TL;DR
- Belltowers are the fastest way to clear the fog of war on Crimson Desert’s map.
- There are 8 bells total across Pywel — ringing all 8 fully reveals the entire continent.
- Each bell is part of the Toll of Pywel questline, tied to the Pororin Forest Guardians faction.
- Ringing a bell summons a Shai Resident NPC who clears the surrounding region and populates it with question mark “Mysterious Energy” icons marking hidden points of interest.
- 2 bells are story-locked: Calphade (unavailable during Chapter 6) and Pailune (requires Chapter 7).
- At Scholastone, you must finish the main objective first before the Shai cutscene triggers.
- A bell icon appears on your map when you’re nearby — watch for it as you travel.
- Alternatively, the Scholarship skill tree has a perk that removes all remaining fog of war from the entire map at once.
When you step into Crimson Desert’s open world, the map is blanketed in a grey fog. You can lift it the slow way — by walking everywhere and uncovering the land on foot. Or you can do it the smart way: find a Belltower and ring it.
Belltowers are the single most efficient exploration tool in the game. One ring clears an entire region at once. They’re scattered across the major cities and settlements of Pywel, and together they tell a small story of their own — a recurring encounter with a group of childlike mystical beings called the Shai.
Here’s everything you need to know about Belltowers, why they matter, and where to find all eight.
What Are Belltowers in Crimson Desert?
Belltowers are tall towers found in major settlements across Pywel. Each one has a bell at the top. When Kliff climbs up and rings a bell, a short cutscene plays in which a Shai Resident appears — one of Pywel’s mysterious, child-like magical creatures.
The Shai then uses their magic to clear the fog of war across the surrounding region, revealing roads, settlements, rivers, and points of interest on your map. After the fog clears, the area also populates with white question mark icons labeled “Mysterious Energy” on your map — these indicate undiscovered Abyss Nexus fast travel points, Abyss Cressets, and other hidden content waiting in that region.
Ringing all eight bells covers the entire continent, though each bell clears its own surrounding region independently — the map opens in pieces, not in one sweep.
Beyond map reveal, each bell you ring also completes one entry in the Toll of Pywel questline, part of the Pororin Forest Guardians faction. Completing the full questline earns faction rewards and contributes to your standing with that group.
Tip: A bell icon will appear on your map as you get close to a Belltower — even before you’ve climbed it. Always check for this icon when entering a new town. Ringing bells as you naturally progress through the story is the most efficient way to clear the map. If you want to skip bell-hunting entirely, there is also a perk in the Scholarship branch of the skill tree that removes all remaining fog of war from the entire map at once.
How to Ring a Belltower in Crimson Desert
The method is the same for every bell in the game:
- Locate the Belltower in the settlement — look for the bell icon on your minimap or the tall clocktower structure.
- Climb to the belfry at the top. Each tower has its own climbing route (see per-bell tips below).
- Approach the bell and interact with it when the prompt appears.
- A cutscene plays — a Shai Resident appears and clears the fog for that region.
Climbing tip for the Hernand Bell: If you’re struggling to scale the tower walls directly, climb to the roof of the adjacent building first, recover your Stamina there, and then make the jump to the tower. Take it in stages rather than one continuous climb.
Important: The Shai cutscene will not trigger in hostile areas. If the region is under enemy control or an active conflict is happening during your current chapter, you can ring the bell but the Shai won’t appear until the area is safe. This affects two bells in particular — details below.
All 8 Belltower Locations in Crimson Desert
There are 8 Bell Locations in Crimson Desert. Ringing the bells unfogs the map, so getting them early should be a priority. Each of them also counts as one quest in the Toll of Pywel questline for the Pororin Forest Guardians faction.
Here’s every bell, where it is, and what you need to know about accessing it:
1. Hernand (Chapter 1 — Available Immediately)
Location: Northern part of Hernand Town, inside the clocktower — to the right of the Prison in the western city area.
This is the first bell you’ll encounter. Early in the campaign, Kliff meets a Shai child in Hernand who asks him to find their lost cat. After that interaction, look up — the Belltower is right there. Climb it and ring the bell to trigger your first fog clear and learn how the system works.
If you just arrived in Hernand City and need a refresher on what to do here first, check out our guide on how to enter Hernand Castle in Crimson Desert.
2. Scholastone (Chapter 4 — Ring After Main Objective)
Location: In the plaza at the top of the Scholastone Institute, inside the pagoda at the end of the garden path.
You visit Scholastone during Chapter 4 and can reach the bell fairly early. However, because there are other people around, the Shai child won’t appear. Later, once you’re done with the main objective, you can revisit the bell tower to trigger the cutscene.
Don’t waste time wondering why nothing happened — just come back after finishing the chapter’s main mission.
3. Calphade (Available Before or After Chapter 6 — NOT During)
Location: Near the church in the capital of the Calphade region.
This bell becomes temporarily unavailable in Chapter 6. You can ring it either before or after Chapter 6 at any time. If you try to ring it during Chapter 6, you won’t get the cutscene with the Shai Resident because the area will be hostile.
Ring it before Chapter 6 starts if you can. If you’ve already entered Chapter 6, just wait until it’s done.
4. Demeniss (Available Anytime — Unique Mechanism)
Location: In the capital of the Demeniss region (central area), in the tallest clocktower near the cathedral side of the city.
This is the trickiest bell to ring. Climb to the flagpole that hangs on the side of the clocktower. Hang from it and the flagpole will get pushed down by your weight, which brings down the bell at the top of the tower. Then climb up to the top floor and ring the bell.
Also worth noting: the bell icon doesn’t appear on the map until you’ve activated the bell, so you’ll need to look for the tower by sight. If the city is still hostile when you arrive, leave and return later — the reveal scene will not trigger until the area is safe.
5. Delesyia (Available Anytime)
Location: Inside the capital of the Delesyia region (south-east), in the clocktower in the north-west part of town.
Straightforward climb. The bell icon will appear on your map when you’re close. Ring it normally at the top.
6. Tashkalp / Tommaso (Available Anytime)
Location: In the capital of the Tashkalp region (north-east). Look for the tower in the north of the city. If you check the Tommaso city icon on your map, you can actually see the tower in question.
Climb around the outside of the tower to reach the top and ring the bell.
7. Varnia (Available Anytime — Long Trek Required)
Location: Far north of the Crimson Desert region. Follow the main roads north through the Crimson Desert to reach Varnia. The bell is in the highest dome at the top of the palace.
Climb up underneath the dome and then push the handle to slowly open the top of it. This will make the bell drop down so you can ring it and get the final piece of the map.
This is a long ride north. Plan ahead and make sure your gear is solid before heading up.
8. Pailune (Story-Locked — Requires Chapter 7 Completion)
Location: In Pailune (north-west region). Climb the red tower near the docks in the middle of town.
This is only possible after liberating Pailune as part of Chapter 7 in the story. Before this point the town will be under siege and the Shai Resident cannot spawn at bells in hostile areas. If you reached the tower early and nothing happened, it wasn’t a bug — you were just there too soon.
Come back after finishing the Resolution main mission in Chapter 7 and the bell will be fully accessible.
Quick Reference: All 8 Bells at a Glance
| Bell Location | Region | Story Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Hernand | Hernand | Available from Chapter 1 |
| Scholastone | Scholastone | Ring after Chapter 4 main objective |
| Calphade | Calphade | Available before or after Chapter 6 |
| Demeniss | Demeniss (Central) | Available anytime — flagpole mechanic; leave if area is hostile |
| Delesyia | Delesyia (South-East) | Available anytime |
| Tashkalp / Tommaso | Tashkalp (North-East) | Available anytime |
| Varnia | Far North | Available anytime — dome mechanic |
| Pailune | Pailune (North-West) | Requires Chapter 7 completion |
What Happens After You Ring All 8 Bells?
Once you’ve rung all 8 bells, the entire continent of Pywel is fully revealed on your map. Every road, settlement, river, and point of interest is visible. The revealed map also shows white question mark “Mysterious Energy” icons across each region — these mark hidden Abyss Nexus fast travel points, Abyss Cresset puzzles, and other collectibles. To pinpoint their exact locations, use your Blinding Flash ability (L1+R1 on PS5 / LB+RB on Xbox / Ctrl+Left Click on PC) from a high vantage point — it sends out a burst of light that makes nearby Abyss objects glow blue.
The Toll of Pywel questline is also fully completed, which earns rewards from the Pororin Forest Guardians faction.
From there, use the map to plan efficient routes to the content you want. Pair the revealed map with your fast travel points for quick navigation. See our guide on how to fast travel in Crimson Desert if you haven’t activated many Abyss Nexus nodes yet.
Other Helpful Crimson Desert Guides
- How to put away weapons and become unarmed in Crimson Desert
- How to change the time of day in Crimson Desert
- How to solve the Abyss Without Balance puzzle in Crimson Desert
- How to enter Hernand Castle in Crimson Desert
- How to increase inventory space in Crimson Desert
- How to upgrade weapons and armor in Crimson Desert
- How to get a dragon in Crimson Desert
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- How to get and use Palmar Pills in Crimson Desert
- How to get Crimson Desert Twitch drops
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- Crimson Desert Reunion Quest Walkthrough
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Where to Get Crimson Desert
FAQs
Q: What do Belltowers do in Crimson Desert?
A: Ringing a Belltower clears a large section of the fog of war on your map for that region. Each bell summons a Shai Resident NPC who reveals the surrounding area, including all roads, settlements, and points of interest, and populates it with white question mark “Mysterious Energy” icons marking hidden Abyss Nexus points and other collectibles. There are 8 bells total — ringing all of them covers the entire continent of Pywel.
Q: How many Belltowers are there in Crimson Desert?
A: There are exactly 8 Belltowers across Pywel. They are located in Hernand, Scholastone, Calphade, Demeniss, Delesyia, Tashkalp (Tommaso), Varnia, and Pailune.
Q: Are any Belltowers locked behind story progress in Crimson Desert?
A: Yes — two bells are story-locked. The Pailune bell requires completing the Resolution main mission in Chapter 7. The Calphade bell is unavailable during Chapter 6 because the city is under hostile control — ring it before Chapter 6 starts or after it ends. The Scholastone bell can be rung anytime, but the Shai cutscene only triggers after you complete the main objective there in Chapter 4. The Demeniss bell can also fail to trigger if the city is still hostile when you arrive — leave and return once it’s clear.
Q: Why did nothing happen when I rang the bell in Crimson Desert?
A: The Shai cutscene won’t trigger if the surrounding area is hostile. This most commonly happens at Calphade during Chapter 6 and Pailune before Chapter 7. At Scholastone, you need to finish the main Chapter 4 objective first. At Demeniss, if the city is still under hostile control, leave and come back once it’s safe. Come back once the area is clear and the cutscene will play normally.
Q: What is the Toll of Pywel quest in Crimson Desert?
A: Toll of Pywel is a questline tied to the Pororin Forest Guardians faction. Each of the 8 bells you ring completes one entry in this quest chain. Finishing all 8 completes the questline and earns faction rewards from the Pororin Forest Guardians.
Q: Is there another way to clear the fog of war without ringing all 8 bells?
A: Yes. There is a perk in the Scholarship branch of the skill tree that removes all remaining fog of war from the entire map at once. This lets you skip or supplement bell-ringing if you’d rather invest in that skill. You can also gradually clear fog by physically exploring on foot or horseback, though bells are far more efficient for large regions.
