every suspect, their role, where to find them in the trading post, and a summary of what they tell the player.
NPC | Role | Location | Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|
Rashim | Branchmaster | Western area, in front of a yellow tent | Reports that there were no signs of forced entry into the strongbox. Suspects his friend Mahmoud, noting that Mahmoud holds the key to the strongbox. |
Mahmoud | Keymaster | Right of the yellow tent, sitting on a crate | Admits he holds the key to the strongbox. Claims he left the trading post briefly at dawn to attend to personal business. Insists only the branchmaster and the guards know the strongbox's location. |
Shahina | Guild Scribe | Red tent area | Expresses concern about Paizel's behavior. Notes that Paizel, despite being a simple porter, asked where the strongbox was kept. Finds this suspicious since a porter would have no reason to know. |
Kasim | Guard | Northern area, near the guard tower by a cliff | States he remained at his post the entire day. Confirms that no one left the trading post that day and no trades took place. Also reveals that everyone at the post actually knows where the strongbox is located. |
Armin | Apothecary | Southern district | Claims he was away trading at the border but says he lost his trade records. Attempts to shift suspicion onto Mahmoud by revealing that Mahmoud has accumulated gambling debts. |
Paizel | Camel pen in the southern area | Says he spent the day sorting goods in the storeroom. Mentions he spotted the apothecary (Armin) lingering around the camp at dawn, which he found unusual since Armin is not typically present at that hour. |
Key Contradictions
The critical evidence against the true culprit emerges when cross-referencing the testimonies of multiple NPCs. Several inconsistencies stand out.
Mahmoud's claim about the strongbox location is false. He tells the player that only the branchmaster (Rashim), Shahina, and the guards know where the strongbox is kept. However, Kasim the guard contradicts this by stating that everyone at the trading post knows the location. This means Mahmoud's statement was either an honest mistake or an attempt to narrow the suspect pool.
Armin's alibi does not hold up. Armin says he was away on a border trade, yet he conveniently has no records to prove it. More importantly, Paizel saw Armin at the camp at dawn. If Armin had truly been away trading, he would not have been spotted at the post during the early morning hours.
Paizel's curiosity about the strongbox is explained. Shahina flags Paizel as suspicious for asking about the strongbox, but Kasim's testimony undermines this concern. Since everyone already knows where the strongbox is, Paizel's question is not as incriminating as it first appears.
Armin tries to deflect blame. By pointing out Mahmoud's gambling debts, Armin attempts to make Mahmoud look like the most likely thief. This misdirection, combined with his missing trade records and presence at dawn, paints a clear picture of guilt.
Correct Answers
After interviewing all six suspects, return to the Guard Captain. He will ask a series of questions, each corresponding to one of the NPCs. The table below lists every question in order along with the correct response.
# | About | Correct Answer |
|---|---|---|
1 | Rashim's testimony | "They were suspicious of Mahmoud, the one with the key." |
2 | Mahmoud's testimony | "He was away briefly at dawn, but insisted it's not a problem as only Rashim, Shahina, and the guards know of the strongbox's location." |
3 | Shahina's testimony | "Paizel's been poking around, wanting to know where the strongbox is kept." |
4 | Kasim's testimony | "Nobody left the trading post that day, and everyone knew where the strongbox was." |
5 | Armin's testimony | "They were away on a trade, and heard a rumour that Mahmoud's gotten himself into gambling debt." |
6 | Paizel's testimony | "They saw a herb merchant at camp at dawn." |
If an incorrect answer is selected, the Guard Captain will prompt the player to try again. There is no penalty for wrong guesses, so players can retry until the correct option is chosen.
Resolution
Once all six answers are submitted correctly, the Guard Captain identifies Armin the Apothecary as the culprit. The evidence is clear: Armin had no verifiable alibi (his trade records are missing), he was spotted at the camp at dawn when he claimed to be away, and he actively tried to frame Mahmoud by revealing his gambling debts.
The player is then sent to apprehend Armin. Head north from the Saltroad Trading Post to find a desert tree. Armin will be there waiting. Confront him and bring him back to the Guard Captain to complete the quest.
Investigation Mechanics
The Truth on the Sand uses the contradiction investigation system found in several quests across Crimson Desert. This mechanic replaces traditional combat encounters with a detective-style puzzle. Players receive an Investigation Log at the start of the quest, which automatically records key details from each conversation.
The core loop is straightforward: visit suspects in any order, exhaust their dialogue to learn their version of events, and then return to the quest giver to answer questions. Each question corresponds to one suspect's testimony, and the player must select the answer that most accurately reflects what that person said. Paying attention to exact wording is important, as some incorrect options subtly misrepresent the original testimony.
Other quests in Crimson Desert use similar investigation mechanics, notably the Extinguishing the Last Flames questline for the Goldleaf Merchant Guild. That quest involves a larger-scale investigation with physical evidence collection on top of NPC interviews, but the core principle of finding contradictions between testimonies remains the same.
Tips
Talk to every suspect before returning to the Guard Captain. Skipping an NPC means missing testimony that could be essential for answering the questions correctly.
Pay close attention to what each NPC says about the strongbox location. Mahmoud claims only a few people know, while Kasim says everyone does. This discrepancy is tested directly in the questions.
Note the times mentioned by each suspect. Paizel's observation of Armin at dawn is the single most important piece of evidence in the entire investigation.
If you select a wrong answer, do not worry. The Guard Captain lets you try again with no consequences, so there is no need to reload a save.
Armin's missing trade records are a red flag. A legitimate trader would have documentation of their transactions. Combined with his presence at dawn, the missing records confirm his guilt.