Crimson Desert: How to Open Stellen Manor Strongboxes and Get the Acria Sword

TL;DR

Stellen Manor is northeast of Drakesfall Gorge in the Pailune region — enter through the second-floor window on the north or left side of the manor
Strongbox 1 (Dining Room): Musical key puzzle — press keys in order: Bottom 1, Bottom 3, Bottom 4, Bottom 2, Bottom 1, Bottom 3, Bottom 4. Reward: Stellen Manor Closet Key
Strongbox 2 (Tower Room): Scroll wheel puzzle — turn wheels 2, 5, 5, 4, 3 times left to right, then hit the switch. Reward: Finely Crafted Gold Ring
Use the Closet Key to open the wardrobe in the master bedroom — grab the handwheel and lower the hidden platform to get the book
Take the book downstairs and plant it in the upper-right slot of the bookshelf next to the ram painting — this opens a hidden passage
Follow the passage through the storage room, go behind the barrels, descend the ladder into the cellar
Acria Sword is on the rack at the far end of the cellar — a one-handed sword with 19 base Attack and Level 3 Critical Rate
Wear a Mask to steal the sword without triggering guards

Stellen Manor is one of Crimson Desert’s most rewarding off-the-beaten-path locations. It sits quietly in the Pailune region with no quest marker pointing to it, but inside are two strongboxes and a multi-step puzzle chain that ends with one of the best early-game swords in the game. The Acria Sword has 19 base Attack, high critical rate, and two pre-filled Abyss Gear slots — and most players never find it.

This guide walks through every single step, from how to reach the manor to collecting the sword from the hidden cellar. For more hidden weapons and items, check our full Crimson Desert guide hub.

Table of Contents

Stellen Manor Location

Stellen Manor sits northeast of Drakesfall Gorge in the Pailune region, directly south of Pailune City. From Hernand, head north past Rocker Hills, through Hook Rapids, and continue through the Hills of No Return. Follow the river heading north and you will find the manor slightly off to the side — it is easy to miss if you are not looking for it.

The manor is guarded inside, so you do not want to walk through the front door. You need to climb in through a window to reach the strongboxes without drawing immediate combat. The manor has two entry points depending on which strongbox you are targeting.

Before you go, make sure you are wearing a Mask. You need it to steal items without triggering the guards. Pick one up from Grimrak at the Back Alley Shop in Hernand City for just a few copper if you do not already have one. Our how to steal items guide covers the full stealing mechanic if you need a refresher.

Strongbox 1 – Dining Room (Musical Key Puzzle)

Reward: Stellen Manor Closet Key — required for the Acria Sword chain

Strongbox 1–Dining Room Acria Sword Location

How to enter: Head to the left side (north side) of Stellen Manor. Climb the fence or the wall and jump across to the building. Look for a second-floor window you can climb through. Once inside, you land in or near the dining room. The first strongbox sits behind or near the dining table — interact with it to bring up the puzzle interface.

The Musical Key Puzzle

The strongbox has two rows of keys — three on the top row and four (or five, depending on your counting) on the bottom row. There is a Playback Device on the right side of the box that is meant to play the target melody. Some players report this device being unresponsive or glitched — do not worry, the correct sequence is fixed regardless of whether you can hear the tune.

Number the bottom row keys 1 through 5 from left to right. The top row follows its own separate numbering. The correct input sequence is:

Bottom 1 → Bottom 3 → Bottom 4 → Bottom 2 → Bottom 1 → Bottom 3 → Bottom 4

crimson desert stellen manor strongbox 2 solution The Musical Key Puzzle

Press each key in exactly that order. Seven inputs total. If you execute the sequence correctly, the strongbox clicks open. Inside the small box is the Stellen Manor Closet Key — the item that gates the entire Acria Sword hunt.

Tip: If you have trouble interacting with a specific key, adjust your camera angle and reposition Kliff slightly. The interaction hitboxes on some keys can be finicky depending on your approach angle. Move around the strongbox until the prompt is clean and consistent.

Strongbox 2 – Tower Room (Scroll Wheel Puzzle)

Reward: Finely Crafted Gold Ring

This strongbox is independent of the Acria Sword chain — you can grab it before or after the Closet Key puzzle in any order you like.

How to enter: Approach the tower on the manor from the front (south side). Climb up the wall and enter through the window into the tower room at the top. The strongbox is inside this room.

The Scroll Wheel Puzzle

This strongbox uses five scroll wheels — one for each piston or cylinder. Number the wheels 1 through 5 from left to right. Each wheel needs to be scrolled a specific number of times. Note that one full scroll is indicated by Kliff’s thumb lifting up to return to the top of the wheel — two movements make one complete scroll.

Turn each wheel the following number of times, working left to right in order:

Wheel 1: 2 times
Wheel 2: 5 times
Wheel 3: 5 times
Wheel 4: 4 times
Wheel 5: 3 times

Once all five wheels are set, activate the switch on the right side of the strongbox. If the inputs are correct, the box opens and rewards you with the Finely Crafted Gold Ring.

Important: Turn the wheels in the correct sequence from Wheel 1 to Wheel 5, in order. Skipping around or going back can throw off the puzzle state.

Getting the Acria Sword – Step by Step

With the Stellen Manor Closet Key in hand, you now need to follow a four-step sequence through the manor to reach the hidden cellar and collect the sword.

Step 1 – Open the Wardrobe in the Master Bedroom

Leave the dining room through the door on your left and head down the corridor. Turn right and open the door to the master bedroom on the second floor. Inside the bedroom, look for the wardrobe on the left side of the room. Use the Stellen Manor Closet Key to unlock and open it.

Inside the wardrobe, behind its panels, you will find a handwheel. Grab it and rotate it. This mechanism lowers a hidden platform from the ceiling down into the bedroom.

Step 2 – Collect the Book from the Hidden Platform

The lowered platform holds a set of crates and boxes. Climb up onto the platform and pick up the book sitting on top of the crates. This book is the key item you need for the next step.

There is also a bookshelf in the bedroom — Shields of the World, Vol. 2 can be found on its bottom shelf and stolen if you want it. It is not required for the sword but worth grabbing if you are collecting books or recipes.

Step 3 – Place the Book in the Ground Floor Bookshelf

Head downstairs with the book. Use your lantern as you descend — you may notice bloodstains on the floor, which serve as a natural trail pointing you toward the right location. Follow them to a bookshelf on the ground floor, positioned next to a painting of a ram on the wall.

Look toward the top-right corner of that bookshelf. There is an empty slot where a book belongs. Use your lantern to highlight it if the slot is not immediately obvious. Plant the book into that slot. The bookshelf will swing open, revealing a hidden door and passage behind it.

Step 4 – Reach the Cellar and Take the Sword

Go through the hidden door into the storage room behind the bookshelf. Move through the storage room and head behind the barrels stacked on the right side. There you will find a hole or ladder descending into a cellar below.

Drop down into the cellar. At the far end of the room, you will find a sword rack or lower shelf near two chairs in the corner. The Acria Sword is sitting there waiting. Walk up to it and take it. Make sure you are wearing your Mask so the steal prompt appears without triggering the guards upstairs.

Acria Sword Stats

The Acria Sword is a one-handed curved blade with a distinctly golden look and a scaly pattern along its spine. It is one of the strongest weapons available at this stage of the game for critical hit focused builds.

Stat	Value
Base Attack	19 (+4 at refinement)
Critical Rate	Level 3
Attack Speed	Level 0 (slight trade-off)
Abyss Gear Slots	2 (pre-filled with Attack 1 and Critical Rate 1)

The two pre-filled Abyss Gear slots mean you do not need to spend resources slotting them manually — they come ready to use. The Level 3 Critical Rate is exceptional for this point in the game and pairs very well with builds that focus on Forward Slash and burst damage. The only trade-off is the Attack Speed penalty, which makes it slightly slower than some alternatives. If you are running a crit-heavy build this early, it is hard to beat.

For more on optimising your weapon setup, see our best early build guide, how to increase attack level, and how to reinforce equipment guide.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not wearing a Mask. The steal prompt will not appear without one. Buy or loot a Mask before you go. Guards inside the manor will flag items as stolen if you try to grab them unmasked.

Pressing the musical keys in the wrong order. One wrong input and the sequence fails. Take it slowly — there is no time pressure on this puzzle. If it fails, back out and start the sequence from the beginning.

Using the scroll wheels out of order. Work through Wheels 1 to 5 strictly from left to right. Turning them out of sequence can throw off the final result.

Missing the book slot on the bookshelf. The slot is at the top-right corner of the shelf and easy to miss at eye level. Hold your lantern up and scan that area carefully. Use the guiding light system if you are struggling to spot the interaction point.

Forgetting to check behind the barrels. Players sometimes reach the storage room and cannot find the next step. The ladder down to the cellar is not out in the open — it is tucked behind the barrels stacked on the right side of the storage room. Move all the way around them.

More Strongbox and Hidden Weapon Guides

Stellen Manor is just one of many strongboxes scattered across Pywel. Here are others worth solving nearby:

Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and Xbox. Visit the official Crimson Desert website for the latest from Pearl Abyss.