Getting into Hernand Castle and finding the alchemist's chamber in Crimson Desert is one of your first objectives this massive open-world game gives. And while it might leave you scratching your head looking for an answer, the solution doesn't take too long to complete.
Gaining entry into the castle actually requires a quick costume change and, once inside, finding the alchemist's chamber just involves a little trial and error opening some doors. Even if it seems like there's one very specifically guarded door you should enter instead.
Here's exactly how to get into Hernand Castle and find the alchemist's chamber, so you can clear this quest as soon as possible and continue the main story.
How to enter Hernand Castle in Crimson Desert
To get into Hernand Castle in Crimson Desert you have to equip the Hernandian Attire armor before talking to the guards. This is the upper armor you get after helping the distressed villagers by cleaning the chimney, right before you get the task to go to Hernand Castle. Simply open the main menu, tab over to Kliff's inventory, then locate the Hernandian Attire and press the equip button - the armor is marked as a key item with a purple background.
If not already there, now follow the objective marker to reach the entrance to Hernand Castle, north of where you end up after helping the villagers with their chimney. The exact location is shown in this map: .
With the right clothes on, the guards by the gates of Hernand Castle will give Kilff a little inspection, then open up and let him in. Keep the Hernandian Attire on, and follow the path up and to the right to find another gate, and another set of guards with it. As long as you still have the Hernandian Attire armor on, they'll give Kliff one last look over before letting him through.
Now go up the stairs and follow the path forward to enter the inside of Hernand Castle, past the well and a group of guards. You can have a little peek at what's on this floor, if you're not in a rush, but to clear the 'go to Hernand Castle' task and get to your next objective, you have to go up the stairs on the right as you enter the inside of the castle (pictured above). At the top of the stairs, go through the entrance in front of Kliff and take a right to enter a big room and obtain the 'Find the alchemist's chamber' task.
How to find the alchemist's chamber in Crimson Desert
To find the alchemist's chamber in Crimson Desert, you have to go through the first door on the left as you enter the room that gives you the 'find the alchemist's chamber' task. We've marked the correct door with a circle in the picture above, and where that is on this map:
It might looks like the guard in the middle is blocking an important entrance, say to an alchemist's chamber the game wants you to find, but that's not where the next story objective lies. So you can ignore that option for now. However, you might want to stand near the guard for a moment until they start talking about the Marquis, as that will unlock the 'Alan Serkis' Prominent Resident entry in the Knowledge tab.
Once inside the alchemist's chamber examine the shining treasure chest on the floor to add the 'Faded Abyss Artifact' to your inventory. This opens an Abyss Gate inside the same room and all you have to do now is go through this Abyss Gate to complete the overall 'Mystical Key' quest, and start the 'Polar Opposites' quest to make your way towards the Abyss Cell puzzle.
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