Nearly every character in Pywel tracks a hidden relationship value with Kliff, and most players blow right past it. Trust ranges from 0 to 100, and pushing the right NPCs to the cap unlocks supply contracts that pipe vendor stock directly to Greymane Camp, adds new livestock to your ranch, and hands over endgame crafting materials you can't reliably get any other way.
Quick answer: Prioritize innkeepers, grocers, equipment shops, tailors, furniture shops, provisioners, saddlers, the four livestock NPCs (Bremer, Ibano, Willian, Ben), the witch Elowenn, and the secret wandering trader Patrigio. Each of these rewards you with a supply contract, new animals, a recipe, or a unique item at 100 Trust.
How Trust works
Trust is tracked per individual NPC — the beggar near Hernand's south gate and the one by the tavern have completely separate meters. You can check any NPC's current Trust by shining your lantern or using a sword glint on them.
| Method | Trust gained | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | +5 | 5 NPCs per in-game day (25 max) |
| Gifting | +5 to +25 (varies by item and NPC type) | No daily cap |
| Completing a request | +50 | One per quest |
Merchant Trust gradually lowers shop prices as it climbs. At 100, the vendor offers a Trade Agreement (roughly 15–20 silver) that makes their full stock available at Greymane Camp. Some merchants also reveal hidden inventory items — the equipment vendor in Hernand, for instance, unlocks a kite shield with a slotted Abyss Core that cuts guard endurance cost.
Non-merchant Trust covers townsfolk, scholars, beggars, children, freeswords, and animals. Hitting 100 with these NPCs typically gives a one-time reward. Dogs and cats are a special case: pet them up to five times per in-game day, or feed dogs raw meat, and at 100 Trust, the animal becomes a permanent companion that auto-collects loot after combat.
Merchant NPCs that unlock supply contracts
These are the vendor types that sell a supply contract once you reach 100 Trust. Using the contract (double-click it in your inventory) pipes a selection of that vendor's goods to your camp. Different vendors of the same type in different cities carry different contracts, so it pays to max out more than one grocer or tailor.
| Vendor type | Contract category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Innkeeper | Food | Recipes also work well as gifts for innkeepers |
| Equipment Shop | Equipment | Not every equipment vendor offers a contract — city vendors are the reliable ones |
| Tailor's Shop | Clothes | The gift shop lady in the safari park counts and also sells Jester clothes at 100 |
| Grocer's Shop | Seeds | Farm-based grocers outside cities sell massively increased stock but may not offer contracts |
| Provisioner's Shop | Decorations | — |
| Furniture Shop | Furniture | — |
| Saddlery | Unique horse gear (not a standard contract) | Bruna outside Hernand unlocks saddles, horse armor, and horseshoes; accepts ores |
Once you activate a contract, speak to Tranan at Greymane Camp to browse the newly available stock. You can still buy directly from the original vendor, too — useful when you need upgrade materials like iron and copper while you're already in town.
Named NPCs with unique rewards
Livestock NPCs
Four named characters unlock new animal types for purchase at your ranch in Howling Hill Camp. You won't see the animals appear at the NPC's location — head back to Ben at your ranch, and the new livestock will be available for sale there.
| NPC | Location | Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Bremer | Muckroot Ranch (sleeping in his house) or the inn at night | Cows |
| Ibano | Near Capra Pasture | Goats |
| Willian | Near Bloomwood Ranch | Sheep |
| Ben | Your ranch at Howling Hill Camp | Pigs |
Bremer can be tricky to find after his side quest. Check inside his rebuilt house during the day or the inn outside at night.
Patrigio — The Claw fishing rod
Patrigio is a secret wandering merchant who appears near Howling Hill Camp between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM in-game time after you finish Chapter 3. Gift him Light Copper Pouches (about 7 copper each, +5 Trust per pouch) until you hit 100, and he hands over The Claw — a unique fishing rod that auto-reels fish once they're tired out. If you lose the rod, encountering him again while it's not in your inventory will get you a replacement.
Witch Elowenn — Alchemy recipe
Reaching 100 Trust with the witch Elowenn unlocks an alchemy recipe. Not every witch in Pywel rewards you at max Trust, but Elowenn is confirmed. Finding the other witches requires exploring the open world and performing an act of kindness when they appear in disguise.
Bernor — Unique pickaxe blueprint
Bernor is the mineral shop owner who appears in Fort Manub after you liberate it and the neighboring outposts. At 100 Trust, he sells a blueprint for a unique pickaxe that grants Expert Mining and a 20% bonus chance to mine additional ore at level 1. At max upgrade level, the pickaxe matches the Knuckle Drill's 30% bonus, though the drill has the convenience of depositing ore straight into your inventory.
Bankers — Gold bar
Maxing a banker's Trust deposits a gold bar directly into your bank. They respond well to honey as a gift.
Mineral shop NPC in Tommaso
The mineral vendor north of the arena in Tommaso gives you the Deceiver's Fedora at 100 Trust.
Ore vendor near Karin Quarry
This merchant stocks bloodstones (around five at a time) once you hit 100 Trust, and the stock refreshes — it's not a one-time purchase.
Tanner northeast of Vellua
At 100 Trust this tanner sells a Leather Armor Vol. IV crafting book (roughly 70 silver) that unlocks the Grey Wolf armor set — the iconic set from the game's cover art. He accepts iron ore as gifts.
Marquis Lanford (Calphade)
Reaching 100 Trust with Marquis Lanford unlocks a special gear piece for Damiane.
White Bloodwind armor set — Trust-gated across the campaign
The White Bloodwind set is widely considered the best-looking Damiane armor, and every piece requires maxing Trust with a specific NPC. Several of these are time-gated or missable.
| Piece | NPC | Location / timing |
|---|---|---|
| Helm | Tailor in Demeniss | Available any time |
| Chest | Stefan Lanford | Only available in Act 6, Act 12, or the Epilogue. Missable — he may not always appear in the castle |
| Gloves | Chief Monk at Jijeong Temple | Chapter 9 mission; possibly findable in the Epilogue, but he is small and hard to spot on the big island |
| Boots | Polan in Pororin | Available any time, bottom-right part of the village |
| Cloak | Rulupee in Shai Village | Available any time |
Most of these NPCs accept flower pots and flower baskets. A good time to stock up is during Chapter 5, when the cemetery boss fight area has close to 100 flower pots scattered around. Stefan Lanford specifically takes flower baskets. The set is not tied to any trophy or challenge, so it's purely cosmetic.
Non-merchant NPCs worth gifting
| NPC type | Best gift | Reward at 100 Trust |
|---|---|---|
| Scholatone Research Center scholars (giants) | Thin hides (10 per NPC, repeatable) | Mercury, Brimstone, or Rubber |
| Regular scholars | Collectible bottles | Rubber or Mercury |
| Dyers (generic NPCs labeled "Dyer," not the dye shop vendor) | Cooked food (e.g., Grilled Meat) | Random dye — colors are region-specific, caps around 30 dye types |
| Shai peddlers | Food | Honey |
| Children | Any insect or apple | High-value insects (converts cheap bugs into premium ones worth 38+ copper) |
| Beggars | Coin (+50 Trust per coin) | Cloth, Small Bones, or Bread; child beggars give high-value insects |
| Wandering freeswords | Any cooked food | Container item (sells for 92 copper or opens into a random treasure map) |
| Fishermen | Cooked food or wood | Random boxes with seeds, recipes, silver, or collectibles |
| Tanners / fish shops (select locations) | Varies | Documents revealing legendary animal sighting locations |
| Dogs / cats | Petting (5x/day) or raw meat for dogs | Permanent companion pet that auto-collects loot |
Brimstone from the Scholatone scholars is especially valuable — it's one of four ingredients for a gold bar alchemy formula and also crafts the 12-second no-stamina-consumption elixir. Mercury pairs with Brimstone for another gold bar recipe at the witch's cauldron. Rubber can be used to plant rubber trees.
Fastest ways to raise Trust
The single best piece of gear for Trust farming is the Bunny Mask (also called the rabbit leather mask). It's a leather helmet that adds +2 Trust to every greeting and gift interaction. Socket a Solidarity Abyss Core into it, and the bonus climbs to +5 per action. The mask's base stats are competitive with other leather helmets, so you're not giving up combat effectiveness.
For merchants, Light Copper Pouches looted from bandits are the most efficient gift — each one grants +5 Trust and costs about 7 copper. Save every pouch you find or steal instead of opening them for coins. For beggars, two coins with a short pause between them plus a greeting will hit 100 Trust almost instantly for just 2 copper total.
A useful trick for resetting your greeting cooldown: open the map, select Factions, open any faction location, then exit the map. Your greet action becomes available again, letting you cycle through NPCs much faster in a single session.
For random NPCs you encounter in the wild, always push to 100 in one sitting if you can. These characters aren't guaranteed to be in the same spot when you return, and partial Trust on someone you never find again is wasted resources. Flower baskets are a universal fallback gift at +5 Trust each, and any NPC will accept them.
The Trust system in Crimson Desert rewards patience and planning, but it doesn't require you to max every NPC in Pywel. Focus on the vendors whose supply contracts matter most to your playstyle, grab the livestock NPCs early for a steady flow of ranch resources, and keep a stack of copper pouches on hand for opportunistic gifting. The White Bloodwind armor pieces tied to story-chapter NPCs are the only truly missable rewards — everything else can be done at your own pace.