TL;DR
- There are 15+ confirmed strongboxes across Hernand, Demeniss, and Pailune regions.
- Strongboxes contain rare rewards: earrings, necklaces, rings, crafting recipes, unique weapons, and progression keys.
- Always equip a Mask before looting — items inside count as stolen goods.
- Bring at least one Key for Bluemont Manor’s locked door.
- Puzzle types include: sequential button press, scroll wheel cylinder, sliding tile, and rotation panels.
- Two puzzles — Lioncrest Manor and Sungrove Manor — randomize every time. Rotate panels manually to match the target image.
- Stellen Manor Strongbox 2 rewards the Closet Key, which is required to get the Acria Sword.
Strongboxes are the best loot containers in Crimson Desert. They sit behind mechanical locks inside guarded manors, castles, courts, and ruins — and they contain accessories, crafting recipes, and unique items you simply cannot get anywhere else. None of this is handed to you. Every strongbox requires you to sneak in, solve a unique puzzle, and equip a Mask before you can take what is inside.
This guide covers every confirmed strongbox location, how to get in, and the exact solution for each puzzle.
Before You Start: What You Need
Mask — Required to steal from any strongbox. Without it equipped, you can solve the puzzle but cannot take the reward. Pick one up from the Back Alley Shop in Hernand City for just a few bronze coins, or loot one from bandits. Check our guide on how to steal items in Crimson Desert for the full breakdown.
Key — A normal Key is needed to open the locked door in Bluemont Manor and the top floor of Hernand Castle. Buy one from the Back Alley Shop or collect keys through exploration. Our guide on how to get keys in Crimson Desert covers all sources.
Puzzle types explained:
- Sequential button press — press numbered buttons in a specific order shown in this guide.
- Scroll wheel cylinder — scroll each wheel a set number of times left to right, then hit the confirm switch. One full scroll is when Kliff’s thumb lifts to return to the top.
- Sliding tile — move grid squares in a specific direction sequence to complete the picture.
- Rotation panel — rotate individual panels until they form a complete image. No time limit, no move limit.
Hernand Region Strongboxes
1. Bluemont Manor — North Building (Oath of Darkness Earring)
Location: Southwest of Hernand City, north building of Bluemont Manor — Leon Roberts’ residence. Head to the northern portion of Hernand, look south of the jail and guardpost. Enter the smaller house and go upstairs to the bedroom. You may need to complete the first two stages of the First Trial of Trust quest in Chapter 2 to access the area.
Puzzle type: Sequential button press (rotating cylinder owl image)
The box features four rotating cylinder sections displaying an owl image. Press the buttons in this order: 2 – 2 – 2 – 4 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1
Reward: Oath of Darkness Earring — refineable multiple times for a stacking passive power bonus. High priority.
2. Bluemont Manor — South Building (Finely Crafted Gold Necklace)
Location: South building of Bluemont Manor estate. Jump from the balcony of the north building or enter through the window and head to the upper floor room.
Puzzle type: Scroll wheel cylinder (five pistons)
Five wheels control the height of pistons. Raise all five wheels to their maximum height first to establish a clean starting position. Then scroll each wheel down from left to right to match the reference image displayed on the strongbox surface. Press the confirm switch once all pistons align: Wheel 1: scroll 1 time — Wheel 2: scroll 5 times — Wheel 3: scroll 2 times — Wheel 4: scroll 4 times — Wheel 5: scroll 3 times. If the pistons do not align, readjust individual wheels and try again.
Reward: Finely Crafted Gold Necklace
3. Hillside Manor (Saint’s Necklace)
Location: Eastern side of Hernand City. The front doors are heavily guarded. Bypass them by climbing the exterior wall on the left side and entering through the upper corner window on the southwest face. The strongbox is in the room you enter.
Puzzle type: Scroll wheel cylinder
Scroll each wheel from left to right: Wheel 1: scroll 1 time — Wheel 2: scroll 3 times — Wheel 3: scroll 5 times — Wheel 4: scroll 2 times — Wheel 5: scroll 4 times. Hit the confirm switch.
Reward: Saint’s Necklace — grants a temporary stamina boost.
For a detailed breakdown, see our dedicated Hillside Manor Strongbox guide.
4. Lioncrest Manor (Engraved Gold Earring)
Location: Northwest outskirts of Hernand Town, up the hill west of the castle. Entrances are well guarded. Climb the back wall and slip through a second-floor window near the rear entrance. Inside, use the locked door on the southeastern side (the single door, not the double doors) to reach the strongbox room.
Puzzle type: Rotation panel — RANDOMIZED
The strongbox displays a scrambled painting of a girl with fairy wings split into nine rotating fragments. This puzzle randomizes its starting position for every player. There is no fixed button sequence. Simply rotate each individual fragment one at a time until the complete image is formed. Take your time — there is no move limit and no penalty.
Reward: Engraved Gold Earring — refineable with a passive bonus. High priority.
5. Hernand Castle (Lavish Meal Recipe)
Location: Inside Hernand Castle. Take the archway to the right as you enter, climb the stairs to the bottom floor of the tower, then go up the wooden stairs to the top floor. The door at the top requires a normal Key to open.
Note: To access the castle itself, you first need to complete the Actions Speak Louder Than Words quest. This involves helping a tailor near Muckroot Ranch by cleaning a chimney with a broom.
Puzzle type: Musical key sequence
Listen to the tune the box plays and replicate it. Press the buttons in this order: Top 1st — Bottom 4th — Bottom 3rd — Bottom 4th — Top 3rd — Bottom 1st — Top 3rd
Reward: Lavish Meal Recipe — a high-quality cooking recipe that provides significant stat buffs before tough encounters. For more cooking tips see our best healing food guide.
6. Mudridge Cabin (Flower Petal Earring)
Location: Southeast of Unicorn Cliff in Pororin Forest, near the Unreachable Village. The cabin sits in a toxic mud pit that constantly drains HP and slows movement. Do not try to walk through the mud — climb the wooden posts immediately to reach the second floor. Clear the bandits before approaching the strongbox. Visit our Unreachable Village quest guide if you are exploring this area.
Puzzle type: Sliding tile
Move the squares in this exact order:
- Center Right → Down
- Center → Right
- Center Left → Right
- Bottom Left → Up
- Bottom Center → Left
- Center → Down
- Center Left → Right
- Bottom Left → Up
- Bottom Center → Left
- Bottom Right → Left
Reward: Flower Petal Earring
Demeniss Region Strongboxes
Demeniss is far more dangerous than Hernand. Several locations require defeating boss-tier Reapers or clearing full garrisons before you can safely approach the puzzles. Come prepared with healing items and upgraded gear.
7. Church of West Demeniss / Byron Estate (Dagger of Radiance)
Location: Church of West Demeniss in Byron Estate. This strongbox is encountered during the Secret at the Church main quest. If you miss it during the quest, check whether it remains accessible during free exploration afterward.
Puzzle type: Sequential button press
Press the four corner buttons in this order: Lower Right → Upper Left → Lower Left → Upper Right
Reward: Dagger of Radiance — a weapon reward, useful depending on your build. See our Secret at the Church walkthrough for full quest context.
8. Southern Court (Witch’s Earring)
Location: Second floor of Southern Court in Demeniss. You must first liberate the Southern Court by clearing enemies and defeating the New Moon Reaper boss. Enter the building through the front door or by sneaking, head to the second floor, and enter the blue room.
Puzzle type: Sequential button press
This is the simplest strongbox in the game. Press: 1 → 2
Reward: Witch’s Earring
9. Azerian Manor (Ancient Earring)
Location: Second floor of Azerian Manor, very close to Sungrove Manor under the M in Demeniss on the map. Head to the second floor and look for a fake wall. Push it to reveal a hidden room containing the strongbox. This can also be solved during the Blazing Fire main quest. See our guide on how to infiltrate Azerian Manor.
Puzzle type: Sequential button press
Press the buttons in this order: 1 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 3 – 3 – 3
Reward: Ancient Earring
10. Sungrove Manor (Sungrove Manor Key)
Location: Second floor of Sungrove Manor, northwest of Demeniss City. Head around the back of the manor to the southeastern side where there are no guards. Climb the walls and enter through the window. The strongbox is immediately to your left. Can also be solved during the Whispering Shadows main quest. Our Whispering Shadows infiltration guide has the full details.
Puzzle type: Rotation panel — RANDOMIZED
Like Lioncrest Manor, this puzzle randomizes its starting position every time. Rotate each individual square panel until the complete picture forms. No fixed solution exists.
Reward: Sungrove Manor Key — unlocks additional content within Sungrove Manor itself. Do not sell this. It opens a locked area inside the same manor.
11. Western Court (Karanda’s Necklace)
Location: Northwest of Demeniss City, above the M on the map. You may need to defeat the Half Moon Reaper boss and clear the courtyard first. On the first floor, look for a curtain next to the stairs — the basement ladder is hidden underneath it. Head down to the basement to find the sliding tile strongbox.
Puzzle type: Sliding tile
Move the squares in this exact sequence:
- Step 1: Bottom Center → Right. Bottom Left → Right.
- Step 2: Center Left → Down. Center → Left. Center Right → Left.
- Step 3: Bottom Right → Up. Bottom Center → Right. Bottom Left → Right.
- Step 4: Center Left → Down. Center → Left.
- Step 5: Bottom Center → Up. Bottom Left → Right.
- Step 6: Center Left → Down. Center → Left.
- Step 7: Bottom Center → Up. Bottom Right → Left.
Reward: Karanda’s Necklace
12. Reventine Monastery (Reventine Monastery Exclusive Document)
Location: Southeast of the Hills of No Return, east of the D in Demeniss. Enter the building and head to the round courtyard full of doors. Take the eastern door and approach the library on the right. Push the bookshelf to expose a hidden room behind it. The strongbox is inside.
Puzzle type: Sliding tile
Move the squares in this sequence:
- Step 1: Center Right → Down. Center → Right. Center Left → Right.
- Step 2: Bottom Left → Up. Bottom Center → Left.
- Step 3: Center → Down. Center Left → Right.
- Step 4: Bottom Left → Up. Bottom Center → Left. Bottom Right → Left.
Reward: Reventine Monastery Exclusive Document — sells for a large amount of silver.
Pailune Region Strongboxes
All three Pailune strongboxes require window entry. The Arboria Castle one is very easy to miss since it is buried in a spider web-filled basement deep inside the castle.
13. Stellen Manor — Dining Room (Stellen Manor Closet Key)
Location: Second floor dining room of Stellen Manor, northeast of Drakesfall Gorge in Pailune. Climb in through the window on the second floor. Our dedicated Stellen Manor Strongbox guide covers how to use the key reward to find the Acria Sword.
Puzzle type: Musical key sequence
Press the buttons in this order: Bottom 1st — Bottom 3rd — Bottom 4th — Bottom 2nd — Bottom 1st — Bottom 3rd — Bottom 4th
Reward: Stellen Manor Closet Key — this key is mandatory to access the closet on the second floor, which leads to the Acria Sword. Do not sell this.
14. Stellen Manor — Tower (Finely Crafted Gold Ring)
Location: Tower room at the top of Stellen Manor. Climb the exterior walls and enter through the window at the top to find the strongbox.
Puzzle type: Scroll wheel cylinder
Scroll each wheel from left to right: Wheel 1: scroll 3 times — Wheel 2: scroll 4 times — Wheel 3: scroll 5 times — Wheel 4: scroll 4 times — Wheel 5: scroll 2 times. Remember one full scroll equals two thumb movements. Hit the confirm switch.
Reward: Finely Crafted Gold Ring
15. Arboria Castle (Equipment Manual)
Location: Inside Arboria Castle in the Hills of No Return area of Pailune. Head into the basement — it is covered in spider webs and easy to overlook. The strongbox is in the abandoned room at the center of the basement floor.
Puzzle type: Scroll wheel cylinder
Scroll each wheel from left to right: Wheel 1: scroll 3 times — Wheel 2: scroll 4 times — Wheel 3: scroll 5 times — Wheel 4: scroll 4 times — Wheel 5: scroll 2 times. Hit the confirm switch after setting all wheels.
Reward: Equipment Manual — directly supports gear crafting progression.
General Strongbox Tips
Always wear your Mask. You can solve every puzzle without it, but you cannot pick up the reward without a Mask equipped. Equip it before you even open the strongbox.
Back out to reset sliding tile puzzles. If you lose track of your position on a sliding tile puzzle, backing out completely resets the board to its starting state. There is no penalty for resetting. Just start the sequence again from the beginning.
Rotation puzzles have no fixed code. Lioncrest Manor and Sungrove Manor randomize their starting positions for every player. No button sequence will work. Rotate each fragment individually and match the target image shown on the strongbox surface. Take your time.
Do not sell progression keys. The Stellen Manor Closet Key and the Sungrove Manor Key unlock locked areas within their respective manors. Check what they open before selling anything from a strongbox.
Earn enough Contribution before sneaking into guarded areas. Several Demeniss manors require you to defeat boss-tier enemies like the Half Moon Reaper and New Moon Reaper. If your gear is not up to the task, check our best early build guide and how to increase attack level before heading in.
Prioritize these strongboxes first: Oath of Darkness Earring (Bluemont North), Engraved Gold Earring (Lioncrest), Lavish Meal Recipe (Hernand Castle), and Stellen Manor Closet Key (Stellen Dining Room). These have the highest impact on your early-to-mid-game progression.
Related Guides
- Crimson Desert: Bluemont Manor Strongbox Puzzle Solution
- Crimson Desert: Hillside Manor Strongbox Puzzle Solution
- Crimson Desert: Stellen Manor Strongbox & Acria Sword
- How to Infiltrate Sungrove Manor in Crimson Desert
- How to Infiltrate Azerian Manor in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert: Secret at the Church Walkthrough
- How to Get Keys in Crimson Desert
- How to Steal Items in Crimson Desert
- How to Remove a Bounty in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert: Accessories Guide
- Crimson Desert: Best Items Early
- Crimson Desert: Glenbright Manor Basement Golden Daggers
- Crimson Desert: Buried Treasure Quest Guide
- Crimson Desert Hub — All Guides
Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox. Visit the official Crimson Desert website for more from Pearl Abyss.
