Overview
Memory Fragments are collectible lore discoveries scattered across the continent of Pywel. They allow Kliff to witness events from the past, revealing historical moments, character backstories, hidden crafting tips, and details about locations and factions. Finding and viewing Memory Fragments requires two tools: the Lantern (to detect them) and the Visione helmet (to view them). This guide walks through the entire process from obtaining these items to efficiently locating fragments throughout the world.
Step 1: Obtain the Visione Helmet
The Visione is a unique headgear item described as "a mysterious device gaining widespread popularity in Delesya." It is the only item capable of reading Memory Fragments, making it essential for this content.
The Visione is obtained during Chapter 2 as part of the main quest "Where the Light Leads." To acquire it:
Progress through the main story until you reach the quest "Where the Light Leads" in Chapter 2.
Travel to Lioncrest Watchtower.
Defeat the bandits guarding the tower exterior.
Use a flaming arrow to burn away the vines blocking the door.
Climb to the top floor of the watchtower.
Approach the golden helmet sitting among white and gold vases and interact with it.
After picking up the Visione, Kliff will don it for the first time and see a mysterious figure materialize. This completes the first Memory Fragment and unlocks the ability to find more throughout the world. The Visione cannot be purchased from merchants or obtained through any other method.
Step 2: Detect Fragments with the Lantern
The Lantern is your primary tool for detecting hidden Memory Fragments while exploring. Hold left on the D-pad (or the assigned key on keyboard) to equip it. When Kliff is near a Memory Fragment location, the lantern begins emitting a distinctive blue glow around its flame.
To scan for a fragment, hold the lantern active by pressing and holding L1/LB (or Ctrl on keyboard). Look around the environment slowly while the lantern is raised. You are searching for translucent bluish-white blobs that shimmer and move in the air around you. These ethereal shapes mark the precise location of a fragment.
When you look directly at a fragment blob with the lantern held up, a "Learning in Progress" bar appears in the top-left corner of the screen. Keep the lantern pointed at the fragment and hold steady until the bar fills completely. Once it does, the fragment is learned and ready to view.
Detection Tips
The blue glow on the lantern activates within a moderate radius, so if you see it flicker, sweep the area carefully before moving on.
Fragments can appear at any elevation. Check rooftops, cliff edges, and interiors of buildings.
Towns, ruins, wilderness areas, and dungeons all contain fragments. They are not limited to any single region or terrain type.
If the Learning in Progress bar stops filling, reposition yourself closer to the blob and try again.
Alternative: Using Blinding Flash
Beyond the standard lantern sweep, you can use Blinding Flash to detect fragments from a greater distance. Blinding Flash is activated by pressing and holding Ctrl + Left Mouse Button on PC, or LB + RB simultaneously on controller. The lantern's light focuses into a concentrated beam that highlights Memory Fragment locations with a glowing blue marker. This technique works while mounted on horseback, making it ideal for scanning large open areas without dismounting.
To use Blinding Flash effectively, hold the activation buttons, then release the secondary button (Left Mouse Button or RB) and press and hold it again to start focusing the beam at a specific point. Aim at suspicious areas and hold for a few seconds. If a fragment is present, the blue highlight will appear. Blinding Flash also doubles as a combat stun and a tool for lighting torches and solving light-reflection puzzles in sanctums.
Step 3: View the Memory
After learning a fragment, press Start/Options to automatically equip the Visione. The screen shifts to a blue tint as Kliff puts on the helmet, and the memory plays out as a short scene at the location where it was discovered.
Watch the memory until it ends naturally. Some memories feature dialogue from historical figures, while others show silent events or environmental changes that reveal what happened at that location in the past.
Rewatching Collected Memories
One of the best features of the Memory Fragment system is that you can rewatch any previously discovered memory at any time and from any location in the world. There are no restrictions on where or when you replay a memory.
To rewatch a memory:
Select the Visione helmet.
Choose the "Play" option from the interaction menu that appears.
A list of all collected Memory Fragments opens. Select the one you want to rewatch.
Contextual Quick-Menu (Fastest Method)
After learning a new Memory Fragment, the contextual menu button (Escape on PC, Options on PlayStation, Menu on Xbox) temporarily switches to a "View Fragment" prompt. Pressing it auto-equips the Visione, plays the memory, and auto-unequips the helmet when the memory ends. This is the fastest approach and avoids all radial menu navigation.
When standing near the location of a previously discovered fragment, the Visione playback UI also shows a "Nearby Memory Fragment" button, allowing you to replay that specific memory with a single selection rather than scrolling through the full region-organized list.
While watching a Memory Fragment, you can press Escape (PC), Circle (PlayStation), or B (Xbox) to end the playback early. This only works after the fragment has been viewed at least once; on the very first viewing, the memory must play through to completion and cannot be skipped. For multi-step quest memories like The Blood Coronation, be careful not to deactivate the Visione mid-sequence, as doing so forces you to restart the memory from the beginning.
Types of Memory Fragments
Memory Fragments fall into several categories based on what they reveal. Understanding these types helps you appreciate the lore and can also provide practical gameplay benefits.
Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
Narrative Lore | Historical events involving major characters, factions, or conflicts from Pywel's past. | Events surrounding the fall of a kingdom or the founding of a settlement. |
Character Backstories | Personal histories of specific NPCs, revealing motivations and relationships. | A memory showing a merchant's past before arriving in Hernand. |
Practical Information | Crafting tips, hidden location reveals, or details about gameplay systems. | A fragment hinting at a hidden crafting recipe or resource location. |
Faction Histories | Events that shaped the current political landscape between rival factions. | A memory depicting a battle or treaty between factions. |
Environmental Memories | Show how a location looked or functioned in the past compared to its present state. | A ruin depicted as a thriving building in its original form. |
Where to Find Memory Fragments
Memory Fragments are spread across every major region of Pywel. While a complete catalogue of every fragment has not been fully compiled by the community, the following locations are known to contain fragments. Keep your lantern out whenever you explore a new area, as fragments are often placed near points of interest.
Hernand Region
Lioncrest Watchtower (your first fragment, obtained during the main quest).
Inside and around Hernand town, particularly near older buildings and the market district.
Wilderness areas between settlements, especially near ruins and abandoned campsites.
Demeniss Region
The Demeniss capital has multiple fragments in its plazas and back alleys.
Ancient ruins scattered across the region.
Delesyia Region
The capital of Delesyia contains fragments tied to its political history.
Coastal areas and docks where trade routes once flourished.
Pailune Region
Fragments in Pailune become accessible after liberating the town in Chapter 7.
The mountainous areas around Pailune hold fragments related to the region's harsh climate and history.
Crimson Desert Region
Fragment-Related Quests
Several main story quests and side quests involve Memory Fragments directly. These quests typically lead you to a specific fragment as an objective, and the fragment's content advances the story.
Quest | Chapter | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Chapter 2 | The introductory quest where you obtain the Visione and view your first fragment. | |
Chapter 2 | Requires reading a specific memory fragment to progress. Look for the Hornless Goat memory. | |
Side Quest | Involves finding the Lair of the Animal Thieves memory fragment. | |
Chapter 1 | Rulupee's pendant begins glowing, foreshadowing the Visione's discovery. |
Tips for Efficient Fragment Hunting
Ring the bells first. Clearing the fog of war from all 8 bell locations reveals the full map, making systematic exploration much easier.
Activate fast travel points. Having a network of fast travel locations lets you quickly revisit regions you may have passed through without the lantern.
Check quest-related areas. Many fragments are placed near quest objectives or NPC gathering spots.
Explore at night. The lantern's blue glow can be easier to spot against dark environments.
Revisit cleared dungeons. Some dungeons contain fragments that you may have missed if you were focused on combat during your first visit.
Listen for audio cues. A faint ambient sound sometimes plays near fragment locations before the lantern even starts glowing.