Lies of P Cryptic Vessels Guide

Cryptic Vessels excite me. While I love slaying bio-mechanical monsters is a riot, the thrill of putting my detective hat on and getting to the bottom of this puppet mystery is a delight.

Even if some of the puzzles are relatively easy, they’re an excellent reason for returning to a previous area and scrounging for any loot we missed. Whether we’re attaining that last piece of Quartz for a delectable P-Organ ability or the Red Fox’s slick outfit, I adore roleplaying as a Puppet Detective.

In this Lies of P Cryptic Vessel guide, I’ll review each Cryptic Vessel’s mysterious location and how to solve each puzzle for their mysterious loot. As a bonus, I’ll detail how we can accidentally soft-lock ourselves out of the Mechanical Vessel’s dilemma so we don’t lose out on a Quartz and a sleek outfit.

Quest Rewards

Weapons

• Black Steel Cutter – A long machete that deals fire damage with high DPS, the Black Steel Cutter is an incredible weapon if we enjoy inflicting overheat. While I recommend legendary weapons instead for their increased damage and fantastic Fable Arts, Black Steel Cutter combines well with others, chiefly the Spear of Honor, which gives it a wild charge attack.

Apparel

• Owl Doctor’s Hunting Apparel – The clothes of a mad doctor who intends to kill their patients, the Owl Doctor’s Hunting Apparel is fantastic if we want to traumatize our puppet foes and make them afraid of going to the hospital.
• The Atoned’s Hunting Apparel – Clothes of the guilty guide to the St. Frangelico Cathedral Chapel, the Attoned’s clothes are great if we enjoy playing as a character with a tragic past.
• Black Cat’s Hunting Apparel – The outfit of a wicked sidekick, the Black Cat’s Hunting Apparel is a great time if we enjoy roleplaying as a cat warrior. While I recommend the Red Fox’s Hunting Apparel instead, the Black Cat’s is a close follow up
• Red Fox’s Hunting Apparel – The red and white outfit of the mischievous Red Fox ranks among one of the snazziest in the game. I highly recommend it if you want to slay your enemies in style.

Area

• Hermits Cave – A secret cave located in the Barren Swamp, Hermit’s Cave is a creepy shantytown brimming with luscious loot and sad stories.

Amulet

• Life Amulet +1 – An improvement on the original, Life Amulet +1 drastically increases our health. While I still recommend the 

Records

• Misty E’rA – A delightful record that can increase our humanity if played back on the Jukebox at Hotel Krat.

Lore

• Someone’s Report Notes Notebook – Reports from the Journalist Medoro, these journals detail Medoro’s last words, begging the reader to carry on the search for truth and justice before finally succumbing to carcasses.

Materials

• 4 Quartz – Used to obtain P-Organs perks, Quartz ranks among some of the game’s most precious, rare materials. I advise picking them up whenever you can.
• 2 Legion Caliber – Used to upgrade our legion arm abilities, Legion Caliber is an adequate material for getting more mileage out of our Legion arm.

Clever Clues and Postulating Pictures

Cleverly hidden, usually with a heartbreaking story attached, Lies of P’s Cryptic Vessels function like scavenger hunts that incentivize us to return to a previous location and look for secret treasure caches.

Besides telling a brief piece of lore to contextualize the setting and purpose behind the supply, Cryptic Vessels compel us to return to an old area and take greater appreciation for it or fight mini-bosses we skipped now that we’re at a higher level.

In terms of loot, Cryptic Vessel usually has a few Quartz or Legion Caliber upgrades besides a spiffy character outfit. They also unlock the off-limits resource-rich Hermit’s Cave area in the Barren Swamp if we decode the Rusty Cryptic Vessel.

How to Decode a Cryptic Vessel

After finding a Cryptic Vessel, return to Venigni and ask him to decode it for us. After listening to him force-feed us lore, telling us how great he is for solving the Vessel, Venigni hands us back the Cryptic Vessel.

To examine the clue, open our bag and inspect it in our inventory’s collectible items to find the location and picture hiding the cache.

Cryptic Vessel Locations

Lies of P has five Cryptic Vessels, each located in a different area. While their clues are straightforward, finding the vessels can be challenging or vague. I recommend following the steps below if you’re stuck on a particular vessel:

Vessel 1: Crafted Vessel

• Quest Rewards:
  • Owl Doctor’s Hunting Apparel
  • Quartz
• Stargazer: St. Frangelico Cathedral Chapel

After warping to the Stargazer, head down through the left-hand door to reach the inner works of the cathedral. If we haven’t knocked over the brazier yet, we’ll have to go to the top, climbing the ladder and navigating a series of rafters around ranged carcass enemies trying to knock us off with their filth.

Once we take another ladder down, we’ll reach a passage that brings us to an area with giant rolling balls. While their purpose in a place of worship escapes me, I advise hugging the walls to squeeze past, then heading through the room at the top past an area filled with a few gross foes.

Following teaching those carcasses the meaning of proper hygiene and pointy greatswords, we can head onwards to find a rolling mill with a brazier ahead.

After rolling just as the platform aligns with the floor, we can knock the brazier down, removing the swamp below and opening up a stairway to an elaborate room with a chest containing our first Cryptic Vessel.

We can begin our first treasure hunt once we head back down and take it Venigni.

Treasure Hunt 1: Hanged Man and Homey House

• (Part 1) Stargazer: Krat City Hall
• (Part 2) Stargazer: Inside the House on Elysium Boulevard

Following Venigni’s decoding of the Cryptic Vessel, we can return to the bridge where we fought Mad Donkey and target the hanging target with a throwing weapon, ideally a sawtooth wheel, to receive a clue where to go next.

While the following message gives us a picture of a house on Elysium Boulevard, it’s almost directly in front of the “Inside the House on Elysium Boulevard” Stargazer.

After teleporting there, head through the non-destroyed doorway outside and across the wooden beam to find a house on the right matching the one in the photo. After unlocking the door and opening a safe, we’ll find the Owl Doctor Hunting Apparel and a Quartz for our troubles.

Vessel 2: Jeweled Cryptic Vessel

• Stargazer: Estella Opera House Stage

Starting from the Estella Opera House Stage Stargazer, head back towards the fiery swinging chandelier and fall downwards into the gloom below. From here, we should take an immediate left through a winding passage; then another left once it connects back into the mansion proper. 

Next, continue until we reach a stairway that takes us to a second floor. After reaching the top of the stairs, take an immediate right and run past a giant spider puppet and several other enemies until we enter a room with a ladder heading down.

Instead of following that ladder down, turn around to find a different ladder going upwards into a small alcove. Upon climbing up and interacting with the treasure, we’ll obtain the Jeweled Cryptic Vessel, head back to Hotel Krat, and begin deciphering it.

Treasure Hunt 2: A Beastly Beach

• Stargazer: Krat Central Station Plaza
• Rewards:
  • Legion Caliber
  • The Atoned’s Hunting Apparel

NOTE: If we’ve progressed past the Barren Swamp region, we’ll be unable to warp to this earlier location until we move through a more ruined version of Krat. I advise pursuing this Cryptic Vessel as soon as possible to avoid traversing a more challenging area for this reward.

After warping to the Krat Central Station Plaza, head towards the beachfront past the easier early-game enemies. Upon reaching a dead end, we’ll want to take a right and follow the path until we get to some dirt by the leftover baggage and ruins.

Once the area lines up with the picture, proceed to the very end of the road beside a mound of dirt and perform the Check Ground gesture to get the Legion Caliber and The Atoned’s Hunting Apparel. Just ensure you search the correct spot in the rightmost mound of dirt to get the items, or nothing will happen.

Vessel 3: Old Cryptic Vessel

• Stargazer: Barren Swamp Bridge

For our third cryptic Vessel, we’ll want to progress to travel from the Barren Swam Bridge Stargazer in the opposite direction of the boss room to find a dog-headed man raving about Alidoro.

After a brief conversation where the young man spews more drivel about Alidoro, he gives us the Old Cryptic Vessel we can take back to Venigni to decode. 

Treasure Hunt 3: Back to the Shack

• Stargazer: Path of the Pilgrim
• Rewards:
  • Legion Caliber
  • Life Amulet +1

Upon teleporting to the Path of the Pilgrim Stargazer, take the elevator back down to reach the small shanty town outside Malum District. Once we get to the bottom, continue straight, going up the slight incline until we find a wooden building with a clothesline and a nervous man beside it.

After talking to the man, he gives us the key to the nearby shack that contains a treasure chest. Unfortunately, that floor has a false bottom that we can fall into, prompting the man to scoff at our foolishness before fleeing.

Luckily, the enemies are relatively easy (though our weapon can strike against the narrow passage, and we can reach the end to find two ladders that lead right up and back to the start.

After reaching the top, head back to the same treasure room and cling to the walls to avoid falling in, then open the treasure chest at the room’s end to find a Legion Caliber and Life Amulet +1.

Vessel 4: Rusty Cryptic Vessel

• Stargazer: Collapsed Street

We’ll have to purchase the next Cryptic Vessel from Polendina’s Shop after acquiring the Special Krat Supply Box. To get the box, warp to the Collapsed Krat Stargazer and head straight and left to find a ladder we can climb in a small alley. 

After climbing to the top, continue past a fire-breathing foe and scale the outside of the building, going rightwards to find a small area we can jump to next to a treasure chest.

Once we open the chest and obtain the Special Krat Supply Box, we can warp back to Polendina in Hotel Krat and purchase the Rusty Cryptic Vessel for a few thousand Ergo.

Treasure Room 4: Hidden Hermit’s Cave

• Rewards:
  • Black Steel Cutter Blade
  • Black Cat’s Hunting Apparel
  • 2 Quartz
  • Misty E’rA
  • Someone’s Report Notes Notebook
• Stargazer: Barren Swamp Bridge

After a quick decode, we learn that we can teleport back to the Barrens Swamp Bridges and find that the gate by the dog-head Rookie Explorer Hugo has opened, and we can head inside to find a treasure-filled cave.

Rather than a single reward, this Rusty Cryptic Vessel leads to an entire treasure-filled cave with treasure of every kind. The first Quartz, weapon, and a piece of lore can be found in the shack, brimming with carcass enemies.

Meanwhile, the last Quartz, outfit, and record can be found by opening the safe at the area’s end and defeating the giant enemy guarding it.

Vessel 5: Mechanical Vessel

• Stargazer: Arche Abbey Broken Rift

For the last Vessel in Lies of P, we’ll head to the Arche Abbey Broken Rift and proceed into the dark chamber downstairs towards the room with a lantern and an open gate. However, rather than enter the section, look for a nearby lantern with a ladder next to it.

After climbing the ladder, head rightwards until we see a treasure chest at the left end of one of the small passages. Following quickly running past a headless eldritch enemy, we can open the chest to obtain the Mechanical Vessel.

Treasure 5: The Enigmatic Exchange

• Stargazer: Abandoned Apartment
• Rewards: 
  • Quartz
  • Red Fox’s Hunting Apparel

WARNING: Don’t Take the Boss Amulet!

To complete this Vessel’s quest, we must spend the Puppet-Devouring Green Monster’s rare ergo on the Frozen Feast legendary weapon to show the Wandering Merchant. If we’ve already consumed the Rare Ergo or on the boss Amulet, we’ll be soft-locked from completing this Vessel.

Before warping to the Abandoned Apartment, Stargazer ensures we’ve acquired the Frozen Feast legendary weapon from Alidoro and equipped it in our inventory. Once back in ruined Krat, head up the stairs, past the wandering merchant into the devasted area of Krat.

To continue, head across the flattened sign, then continue across the main road until we see a piece of glowing stone we can use to reach the next side.

From here, head into the nearby passageway to find an empty square with some dogs to our right. Instead of messing with those mangy mutts, head up the nearby stairway to find a Wandering Merchant we can talk to.

With the Frozen Feast weapon equipped, the merchant gives us the sublime Red Fox’s Hunting Apparel and a Quartz for our troubles.

Congratulations, noble explorer, we’ve unraveled all the Cryptic Vessels!

FAQs

Conclusion

Masterfully done, treasure-finding puppet! You’ve solved Lies of P’s most challenging mysteries and proved that you are one fine detective, even if you aren’t a real boy.

Even if the Jeweled Cryptic Vessel’s puzzle immensely frustrated me after spending twenty minutes fruitlessly scrounging in the dirt, I appreciated these puzzles as a reason to return to old areas and enjoy some scenery or couch the setting in another piece of lore.

Regardless, with a treasure trove of weapons, Quartz, and apparel in our puppet pockets, we’re ready to claim the rest of Krat’s treasures for ourselves. Let’s rob those Puppets and Eldritch horrors for everything they have!

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