TL;DR
- This is a Pororin Forest Guardians faction quest — unlocked after completing The Unreachable Village
- Speak with Polan in Pororin Forest to get the quest and the Traveler’s Log Book
- Find all four Shai: Ara at Mystic Falls, Balan in Redtree Forest, Alder at Three Brothers’ Cliff, Florian under Desert Edge Maze
- Best route: First → Fourth → Second → Third (or the reverse) to minimize backtracking
- Reward: Pororin Petal Hat cosmetic item
Children of the Woods is a side quest tucked inside the Pororin Forest Guardians faction storyline. After earning the trust of the Shai in Pororin, four curious children scatter across Pywel to see its wonders for themselves. It is your job to track them all down and bring them safely home.
Each Shai is hidden in a spot that requires a bit of exploration — underground caves, cliff nests, underground mazes. None are in plain sight. This guide covers every location, the fastest travel route, and what to do at each spot.
How to Unlock Children of the Woods
This quest is not available from the start. It sits behind two earlier quests in the Pororin Forest Guardians faction chain:
- Trembling Woods — the quest that first puts you in contact with the Shai
- The Unreachable Village — where you earn access to Pororin Forest by retrieving the Pororin Relic for Arkin
Once you complete The Unreachable Village and can enter Pororin freely, head into the village and speak with Polan. She will tell you the four Shai have wandered off and will hand you a Traveler’s Log Book with vague clues about each location. That starts Children of the Woods.
For a full walkthrough of the prerequisite quest, see our Crimson Desert Unreachable Village quest guide.
Best Route for All Four Shai
You can find the four Shai in any order, but travel time adds up quickly if you move randomly. The most efficient order based on map proximity is:
First Shai (Ara) → Fourth Shai (Florian) → Second Shai (Balan) → Third Shai (Alder)
Or run it in reverse: Alder → Balan → Florian → Ara
Both avoid unnecessary backtracking across the map. All four locations and quest markers appear on your map once you have the Traveler’s Log Book.
If you need help getting around Pywel quickly, see our fast travel guide for Crimson Desert.
All Four Shai Locations in Crimson Desert
Shai 1 — Ara (Mystic Falls, The Ancient Rift)
Region: Hernand — The Ancient Rift How to get there: Travel north from the City of Hernand by horse, or teleport to a nearby Abyss Nexus or Abyss Cresset.
When you arrive at The Ancient Rift, you will see a waterfall. Descend to the rocks between the waterfalls and look carefully at the surface. There is a narrow gap in the rocks at the bottom. Drop into it to slide down into the underground section of the Hernadian Territory.
Once underground, look for a glowing tree. Ara is standing right next to it. Talk to her and she will return to Pororin Forest.
Navigation tip: The gap in the rocks is easy to miss. If you are standing at the base of the waterfall and facing the cliff, scan the ground slowly to your left and right. The gap is small but clearly leads downward.
Shai 2 — Balan (Redtree Forest, Red River)
Region: Demeniss — Red River, west side How to get there: Mount your horse and ride to the southern edge of Demeniss, or use an Abyss Nexus nearby to cut travel time.
At the southern edge of Demeniss, follow the mountain wall and look for a cave entrance on the side of the mountain. It is not prominently marked, so keep your eye on the terrain as you ride south. The entrance blends into the rock face.
Enter the cave. Inside, you will find Balan standing next to a large red tree. Speak with her and she will head back to Pororin Forest.
Navigation tip: The cave is on the western side of Demeniss in the Red River sub-area. If your map marker seems unreachable on flat terrain, look for a path along the mountainside rather than through open ground.
Shai 3 — Alder (Three Brothers’ Cliff, Wyvern Nest)
Region: Delesiya — southwestern section How to get there: This is the most distant location from the others, so use your fastest available travel option — horse, Abyss Nexus, or Abyss Cresset.
When you reach Three Brothers’ Cliff in the southwestern part of Delesiya, you will see large cliff gaps and enormous wyvern nests between them. Jump down into the gaps and make your way to where the huge nests sit.
Go behind the large rock formation in the nest area. Alder is standing there, quietly watching the wyverns. Strike up a conversation and the third Shai will return home.
Navigation tip: Do not worry about the wyverns — they will not attack unless provoked. Focus on finding the big rock behind the nests and Alder is right there.
Shai 4 — Florian (Desert Edge Maze, Smoking Lands)
Region: Demeniss — Smoking Lands, northeast of the City of Hernand How to get there: Travel to Demeniss by horse, Abyss Nexus, or Abyss Cresset — whichever is closest.
Once at the Desert Edge Maze, glide or jump down between the maze’s outer edges and look for a hole in the ground. Drop through it to reach an underground chamber beneath the maze.
It is very dark down here. Equip your lantern immediately to light the space. Move toward the patch of greenery growing between two rocks — you will notice rabbits gathered in the area. Florian is standing right there among them. Talk to her and she will return to Pororin Forest.
Navigation tip: The underground section of the Desert Edge Maze is one of the darker areas in Crimson Desert. If you do not have your lantern ready, you can easily walk past Florian entirely. Raise the lantern as soon as you drop in and move toward the green glow.
For more on using your lantern as a tool, see our guide on how to read and replay memory fragments in Crimson Desert — the lantern mechanic works similarly here.
How to Finish the Quest
Once you have spoken to all four Shai, return to Pororin Forest and speak with Polan again. She will confirm that the children are home, thank you for your help, and hand over your reward.
Quest Reward: Pororin Petal Hat — a cosmetic headpiece unique to this quest. You cannot get it any other way. Wear it as a trophy or store it in your wardrobe — it is a fun reward for a quest that takes you across most of the map.
What Else Unlocks in Pororin Forest?
Completing Children of the Woods deepens your connection with the Pororin Forest Guardians faction and opens up further faction quests in this chain. Pororin itself offers several useful services that are worth revisiting:
- A Dyehouse where you can change the color of your armor and gear — see our how to dye armor and weapons guide for how it works
- A Research Institute run by Lumiel, where you can unlock crafting recipes and permanent buffs including the ability to craft Palmar Pills — see our research guide for details
- A pet clothing shop for animal companions
The Toll of Pywel faction objective — ringing every bell tower to reveal the full world map — is also tied to the Pororin Forest Guardians. Our Crimson Desert belltowers and fog of war guide covers every bell location.
Quick Reference — All Shai at a Glance
| Shai | Name | Location | Key Landmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Ara | Mystic Falls, The Ancient Rift | Underground via rock gap — near a glowing tree |
| Second | Balan | Redtree Forest, Red River (west Demeniss) | Inside cave on mountainside — next to large red tree |
| Third | Alder | Three Brothers’ Cliff, Delesiya (southwest) | Behind big rock formation in the wyvern nest area |
| Fourth | Florian | Desert Edge Maze underground, Smoking Lands | Greenery between two rocks — use lantern to find |
Tips for Completing Children of the Woods Faster
- Use the Abyss Nexus network to reduce ride time between locations. The Smoking Lands and southwestern Delesiya in particular are long rides from Hernand.
- Florian’s location is the easiest to fail at — the underground maze section is pitch black. Raise your lantern immediately upon landing.
- Alder is behind the rock, not in front of it — many players circle the nests without going behind the formation and miss her entirely.
- Balan’s cave entrance is on the mountainside, not at the base of the terrain. If you are struggling to reach the marker, look for a path that leads up along the cliff face.
- Read the Traveler’s Log Book that Polan gives you — the descriptions are vague but they do point toward the right region for each Shai.
Related Guides
- The Unreachable Village Quest Guide — the prerequisite quest that unlocks Pororin
- How to Fast Travel in Crimson Desert — essential for this quest given how spread out the locations are
- Crimson Desert Research Guide — unlock crafting recipes at Pororin’s Research Institute
- How to Dye Armor and Weapons — use the Pororin Dyehouse after completing this quest
- Belltowers and Fog of War — All Bell Locations — the next major Pororin Forest Guardians objective
- Azure Moon Labyrinth Puzzle Solution — another puzzle in the Pororin region
- How to Get and Use Palmar Pills — craftable via Pororin Research Institute
- Weight of Knowledge Quest Guide — another faction side quest from the same stretch of the game
- All Main Story Quests and Chapters — track your progress through the full questline
- Crimson Desert Review — our full breakdown of the game
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