The Azure Moon Labyrinth in Crimson Desert is a hidden ancient ruin under Phoniel Ranch, in Hernand's Alfonso Estate, that you enter by a ladder inside a wooden ranch building. To solve it, you read a mural that points to five marked trees around Pororin Village, note the white symbol on each tree, then press the five matching runes at the end of the labyrinth to open the room holding an Abyss Cresset. The reward is an Abyss Artifact, a new fast travel point and an item called Memory of Tide.
We built this walkthrough from Game8's Azure Moon Labyrinth guide, PowerPyx's ruins solution and Selphie1999's step-by-step guide, cross-checked against Pearl Abyss's patch notes in November 2026. Where those guides disagree, we say so.
Where the Azure Moon Labyrinth Is
PowerPyx lists the ruin's location as Hernand, then Alfonso Estate, then Phoniel Ranch. On your own map it first shows up as a large question mark labeled "Mysterious Energy" near the abandoned ranch, which Game8 confirms is the marker for this ruin. Selphie1999 describes the approach from the Witchwoods side: there is a small cave nearby that looks promising but is a dead end, so ignore it and head northeast up the hill to the ranch itself.
Because the ruin sits in Hernand, you can reach the entrance early in the game. The catch is that part of the solution sits in Pororin Forest, which is gated behind a quest, so most players find the labyrinth long before they can finish it. That is normal. The inner door simply stays shut until you bring back the right five symbols, and the only hint is a mural you can easily walk past.
If you have not explored much of Hernand yet, ringing the nearby bells first will make the trip easier. Our guide to Pywel's map and bells lists where each bell is, and the area around the Witchwoods is also where you meet the Witch of Wisdom, so the trip can double as progress on her questline.
Getting Inside: The Ranch Ladder and the Fire Traps
The entrance is easy to miss because it is not a cave mouth. All three guides describe a ladder hidden inside a ranch structure:
- Ride to Phoniel Ranch and look for the wooden building (Selphie1999 calls it a wooden pavilion to the left of a cart; Game8 calls it a shack).
- Go inside and climb down the ladder to the lower level.
- Follow the passage to its end, which brings you into the labyrinth proper.
The first obstacle is a corridor of fire traps. Selphie1999 lists three ways past them: use Force Palm, double jump across, or grapple onto the walls. If you are early in the story and lack the tools, note that the free Enhanced update (patch 2.00.00) changed the quest "Unexpected Gift" so that Bilwise rewards you with Double Jump, which makes this section much more forgiving than it was at launch. Take damage carefully here; it is easier to back up and retry than to push through on low health.
If you play on Hard difficulty, heal before you start the corridor rather than halfway along it. Patch 1.04.00 made Hard apply food effects only after the eating animation finishes, so eating while standing next to a flame jet is a good way to take a second hit before the healing lands. On Easy or Normal the timing is more forgiving, but topping up first is still the cleaner approach.
Once you are past the flames, slow down and look at the walls on your right. That is where the only clue in the whole ruin lives.
Reading the Mural and Unlocking Pororin Forest
Just past the traps, Selphie1999 points to a mural on the right-hand wall showing a map with five trees marked by red check marks. Game8 describes the same mural as the first clue and says it shows five tree locations near Pororin Village. Take a screenshot of it; you will want it in the forest.
Pororin Forest is the problem for most players. Selphie1999 explains that you cannot simply walk in: the area is locked behind a quest called "Unreachable Village", and an NPC hands it to you only after you have tried to enter the forest a few times. If you keep bouncing off the edge of the forest with no prompt, keep trying to enter and look for the NPC who offers the quest, then follow it through. The labyrinth does not care how long you take; the door stays exactly as you left it.
This is also why we recommend not forcing the runes by trial and error. The button walls only open the inner room when the correct five are pressed, and guessing wastes time you could spend on the quest that unlocks the real answer.
Finding the Five Marked Trees
Each tree carries a white marking that matches one of the rune symbols at the end of the labyrinth. The symbols look like the letters F and P, some with extra horizontal lines through them. Game8 lists the five trees like this:
- F with three horizontal lines: southeast of Pororin Village.
- P: deep in Pororin Forest, north of the village.
- F: deep in Pororin Forest, further northwest of the village.
- P with one horizontal line: in the Florindale woods.
- P with three horizontal lines: in the Reachwood Ruins.
Selphie1999's guide places and labels the trees slightly differently (for example, it describes a P with three lines north of the village and an F with a line south of it), so the guides do not fully agree on which symbol sits where. That disagreement does not change the answer at the door, because what matters is the set of five symbols, not the order. Our advice is to trust the mural screenshot and the markings you see on the trees themselves: walk to each checked spot, read the white symbol, and write it down.
A tip that saves a second trip: mark each tree on your map with a custom marker as you find it. Patch 1.04.00 lets you choose the shape and color of markers, so you can give all five the same icon and see at a glance which ones you have confirmed.
Pressing the Runes and Claiming the Cresset
Back at the end of the labyrinth, the chamber walls hold rows of rune buttons. One wall has the F-style symbols and the other has the P-style symbols. PowerPyx gives the solution by button position: on the F side press buttons 2 and 3, and on the P side press buttons 1, 3 and 4. That is five buttons in total, which matches the five trees and Game8's list of two F symbols and three P symbols.
- Stand at the F wall and press the two F runes that match your trees (PowerPyx: buttons 2 and 3).
- Cross to the P wall and press the three matching P runes (PowerPyx: buttons 1, 3 and 4).
- Selphie1999 notes the order does not matter. Once all five are pressed, a small room unlocks.
- Enter the room and interact with the Abyss Cresset to claim your reward and activate the travel point.
If the door does not open, the usual cause is one wrong rune, often confusing the plain F or P with a version that has a single line. Count the lines on each symbol carefully against your notes. If you are sure everything matches and it still fails, leave the area, reload and try again before assuming the puzzle is bugged.
Rewards and Why the Detour Is Worth It
Game8 lists three rewards: one Abyss Artifact, the Memory of Tide, and the Abyss Cresset itself, which works as a fast travel point once you interact with it. PowerPyx adds that Memories of Tide reveals some hidden location information on your map, which makes it one of the more useful exploration rewards in Hernand rather than just a collectible.
The Abyss Artifact is the real prize. Artifacts are the currency for learning skills and for refining gear past a certain level, and every single one counts in the early game. Our Abyss Artifacts guide explains how to spend it well and where to farm more. The Cresset also slots into the wider teleport network covered in the existing fast travel guide, and if you enjoy this style of puzzle, the existing ruins puzzle solutions post covers several more.
Finally, keep the Witchwoods in mind on your way out. The Witch of Wisdom's home is in that area, and her sanctum quests send you all over Hernand; our witch locations guide lists where she and the others are found. If anything about this ruin changes in a later patch, it will show up in our update history.
Rather Skip the Legwork?
Most of the time spent on this puzzle is travel: riding to the ranch, getting into Pororin Forest and hunting five trees across three areas. If you would rather see the whole map up front, the store's map unlock service reveals the full map on your account, with icons and hidden areas visible per the game's rules. It does not solve puzzles, include Knowledge or unlock teleports, and the listing does not name platforms, so check with the store first. You still press the runes yourself; you just spend less time riding around looking for the trees.
The rest of the store's options are on the Crimson Desert services page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the entrance to the Azure Moon Labyrinth?
Inside a wooden building at Phoniel Ranch in Hernand's Alfonso Estate. Climb down the ladder inside and follow the passage to the end.
What is the Azure Moon Labyrinth solution?
Press the five runes that match the trees from the mural. PowerPyx gives them as buttons 2 and 3 on the F wall and buttons 1, 3 and 4 on the P wall. The order does not matter.
Why can't I get into Pororin Forest?
It is locked behind the quest "Unreachable Village". Keep trying to enter and an NPC will offer the quest after a few attempts.
How many trees do I need to find?
Five. The mural marks five trees, and each has a white symbol that matches one rune at the end of the labyrinth.
What does Memory of Tide do?
PowerPyx says it reveals some hidden location information. It comes with an Abyss Artifact and the Abyss Cresset travel point.
How do I get past the fire traps?
Use Force Palm, double jump or grapple onto the walls. Since patch 2.00.00, Double Jump is a reward from Bilwise during the quest "Unexpected Gift".