Last updated on April 6, 2026
Crimson Desert doesn’t hold your hand. The open world of Pywel is massive, and from the moment you open the map you’ll notice most of it is buried under a thick fog of war. It doesn’t clear on its own, and the game never really tells you what to do about it.
The answer is Bell Towers, and once you know how they work, everything changes.
How the Bell Tower System Works
The Bell Tower mechanic is not really explained in the game. If you’ve played Assassin’s Creed or The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it will feel familiar. The idea is simple: find a tower, climb it, and ring the bell at the top.
What happens next is a bit more interesting than a standard viewpoint unlock. Once the bell tolls, a mysterious child appears and removes the fog. After a brief dialogue, the child dissipates the fog permanently, revealing a clear view of the surrounding region on your map.
What Gets Revealed
Each bell unveils a specific map section, which usually doesn’t match the region borders. Once the fog lifts, the map permanently shows geography, roads, rivers, and settlements. It also marks nearby points of interest with question marks, but you still need to visit them physically to see what’s actually there.
There are 8 Bell Towers in total across Pywel. Ringing them is tied to the Priorin Forest Guardians faction and counts as one quest in the Toll of Pywel questline. A couple come with chapter-based restrictions, so it’s worth knowing which ones before you go out of your way to reach them.
All 8 Bell Tower Locations
There are eight Bell Towers in total, spread across five regions: Hernand, Pailune, Demeniss, Delesyia, and the Crimson Desert region. Most are found naturally as you progress through the main story.
Hernand Town: The Bell of Hernand is the first bell you will encounter. It is located in Hernand Town, right next to the main notice board. Climb the tower and ring the bell to reveal the central part of the Hernand region.
Scholastone Institute: The Bell of Scholastone is found at the southern part of Hernand, in the Scholastone Institute. Head out to the open balcony area and look for a gazebo with a bell. Ring it to reveal the southern part of Hernand.
Church of Calphade: The Bell of Calphade is found in the Church of Calphade, located in the northern part of Hernand. Climb to the top of the church and ring the bell to reveal the area. Note that this bell can only be rung before or after Chapter 6, as it is temporarily unavailable during that chapter.
Demeniss: This one requires a bit more effort than the others. Climb the massive tower until you are close to the top, then look off to the side and grab the handlebars of the banners. Pull them down to cause the large bell to appear, then climb up and ring it.
Pailune: Head to Pailune city and look for a red wooden tower with a ladder. Climb to the top to find the bell and ring it to reveal the entire Pailune region. Keep in mind that this bell can only be rung after liberating Pailune in Chapter 7 of the story.
Tommaso: The Bell of Tommaso is found in the City of Tommaso, in the Tashkalp area of the Crimson Desert region. Head toward the north side of the city and find the main tower near the city market, identifiable by the blue tarp on the building’s exterior. No special mechanics are required at the top.
Varnia: The Bell of Varnia is in the northeast area of the Crimson Desert, in the tower with the large dome. Climb the tower and push the lever with the Left Stick counter-clockwise to open the rooftop and reveal the bell.
Delesyia: The Delesyia Bell Tower is located in the northwest district of the city, inside the clocktower before the castle. This one just needs to be climbed, with no gimmick to activating it.
A Shortcut Worth Knowing
If tracking down every bell sounds like more effort than you want, there’s an alternative. There is an exploration perk in the Scholarship branch of the skill tree that removes all remaining fog of war from the entire map at once. When unlocked, it reveals every point of interest, hunting spot, merchant, and fast travel location across all of Pywel. It is located in the Green (Spirit) branch and is typically a mid-to-late-game option.
Is It Worth Doing?
Beyond just seeing the map, clearing the fog makes the entire game feel more manageable. The Knowledge System tracks 2,921 total entries across the continent, including 573 named territories. Discovering every territory and clearing the fog from every corner of Pywel is one of the game’s most rewarding long-term objectives.
In a world this size, visibility isn’t just a convenience. It’s the difference between stumbling through Pywel and actually understanding it.
For more guides, visit our Crimson Desert guides page.
I’m passionate about books and video games. These two great passions represent, for me, a boundless universe where I can “escape” from reality whenever I need or want to. There are so many stories, worlds, and landscapes where I can instantly teleport that I don’t think a whole lifetime would be enough to explore them all (though it would be my greatest dream to be able to).
