Crimson Desert's open world is enormous, but most of it hides behind a thick fog of war when you first set out. The fastest way to peel that fog back is to find and ring eight bell towers scattered across the continent of Pywel. Each bell is tied to the Pororin Forest Guardians faction and the "Toll of Pywel" quest chain. Ring all eight, and the full map opens up.
Quick answer: There are eight bell towers total. Climb each one, ring the bell, and a Shai child will appear to reveal the surrounding region on your map. Several bells are locked behind main-story progress, so you may need to advance the campaign before a bell will actually clear the fog.
How Bell Towers Work
Early in the campaign, Kliff meets a Shai child in Hernand Town. After a short side task involving a lost cat, the game nudges you toward a nearby bell tower. Climbing up and ringing the bell summons a different Shai child, who lifts the fog of war for that part of the map. Every subsequent bell tower follows the same pattern — find it, ring it, watch the fog disappear — though some towers have unique climbing puzzles or mechanical gimmicks before the bell becomes available.
A common stumbling point: if you ring a bell and nothing happens, you almost certainly haven't completed the required story chapter for that region yet. Finish the relevant main quest, return to the tower, and the Shai child should spawn normally.
All Eight Bell Tower Locations
| Bell Tower | Region | Unlock Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hernand Town | Hernand (east/south) | Available early in the campaign | Located just south of the Bank. The first bell most players ring. |
| Scholastone Institute | Hernand (west) | Complete the Chapter 4 storyline at the institute | Bell sits beneath a white gazebo in the second-floor outdoor garden. Ringing it before finishing the chapter does nothing — the Shai child won't appear until the area's main quest is done. |
| Church of Calphade | Hernand (north) | Complete the Chapter 6 main quest to liberate the city | Climb to the top of the church spire. The city is under hostile occupation until the quest is finished. |
| Pailune | Pailune | Complete Chapter 7 | Hostile territory at first. After the chapter wraps up, the Shai child appears without issue. |
| Demeniss | Demeniss | Story progress required (at least Chapter 4) | The bell isn't visible at the top of the tower. You need to solve a short climbing puzzle — see the detailed walkthrough below. |
| Delesyia | Delesyia (southeast) | Reachable during free-roam | Straightforward. The bell tower stands in the town square near the shops. |
| Tomasso | Crimson Desert (central) | Accessible from Chapter 9 onward | No main quest sends you here directly. Visit while free-roaming the desert. |
| Varnia | Far northeast edge of the map | Post-campaign | Follow the road northeast out of Tomasso. The bell is behind a mechanical lever — push the wooden lever at the top to open it. |
Hernand Town Bell Tower
This is the tutorial bell. After meeting the Shai child and rescuing their cat, look for the tower just south of the Bank in Hernand Town. Climb up, interact with the bell, and the eastern and southern portions of the Hernand region will clear on your map. It's hard to miss, and it sets the template for every bell that follows.
Scholastone Institute Bell Tower
Scholastone is a prestigious academy southwest of The Witchwoods. You arrive here during Chapter 4. Head to the second-floor outdoor garden and walk to the far end, where a small white gazebo shelters the bell. You can physically ring it as soon as you arrive, but the Shai child will not show up while other NPCs are around. Complete the chapter's main objective first, then return to trigger the fog-clearing cutscene.
While you're at Scholastone, it's worth exploring the institute's research projects tree. One of the discoveries there lets you raise your maximum health beyond the normal cap.
Church of Calphade Bell Tower
The Church of Calphade sits in the village of Thalwynd, northwest of Deepfog Basin. The bell is at the top of the church spire, but the entire city is occupied by a hostile army when you first encounter it. You need to finish Chapter 6's main quest to liberate the area. Once the occupation ends, climb the spire and ring the bell to unfog the northern part of Hernand.
Pailune Bell Tower
Pailune reveals the northern stretch of the world map. Like Calphade, it starts as hostile territory — enemies will attack you on sight if you wander in too early. After completing Chapter 7, the area becomes safe enough for the Shai child to appear when you ring the bell.
Demeniss Bell Tower — Climbing Puzzle
Demeniss is the trickiest bell tower in the game because the bell itself isn't sitting at the top waiting for you. If you simply climb the Church of Demeniss steeple, you'll reach the summit and find nothing to interact with.
Step 1: Enter the Church of Demeniss and take the covered stairs to the right of the main entrance door. These stairs lead up to a bridge that spans the gap between the two steeples.
Step 2: From the bridge, start climbing the same steeple you just ascended. As you go higher, move horizontally toward the opposite side of the tower. Look for a platform with visible gears near it.
Step 3: Above that platform, two banners hang from handlebars. Grab onto one of the banner bars. Your weight will pull the banner down automatically, and the mechanism will raise the large bell into position at the top of the tower.
Step 4: Climb back up to the tower top and ring the now-visible bell. The Shai child appears, and the Demeniss region clears on your map.
Delesyia Bell Tower
Delesyia occupies the southeastern corner of Pywel. The bell tower is refreshingly simple — it stands right in the town square, near the local shops. No puzzles, no hostile armies. Walk up, climb, ring, done.
Tomasso Bell Tower
Tomasso sits in the heart of the Crimson Desert itself. You won't reach this area until around Chapter 9, and no main quest actually sends you into the town. You'll need to detour there during free-roam exploration. The bell tower is in the settlement and works the standard way — climb and ring.
Varnia Bell Tower
Varnia is the most remote bell tower in the game. The settlement sits at the far northeastern edge of the map, well beyond anything the main campaign asks you to visit. To get there, follow the road leading northeast out of Tomasso until you reach the settlement.
The bell tower here uses a unique mechanism. At the top of the tower, you'll find a wooden lever. Push it, and the structure opens outward like a flower bud, exposing the bell. Ring it to clear the final section of the world map.
Troubleshooting: Bell Doesn't Clear the Fog
Several players have reported ringing a bell only to see the fog remain. In almost every case, the fix is the same: advance the main story. Each bell tower is gated behind a specific chapter of the campaign. If you reach a bell before completing the required chapter, the ringing animation plays but the Shai child never appears and the fog stays put. Return after finishing the relevant story mission, and the bell will work correctly.
If you've completed all eight bells and a patch of fog still lingers, it may be a bug. Reloading a save or fast-traveling away and back has resolved the issue for some players.
Once all eight bells are rung, the entire continent of Pywel is visible on your map, and the Toll of Pywel questline for the Pororin Forest Guardians faction completes. From there, you're free to chase down fast travel points, Sealed Abyss Artifacts, Ancient Ruins puzzles, and the rest of the endgame content without fumbling through fog.