TL;DR
- Buried Treasure is a faction side quest in Demeniss, unlocked after capturing the outlaw Ursula and reading her journal.
- Pick up the Bounty Notice — Ursula from a purple flyer post in Demeniss. She is found at Slopeseed Farm.
- After handing her in, read Ursula’s Journal from your inventory to start the quest and then find Ursula’s Treasure Map on a table nearby.
- Dig up three dirt mounds across the farm area using a basic, non-upgraded Shovel — an upgraded shovel will not trigger the prompt.
- After collecting all three traces, examine them from your inventory to unlock the next objective: Find Ursula’s Secret Place.
- Ursula’s Secret Place is under a stone bridge in the watery area of Demeniss City — look for the wall with a faint leaf symbol.
- To enter, climb the wall, use Resist, then Stab into the wall — this flips it and takes you through to the hidden room.
- Reward: Black Sun Shield — a powerful defensive shield with Movement Speed Level 2 and strong damage reduction.
The Buried Treasure quest is one of the most satisfying side quests in Crimson Desert. It chains together a bounty capture, a journal mystery, a buried clue hunt, and a hidden room puzzle — all leading to one of the best shields in the game. The problem is that several steps are poorly explained, especially the shovel restriction and the secret wall mechanic at the end.
This guide walks you through every step so you do not waste time wandering the farm or punching the wrong wall.
Quest Overview
Quest Name: Buried Treasure Quest Type: Faction Side Quest Region: Demeniss Requirement: Capture Ursula via the Bounty Notice — Ursula Reward: Black Sun Shield
Step 1 — Pick Up the Bounty Notice for Ursula
The quest chain begins with a bounty, not with the treasure quest itself.
While exploring Demeniss, keep an eye out for purple scroll icons on minimap posts and bulletin boards. These are bounty notices. Among them is the Bounty Notice — Ursula, a wanted poster for an orc outlaw in her 40s with a robust build, last seen at Slopeseed Farm wearing a white turban and carrying a bag.
Pick up the notice and read it by holding the interact button (LB/L1 on controller, or CTRL on keyboard). This marks Slopeseed Farm on your world map. Ursula is wanted for cultivating man-eating plants classified as dangerous crops and using them to rob people. The bounty payout for delivering her alive is 4,000 copper coins, plus Demenissian Contribution.
Bounties become available from Chapter 2 onward. If you have not done any bounty quests yet, check our bounty hunting guides to get familiar with the capture system before taking on Ursula.
Step 2 — Capture Ursula at Slopeseed Farm
Head to Slopeseed Farm at the marked location. When you arrive, Ursula will be in the middle of the circular marker area — but she will bolt the second you get close. Do not expect her to stand still.
Watch the bounty icon on your map — it moves with her as she runs. Sprint after her and wait for the tackle prompt to appear (Triangle/Y on controller). Once you close the distance, use the tackle to bring her down. After tackling her, punch her until you get the option to tie her up, then carry her on your back to the local constabulary in Demeniss to hand her in.
You get the full reward only if you deliver her alive. Killing her pays half. It is worth the extra effort to subdue her properly.
After collecting your bounty reward at the constabulary, you will receive Ursula’s Journal as part of the handover. Open your inventory and read it immediately.
Step 3 — Read Ursula’s Journal and Find the Treasure Map
Reading Ursula’s Journal triggers the Buried Treasure quest. The journal mentions a secret map she left behind, pointing toward hidden treasure.
Follow the quest marker. It leads you to a house near the farm area where you will find Ursula’s Treasure Map sitting on a table. Pick it up and examine it. The map is written in shorthand to keep others from deciphering it easily, but it points to three marked spots on the farm grounds.
Your next objective is to find and examine the three traces from Ursula’s journal.
Step 4 — Dig the Three Dirt Mounds (Important: Use a Basic Shovel)
This is the step that trips up almost every player.
The map marks three locations on the farm grounds, but when you arrive at each one, there is nothing obvious to interact with. That is because the clues are buried inside dirt mounds on the ground — small patches of disturbed earth that are easy to miss.
Here is the critical rule: you must use a basic, non-upgraded Shovel. An upgraded or refined Shovel will not trigger the dig prompt. The game does not tell you this. If the prompt is not appearing at a dirt mound, check your equipped tool and swap to the plain basic Shovel.
Equip the basic Shovel, approach each dirt mound, and wait for the Shovel the Correction Mound prompt to appear. Once it does, dig to collect the buried clue piece.
Trace Location 1 — Second Piece (Near the Scarecrow)
Head to the middle of the triangular farm field. In the center you will see a grape marking on the ground — this is actually the solution to the Secret Chamber of the Golden Plains puzzle if you have not done that yet. Just next to this marking, beside a scarecrow, is the first dirt mound you need to dig. Equip your basic Shovel, dig the mound, and collect the Second Piece clue.
Trace Location 2 — First Piece (Southeast of the Scarecrow)
From the scarecrow area, head southeast to the next marked spot. There is another dirt mound at this location. Equip the Shovel again, interact with the mound when the prompt appears, and collect the First Piece clue.
Trace Location 3 — Third Piece (Near the Hay Pile and Campfire)
After collecting the First Piece, look ahead for a large pile of hay next to a campfire. Head in that direction and continue southeast to the final marked spot. The dirt mound here is located near a fence close to a lake. Dig it with the basic Shovel to collect the Third Piece clue.
Step 5 — Examine All Three Traces
Once you have all three clues, open your inventory and examine each of the three trace pieces. Doing this completes the current objective and automatically unlocks the next stage of the quest: Find Ursula’s Secret Place.
Step 6 — Find Ursula’s Secret Place (Under the Bridge in Demeniss City)
Ursula’s Secret Place is hidden in the watery marsh area of Demeniss City. Head to the marked location on your map and look for a stone bridge. Go underneath the bridge and walk along the walls beneath the middle arch.
Inspect the walls carefully until you spot one with a faint leaf symbol on it. It is subtle — hover your lantern over the wall surface to get a better look at the marking. Once you identify the correct wall, do not try to punch it normally. If you punch it directly, it will flip back immediately and you cannot get through.
Here is the correct sequence to enter:
- Climb onto the wall and hang in place.
- While hanging, select Resist to stabilize yourself against the wall.
- Then Stab your weapon into the wall while still attached.
- Now punch the wall normally — since you are attached to it, the wall will flip and carry you through to the other side.
You will land inside Ursula’s Secret Place — a hidden room on the other side of the flipping wall.
Step 7 — Open the Treasure Chest
Inside Ursula’s Secret Place, you will find a Treasure Chest. Open it to claim your reward.
Reward: Black Sun Shield
The main reward from the Buried Treasure quest is the Black Sun Shield. The item description reads: “A shield of Bastier, the grand general of Demeniss.”
This is one of the best early-to-mid-game shields available. Its key stats include solid defense, Movement Speed Level 2 (which prevents the usual heavy-shield slowdown when equipped), damage reduction, and stamina efficiency that lets you block longer without fatigue. It is a strong pick for any build that relies on blocking and parrying.
If you want to improve your blocking and parry skills to take full advantage of the Black Sun Shield, our guide on how to parry, counter, and dodge in Crimson Desert covers everything.
Tips for the Buried Treasure Quest
Carry a basic Shovel at all times. This quest, and other buried-clue quests in Crimson Desert, all require a plain non-upgraded Shovel. Refined shovels frequently bug out the dirt mound prompts. Keep a basic one in your pack as a dedicated digging tool.
Use your Lantern to spot the leaf symbol. The leaf marking on Ursula’s secret wall is easy to miss in dim lighting. Hover your lantern close to the wall surface beneath the bridge arch — the symbol becomes much clearer when the lantern light hits it directly.
Watch the bounty tracker when Ursula runs. She is fast. If you lose visual on her, watch the moving bounty icon on your map instead of chasing blindly. It updates in real time as she changes direction.
Do not kill Ursula. Delivering her alive is required to receive the journal. Killing her ends the bounty but you will not trigger the Buried Treasure quest chain.
Related Guides
- Crimson Desert: Fabrizio Bounty Guide
- Crimson Desert: Haldin Bounty Guide
- Crimson Desert: Warren Outlaw Bounty Guide
- Crimson Desert: Bianca Bounty Guide
- Crimson Desert: Blix Bounty Quest Guide
- How to Remove a Bounty in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert: Secret Chamber Golden Plains Puzzle Solution
- Crimson Desert: Hillside Manor Strongbox Puzzle Solution
- Crimson Desert: Bluemont Manor Strongbox Puzzle Solution
- Crimson Desert: Hidden Treasure Map Piece 7 Location
- How to Steal Items in Crimson Desert
- How to Get Lost Loot in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert: How to Get Gold Ore
- 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.
