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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →To get the Vow of the Dead King in Crimson Desert, travel to Frostveiled Castle Ruins in Pailune, descend into the Citadel of the Forgotten King, cross the trap course, and light the lantern beside the last gated chamber. The halberd becomes collectible when that gate opens. Guides disagree about whether the final pickup sits on a table or in a stone coffin, so use the item prompt in your game rather than searching for one fixed container.
At a glance
- Destination: Frostveiled Castle Ruins on Silver Wolf Mountain in Pailune.
- Dungeon: Citadel of the Forgotten King, reached by the staircase near the castle’s arched entrance.
- Main hazards: Spike traps, a traversal gap, flames, falling rocks, rock worms and tripwires.
- Gate mechanism: Light the lantern in the final chamber.
- Reward: Vow of the Dead King, a two-handed halberd associated with Beloth the Darksworn.
The broad route is consistent in the Game8 guide updated April 10, 2026, and the Greymane Codex walkthrough updated April 19, 2026. Their descriptions differ on some room details, so the instructions below identify those points instead of presenting one guide’s uncertain detail as fact.
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What to prepare before entering
Bring a lantern
The dungeon’s final gate is opened by lighting a lantern. Greymane Codex specifically recommends equipping a lantern before entering, and carrying one from the start avoids having to retreat if your current loadout does not include it.
There is no confirmed mandatory chapter requirement
The available walkthroughs do not establish a required story chapter or a mandatory ability for this pickup. Greymane places the trip after Chapter 6 in a general gear-collection itinerary, but that recommendation is not proof that the weapon is chapter-locked. A search-result wiki snippet also suggests there is no chapter trigger, although that claim was not independently verified. Treat access as game-state dependent and check the entrance if the stairs are unavailable.
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Make a recovery plan
- Keep enough healing and stamina resources for repeated jumps and a fire run.
- Approach the first room slowly so you can identify spike plates before committing to a jump.
- Set a camera angle that shows your landing point across the gap; gliding blindly into the far wall is a common cause of falls.
- If you intend to fight the rock worms, leave room in your inventory for the power cores Greymane says they can provide.
Reach Frostveiled Castle Ruins
Travel to Silver Wolf Mountain in Pailune and look for Frostveiled Castle Ruins. Greymane describes the ruins as being in northern Pailune on Silverwolf Mountain, east of Wayward Woods; Game8 also directs you to Silver Wolf Mountain and notes that bandits occupy the area. The landmark name is reliable, but the finer compass wording differs between guides, so use the named ruin on your in-game map instead of following an unverified bearing.
Clear or slip past the bandit camp
The staircase is near the arched castle entrance. Game8 describes bandits guarding the approach, while Greymane advises clearing the camp before going underground. Defeat them if you need a safe staging area, or move through carefully if you are trying to conserve health and ammunition. The important objective is the stairway, not a particular order for defeating the surface enemies.
Enter the Citadel of the Forgotten King
Find the staircase beside the arched entry area and descend. This leads to the Citadel of the Forgotten King. Once below ground, keep the lantern ready and watch the floor and ceiling: the route combines fixed traps with movement sections, and rushing the first room can cost more health than the later combat.
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Cross the trap section
Spike floors and wall route
Game8 recommends climbing along the walls to avoid the spike traps. Stay off the central floor where possible, use ledges to reset your position, and wait for a safe opening before moving to the next wall section. If you trigger a plate, do not continue sprinting through the pattern; pause, let the spikes retract, and resume from a stable surface.
The gap
Both guides describe a gap that requires a jump followed by a glide. Start from the edge with enough running space, jump toward the opposite side, then activate your glide so you arrive on the far platform rather than dropping below it. Greymane also mentions falling rocks in this passage. If debris begins to fall, prioritize a clean landing over a shortcut and use the nearest safe wall or platform as your next target.
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Flames
Game8’s instruction for the fire section is to run through it. Do not stop in the middle of a flame lane to attack or turn around. Heal before entering if your health is already low, commit to the exit, and avoid adding a jump unless the geometry clearly requires one. The exact timing of the flame cycle can vary with your position, so watch one pass if you cannot see the far side.
Rock worms and the tripwire entrance
The next section is described differently by the two walkthroughs. Game8 says two rock worms spawn and advises turning immediately right to run through the tripwire entrance. Greymane calls the stone worms optional and says you can hook right to bypass them. These accounts support a right-side escape attempt, but they do not prove that the enemies are absent in every game state or that the bypass always succeeds.
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| Approach | What to do | Advantages | Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right-side bypass | As the worms appear, turn right and follow the route toward the tripwire entrance. | Less time exposed to attacks; preserves healing and combat resources. | The opening may be hard to see, and a failed turn can leave you trapped beside the worms. |
| Fight the worms | Engage both enemies, then continue through the tripwire section once the area is safe. | More control over the room and a chance to obtain the power cores mentioned by Greymane. | Consumes health and time; the narrow terrain can make dodging difficult. |
Choose based on your current build and the room state. If the bypass lane is visible, try it first when your priority is simply the halberd. If the worms block the turn, your character is under-leveled for a clean escape, or you want the reported power-core rewards, fight them instead. Neither guide establishes one universally superior method.
Handling the tripwires
After the worm area, identify the tripwire entrance before sprinting. Keep your camera low enough to reveal a wire across the passage, then cross when the path is clear. If you trigger one, continue toward open floor rather than backing into the worms; the safest recovery is to reach the next room and heal there.
Open the final gate and collect the halberd
Follow the passage to the final gated room. Both guides agree that a lantern beside the chamber is the mechanism: interact with it to light the lantern and lower or open the gate. Game8 calls the barrier a spear-like gate and says the weapon lies on a table. Greymane calls it a grate and places the weapon in a stone coffin. Because those pickup descriptions conflict, search the opened chamber for the interaction prompt instead of relying on a single container description.
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- Enter the last chamber approach and locate the lantern beside the gate.
- Interact with the lantern and wait for the barrier to move fully.
- Cross the threshold only after the opening is clear; a partially lowered gate can still obstruct movement.
- Check the table, coffin and nearby floor for the collection prompt, since the guides disagree on the exact placement.
- Confirm that Vow of the Dead King appears in your inventory before leaving.
If the gate does not open
- Make sure you interacted with the lantern itself, not a nearby decorative light.
- Move back into the approach corridor and return to refresh the interaction prompt.
- Check that the bandit or worm encounter has not left an enemy in an active combat state.
- Verify that your lantern is equipped if the interaction is unavailable.
- If the chamber still cannot be opened, reload the area and repeat the route; the available guides do not document a different switch or key.
Vow of the Dead King: weapon type and reported stats
The reward is a two-handed halberd tied to Beloth the Darksworn. Greymane’s item page identifies it as a T5 two-hand halberd and lists a refinement progression. The guide pages report additional values at acquisition, but those figures are not completely consistent, so use the item screen in your own save for the authoritative current value.
| Attribute | Reported value | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon class | Two-handed halberd | Greymane item database classification. |
| Tier | T5 | Greymane item database classification. |
| Attack at +0 | 12 | Greymane refinement table. |
| Attack at +2 | 16 | Game8 and Greymane guide pages describe 16 as the found-at-+2 attack value. |
| Attack at +10 | 35 | Greymane refinement table. |
| Critical rate | Level 3 through +9; level 4 at +10 | Greymane refinement table. |
| Abyss Gear slots | Five | Reported by the guide pages; verify on your item screen. |
| Listed gear effects | Bloodbane I, Primalbane I and Malicebane I | Game8 listing; the effect set was not cross-checked against an official database. |
The apparent difference between 12 attack at +0 and 16 attack at +2 is a refinement difference, not necessarily a contradiction. The safer interpretation is that the item database gives the progression while the guide describes the version obtained in that walkthrough. If your copy shows another starting level, sockets or effect combination, record the values from the in-game screen before spending refinement materials.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to decide whether to refine it
Use the refinement level shown in your inventory
Compare the weapon’s current attack and critical-rate level with the progression above. A +0 copy should not be judged against the +2 figure reported by the guide. Likewise, the level-4 critical rate is associated with +10 in Greymane’s table, not with every copy of the weapon.
Check sockets before committing resources
Five Abyss Gear slots are reported, but the guide pages do not establish that every version has identical effects. Open the item details, confirm the number of sockets, and inspect the installed or available effects. Build around the bonuses you actually possess rather than assuming the listed Bloodbane I, Primalbane I and Malicebane I effects are guaranteed in your save.
Match the halberd to your combat style
A two-handed halberd favors players who are comfortable managing reach, deliberate swings and stamina. It is a poor emergency swap if your current build depends on a shield, rapid one-handed attacks or a completely different resource loop. Test its spacing in a safe area before replacing a weapon that already fits your moveset.
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Troubleshooting the route
I cannot find the ruins
Start from the Pailune map and search for Frostveiled Castle Ruins on Silver Wolf Mountain. The guides use both “Silver Wolf” and “Silverwolf” in their descriptions, but they refer to the same named mountain area. Do not use the east-of-Wayward-Woods wording as an exact coordinate; it is only Greymane’s regional description.
The stairs are not visible
Look around the arched castle entrance rather than only inside the outer walls. Clear nearby bandits if combat markers or bodies are obscuring the stair opening, then circle the arch again. The documented route begins with a descent; there is no reported alternate surface entrance.
I keep dying before the gate
Break the route into checkpoints: wall movement for spikes, a deliberate jump-and-glide for the gap, then a committed run through the flames. Heal between sections instead of carrying damage into the next hazard. At the worms, take the right-side bypass only when you can see the tripwire entrance; otherwise fight or retreat to reset your position.
The weapon is not on the table
Search the opened chamber for an interaction prompt. One guide places the reward on a table and the other in a stone coffin, so the container model is not settled by the available walkthroughs. Confirm the gate has fully opened and that the item name appears in your inventory after collection.
One-screen route checklist
- Travel to Pailune and select Frostveiled Castle Ruins on Silver Wolf Mountain.
- Reach the arched entrance and deal with or bypass the bandit camp.
- Find the staircase and descend into the Citadel of the Forgotten King.
- Equip your lantern before tackling the interior hazards.
- Use the walls to avoid spikes.
- Jump and glide across the gap, watching for falling rocks.
- Run through the flame section without stopping in the hazard lane.
- At the rock worms, turn right toward the tripwire entrance or fight if the bypass is blocked.
- Reach the final chamber and light the lantern beside the gate.
- Search the opened room, collect the Vow of the Dead King, and verify its refinement and socket details in your inventory.
What is confirmed and what remains uncertain
The location, dungeon name, hazard sequence and lantern-operated gate are consistent between the available Game8 and Greymane Codex walkthroughs. The rock-worm bypass is presented as an option by Greymane and as a run-through instruction by Game8, so its reliability can depend on your approach and game state. The final pickup container is explicitly inconsistent between the two guides. Weapon values also vary by refinement level and by the detail shown on each page; the in-game item screen is the correct authority for your copy.
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