Diff - unravel the secret of the ancient ruins - Crimson Desert Wiki

11 Overview

33 "Unravel the secret of the Ancient Ruins" is an objective during the Reunion main quest in Chapter 2 of Crimson Desert. It requires you to follow a black cat to the ruins, learn a new ability, enter a hidden cave, and solve a three-platform puzzle inside. There is also a bonus collectible nearby that is easy to miss. This is the first proper puzzle encounter in the game and introduces mechanics that recur throughout later chapters.

55 Getting to the Ruins

88 After clearing the Lioncrest Watchtower earlier in the Reunion quest, a small black cat appears near the exit. Follow it. The cat leads you along a winding path through the Meandering Hills to the Ancient Ruins entrance. The cat will wait for you if you fall behind or get distracted by enemies, so there is no rush. When you arrive at the ruins, you will see a large stone wall blocking the entrance and a glowing blue silhouette of a child standing nearby.

1010 Step 1: Learn Nature's Grasp

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1212 At the Ancient Ruins entrance, look for the blue silhouette of a child. Use your observation ability (L1 on PlayStation / LB on Xbox) to watch the silhouette. Kliff will learn the Nature's Grasp skill, which allows him to manipulate the environment using Axiom Force. This is a permanent addition to your skill set and does not cost any Abyss Artifacts to learn.

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1414 How to Use Nature's Grasp

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1616 Aim at the blue-highlighted stone wall blocking the entrance.Activate Nature's Grasp: press Triangle + Square, then X on PlayStation. On Xbox, press Y + X, then A.Kliff will channel Axiom Force to raise the stone wall upward, revealing the cave entrance behind it.Walk inside.

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1818 Step 2: Solve the Platform Puzzle

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2020 Inside the cave, three round platforms are embedded in the wall. These look similar to the Abyss Gate puzzles you may have encountered earlier, but the mechanic is different. You need to strike them using Force Palm (hold R3 / Right Stick), not a regular melee attack and not Axiom Force. This is a common source of confusion because previous encounters used different inputs.

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2222 Correct Platform Order

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2424 Middle platform (the center one): aim with R3 and release Force Palm.Left platform: shift your aim left and fire a second Force Palm.Right platform: shift aim right and fire the final Force Palm.

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2626 When struck in the correct order (Middle, Left, Right), all three platforms slot into the wall simultaneously and energy begins flowing through them. A glowing conduit lights up across the cave ceiling, confirming the puzzle is complete. If you hit them in the wrong order, they simply reset and you can try again. There is no penalty for mistakes.

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2828 Step 3: Speak with the Child

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3030 Exit the cave after solving the puzzle and speak with the child waiting outside to continue the Reunion quest. The dialogue advances the Chapter 2 story and provides context about the Meandering Hills ruins and their connection to the Abyss.

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3232 Bonus: Abyss Cresset of Meandering Hills

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3434 Before leaving the area, check for a small pillar near the cave entrance. It holds an Abyss Cresset. Interacting with the pillar does two things:

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3636 Awards one Abyss Artifact (skill point) that you can spend in the skill tree.Completes the "Abyss Cresset of Meandering Hills" challenge.Activates the Cresset as a fast travel point, allowing you to teleport back here at any time.

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3838 Abyss Cressets function similarly to Abyss Nexus teleporters but are puzzle-gated. Each one you find throughout Pywel awards an Artifact and unlocks a new fast travel node. They are easy to walk past, so always check the immediate area after completing a ruin puzzle.

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4040 Common Mistakes

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4242 MistakeSolutionUsing Axiom Force instead of Force Palm on the platformsPrevious puzzles use Axiom Force, so it is natural to try it here. Instead, hold R3 / Right Stick to charge and release Force Palm.Hitting platforms in the wrong orderThe correct order is always Middle, Left, Right. There is no randomization. Platforms reset silently if you get it wrong.Using a regular melee attack on the platformsNormal weapon strikes have no effect on puzzle platforms. Only Force Palm activates them.Missing the Abyss Cresset pillarThe pillar is slightly off to the side of the main path and can be hidden behind foliage. Circle the cave entrance before leaving.Skipping the catIf you leave the Lioncrest Watchtower area without following the cat, the objective marker should still guide you to the ruins. The cat is optional but makes the route more obvious.

4343 See Also

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4545 ReunionChapter 2 WalkthroughNature's GraspForce PalmAbyss CressetsMeandering Hills

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