Lies of P: How to find and solve the Mechanical Cryptic Vessel

You can earn a Quartz by solving the Mechanical Cryptic Vessel, but only if you have a specific boss weapon.

The Wandering Merchant in the Abandoned Apartment in Lies of P
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Lies of P is packed with secrets and collectibles to find, among which are Cryptic Vessels hidden across Krat. You can return Cryptic Vessels to Venigni after rescuing him from Area III and he’ll decipher them for you. When deciphered, Cryptic Vessels all give you a hint to the location of valuable treasure, so you’ll want to collect and solve as many as you can on your journey.

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Above all, the trickiest treasure to acquire comes from the Mechanical Cryptic Vessel, which players find right at the end of the game, in Area XI, Arche Abbey. You get a Quartz as a reward, as well as (in my opinion) one of the best cosmetic outfits in the game, but only if you have a specific boss weapon that’s easily missable.

Where to find the Mechanical Cryptic Vessel in Lies of P

The Mechanical Cryptic Vessel is closest to the Arche Abbey Broken Rift stargazer. After loading in, head through the archway, down the stairs, and into the next room, then go through the doorway on your left.

Run to the room with the pillars and the ladder on the right-hand wall, then climb up the ladder. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Go left again and into the long room with the pillars and the metal plates on the floor. There’s a ladder on the right-hand wall: Ascend the ladder to the upper level.

An arrow pointing to the left of a burning brazier in Lies of P
Go past the brazier and turn left to find the chest at the end of a dead end. Screenshot by Dot Esports

There are lots of enemies here, so be careful. Turn right at the top of the ladder so that you’re facing the burning brazier and the rest of the walkway. Proceed past the brazier, then turn left and you’ll find the Mechanical Cryptic Vessel in a chest at the dead end of the walkway.

It’s guarded by an elite, and you can easily be cornered here, so be careful. Either kill the enemies or kite them away before grabbing the item.

How to solve the Mechanical Cryptic Vessel in Lies of P

Return the Cryptic Vessel to Venigni at Hotel Krat to have him decipher it. This Cryptic Vessel’s decryption has steeper requirements to find its treasure than the others, and players can easily miss out on acquiring the rewards if they didn’t make the right trade.

The Mechanical Cryptic Vessel Decryption and photograph in Lies of P
The decrypted vessel isn’t too cryptic, but you’re out of luck if you don’t have Frozen Feast. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Mechanical Cryptic Vessel Decryption will reveal that a merchant awaits a “Frozen Feast” in the destroyed town. It’s referring to the Wandering Merchant at the Abandoned Apartment stargazer in Area IX, Collapsing Krat.

The merchant wants to see the Frozen Feast boss weapon that you get by trading the Reborn Champion’s Ergo to Alidoro, which drops from Champion Victor, the end boss of Area VII, the Grand Exhibition.

If you have Frozen Feast, then you’re in luck. Show it to the merchant at the Abandoned Apartment and he’ll give you a Quartz and the Red Fox’s Hunting Apparel.

If you traded the Reborn Champion’s Ergo for the Arm of God Amulet instead, or if you consumed it for Ergo, you’ll be locked out of this Quartz and outfit until New game Plus.

Author
Image of Tom Foley
Tom Foley
Tom is the UK Associate Editor for Dot Esports. He's the former TCG Editor for CBR and holds a Master's degree in Chemistry from the University of Edinburgh. Tom spent six years as a Science Editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, and AstraZeneca before leaving science to pursue his dream career in games journalism at the start of 2023. He loves MMOs, RPGs, TCGs, and pretty much every game by FromSoftware—especially Dark Souls.