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

Overview

"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.

Getting to the Ruins

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.

Step 1: Learn Nature's Grasp

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.

How to Use Nature's Grasp

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.

Step 2: Solve the Platform Puzzle

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.

Correct Platform Order

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.

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.

Step 3: Speak with the Child

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.

Bonus: Abyss Cresset of Meandering Hills

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:

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.

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.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Solution
Using Axiom Force instead of Force Palm on the platforms	Previous 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 order	The 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 platforms	Normal weapon strikes have no effect on puzzle platforms. Only Force Palm activates them.
Missing the Abyss Cresset pillar	The 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 cat	If 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.

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