Where the Light Leads

Overview

Where the Light Leads is the first main quest in Chapter 2: Golden Greed of Crimson Desert. After returning from the Abyss during Chapter 1, Kliff follows a glowing pendant southwest of the City of Hernand to a bandit-occupied watchtower. The quest teaches fire arrow mechanics and offers multiple climbing approaches to reach the top of Lioncrest Watchtower.

Quest Details

Walkthrough

Travel to Lioncrest Watchtower

Open your map and locate the quest marker southwest of the City of Hernand. The area may still be covered by fog of war if you have not explored this direction yet. Ride your horse along the road heading southwest until the objective updates on approach.

Defeat the Bandits

Around ten bandits occupy the watchtower courtyard. Several archers sit on elevated platforms while melee fighters patrol the ground level. Take out the archers first since their ranged attacks can chip away at your health while you fight everyone else. Light attacks (R1/RB) are good for stamina conservation against groups. Save heavy attacks (R2/RT) for shield carriers who block your lighter swings.

If you are running low on healing items, backtrack to the meat vendor in Hernand and cook grilled meat at the pot nearby. Each piece restores 80 HP, which goes a long way this early in the game.

Ascend the Watchtower

After the courtyard is clear, you need to get up to the top floor. There are a few ways to do this:

• Fire Arrows: Hold L2/LT to draw your bow, then position the arrow tip in a nearby torch flame to ignite it. Shoot the flaming arrow at the vines and shrubbery blocking the watchtower entrance. The vegetation burns away, opening the path to the stairs inside.

• Focused Light: Combine L1 + R1, then hold L1/LB with RB to project a beam of light that also clears the vines.

• Climbing Shortcut: Skip the puzzle entirely by scaling the exterior wall. Jump and use three consecutive Force Palm strikes mid-air (press R3 three times while airborne) to gain height. Rest on window ledges to recover stamina between climbs.

Reach the Top Floor

Whichever method you choose, make your way up the interior stairs to the top floor. You will find a study area filled with boxes, books, and treasure. Reaching this room completes the quest and immediately begins the next one.

Notes

• There is a small locked chest on the top floor near some boxes. You can open it while wearing a disguise, but doing so costs 5 Hernandian Contribution points. The chest contains Iron Ore, Stone, and a Light Copper Pouch.

• This quest introduces the fire arrow mechanic, which comes up again in later chapters when you need to burn through environmental obstacles.

• The climbing shortcut using Force Palm is faster but requires decent stamina management. If you run out mid-climb, Kliff falls.

Combat Strategy: Courtyard Bandits

The courtyard at Lioncrest Watchtower holds roughly ten bandits. Three or four archers sit on raised platforms while the rest patrol the ground level with swords and shields. Prioritize the archers first because their ranged fire chips away at your health throughout every melee engagement. Sprint toward the nearest platform, dodge-roll past the melee fighters, and take each archer down with a quick three-hit light attack combo (R1/RB).

Shield carriers on the ground floor block standard light attacks. Switch to heavy attacks (R2/RT) to break their guard, then follow up with a light combo while they stagger. If three or more melee enemies converge on you at once, roll away and reposition near the archway entrance so they approach single-file rather than surrounding you.

A checkpoint triggers right in front of the watchtower courtyard. If you die during the fight, you respawn here with your healing items refunded. Players who are struggling can ride back to the meat vendor in the City of Hernand and cook grilled meat at the nearby pot. Each piece restores 80 HP, which is a substantial heal this early in the game.

Environmental Puzzle: Clearing the Vines

The watchtower entrance is blocked by thick vegetation. This section functions as a tutorial for fire-based environmental interaction, a mechanic that recurs throughout Chapter 2 and beyond. Three methods are available to clear the vines:

1. Fire Arrows: Hold L2/LT to draw your bow, then position Kliff near a lit torch so the arrowhead catches fire. Shoot the flaming arrow at the vines to burn them away. This is the intended tutorial method.

2. Focused Light: Combine L1 + R1, then hold L1/LB + RB to project a concentrated beam. This also ignites the vegetation. Useful when no torch is nearby.

3. Climbing Shortcut: Skip the vine puzzle entirely by scaling the exterior wall. Jump and activate three consecutive Force Palm strikes (press R3 three times while airborne) to gain height. Rest on window ledges to recover stamina between bursts. This requires decent stamina management because running out mid-climb causes Kliff to fall.

The fire arrow technique appears again later in the chapter. During The Flames of Greed, you need to shoot fire arrows under a time limit to clear burning debris, so practicing the ignition timing here is worthwhile.

Top Floor Loot and Contribution Penalty

A small locked chest sits on the top floor near some boxes to the right. You can open it while wearing a disguise, but stealing reduces your Hernandian Contribution by 5 points. The chest contains Iron Ore, Stone, and a Light Copper Pouch. Whether the loot is worth the reputation hit depends on your playstyle, but at this stage the materials are easy to find through regular gathering.

Quest Chain Context

Where the Light Leads is the 14th main mission overall and the first quest in the Unexpected Gift sub-chapter of Chapter 2. It follows Woman in White from Chapter 1 and leads directly into Memory Fragment. The quest description reads: "Rulupee's lost pendant began to shine shortly after returning from the mysterious world of the Abyss." This connects back to the supernatural events of Chapter 1 and signals that the pendant is guiding Kliff toward the Visione helmet waiting at the top of the watchtower.