How to complete Cryptic Quatrains for Beacon’s Guidance and Charge of Light Sparrow in Destiny 2
Completing Beacon’s Guidance is key to completing the Season of Plunder Scallywag title, and along with that are quests called Cryptic Quatrains I which are full of riddles and finding the buried treasure. Today I am going to walk through how to access the treasure beacons, plus go through in detail each Cryptic Quatrains quest (I, II and III) so you can get your hands on the Charge of Light Sparrow.
Without further delay, let’s dive into this guide.
How to unlock the Treasure Beacons
To be able to access the treasure beacons you’ll have to rank up at the Star Chart which can be found in the H.E.L.M. The small treasure beacon becomes available at rank 7, the medium at rank 10 and the large at rank 16. Each treasure beacon contains riddles, and you have to solve the riddles to ultimately get the loot.
Small Treasure Beacon – Cryptic Quatrains I
When you pick up the first treasure beacon you’ll get a quest called Cryptic Quatrains I. Now you have the quest, you have to solve 4 riddles to move onto the next step.
Step 1
The first riddle reads
“My story begins as I hide from the crews / They search and will find me unless I hide soon / I’ll wait on the nightfall, the cleverest ruse / And force them to hunt by the light of the moon.”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Begin search on Moon”
All you need to do for this riddle is to land on the Moon. Go to your director and land by Eris Morn.
Step 2
The second riddle reads
“Behind in the harbor, their sorrow was real / They lost what I’d taken, me heart filled with fear / From cruel revelation the dawn would reveal: / A chest, broke and barren, and me nowhere near”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Harbor Sorrow lost revelation chest”
Therefore, what we need to do is head on over to the K1 Revelation Lost Sector, which you can find in Sorrow’s Harbor. Run through the Lost Sector, defeat the boss at the end, and the next step will open up.
Step 3
The third riddle reads
“My eyes toward the cosmos, I let out a sob / I begged to the gods and the fallen alike / By bullet or saber, I’d fall to the mob / But please, let me deal them a palpable strike”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Cosmo Fallen Saber Strike”
This one is quite straight forward, select the Cosmodrome from the director, select the Fallen S.A.B.E.R. Strike, then complete that strike to open up the final step of this first quest.
Step 4
The fourth riddle reads
“The winds of Europa were frozen and white / And even the tides had been stopped by the cold / The hook would swing empty, I’d not die tonight / By cranes they’d be searchin’, but I’d keep me gold”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Europa Eventide hook cranes search”
Therefore, head on over to Eventide Ruins on Europa. There are several cranes here, check out below the cranes and you’ll see a glowing pirate stash, interact with it and you’ll get some loot, map fragments and a Crude Cipher Fragment.
That is the first Cryptic Quatrains quest done, and it’s time to move onto the next one.
Medium Treasure Beacon – Cryptic Quatrains II
Step 1
The first riddle reads
“The bay filled me chest, although drown I did not / I coughed and shivered me way through the mist / They dreamed I was lost, my sad scarper for naught / Yet all that I wished for was tight in me fist”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Bay chest drown mist dream lost wish”
For this one, go down to the Dreaming City and land near Divilian Mists. Do a 180 when you land and make your way into the Bay of Drowned Wishes Lost Sector. Complete the Lost Sector, loot the chest, then it’s onto the next step.
Step 2
The second riddle reads
“I swore I was dead at the shore of the lake / Their shadows stretched long as they searched the debris / But though they did strike out at me and me take / Their words found me ears, but they didn’t find me”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Dead lake shadows strike”
This one is nice and easy. This is refering to the Lake of Shadows on the EDZ. Select that from the Director, complete the strike and it’s onto the next step of the quest.
Step 3
The third riddle reads
“Me long expedition led to no reward / Me bones cried for rest and yet I could not yield / Lest I hear the sound of a crewmate’s drawn sword / I shivered with terror at what they might wield”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Expedition sword wield”
This riddle is a little more difficult. You need to equip a sword in your power weapon slot and make your way through an Expedition acitivity, which can be launched from the H.E.L.M.
Step 4
The fourth riddle reads
“The red ground of Nessus would soon be me grave / A column reached high into alien hue / Through cistern did beckon, no water it gave / At pyramid’s imprint, I sought to pass through”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Nessus column cistern pyramid’s imprint pass through”
For this one land on Nessus and make your way towards The Cistern, near the Pools of Luminance. There’s a large column called Well of Flame. There’s a door on one side, and once you get through the door you’ll find the glowing green X. This time, no loot, but you get the final riddle.
Step 5
The fifth riddle reads
“Me crewmates were nearing, t’was just as I feared / And terrible fluid did fall from the sky / I fancied I noticed, beyond broken sphere / A place that was safe for me treasure and I”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Fluid did fall from the sky broken sphere treasure”
This riddle is slightly confusing, but don’t worry, all you need to do is hop on your sparrow, stay in The Cistern on Nessus. Exit the Well of Flame and head to the northwest part of the map, near the pool of Radiolarian Fluid you’ll find the treasure, with the glowing green X.
This riddle doesn’t give you a location, which might immediately throw you off. However, the reason you don’t get a location here is that the solution to this riddle is also in The Cistern on Nessus. Exit the Well of Flame and drive your Sparrow to the northwestern part of The Cistern’s map. Stop before you hit the Radiolarian Fluid.
Large Treasure Beacon – Cryptic Quatrains III
Step 1
The first riddle reads
“…was I still alive? Still not dead, as I dreamed? / Me treasure not sunken, not lost in the deep? / They’d caught not their quarry, I would be redeemed / And bury me knife in their chests while they sleep”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Dead sunken lost quarry chest”
For this one, head to the EDZ and land in the Sunken Isles. Go to The Quarry Lost Sector, beat the boss and loot the chest to move onto the next riddle.
Step 2
The second riddle reads
“I waded ashore after crashin’ their ship / Me takin’ their treasure they’d never forgive / Me exodus doubtless curled many a lip / I’d make them forget I had one life to live”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Crash exodus one life to live”
For this one, you need to complete the Exodus Crash Strike without dying. This can be a little tricky, especially given the amount of exploding shanks in the strike. Therefore, take it slow throughout the strike, be careful and don’t die.
Step 3
The third riddle reads
“They cursed as their catch crashed away through the trees / I moved as if lightnin’ did arc through me bones / I felt like the maker had answered my pleas / While handy with cannons, they left ‘em back home”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Catch crash lightnin’ did Arc through me bones hand cannon”
For this one, you’ll want to complete Ketchcrash with your Arc subclass and a Hand Cannon. When you open up the chest, it’s time for the next step.
Step 4
The fourth riddle reads
“Alone with me atlas and treasure at last / I use me crude dagger to cut out a code / This cipher I’ll place where it’s held safe and fast / Two beacons will guide you if treasure you’re owed”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Atlas crude cipher two beacons”
For this one, open up your Captain’s Atlas and hover over the Treasure Map node. Select the Crude Cipher and place it into the Captain’s Atlas.
Step 5
The fifth riddle reads
“I crept out at dusk, left me treasure behind / And found me old crew and the captain as well / I’m light with a blade and me right hand’s unkind / They’ll find their salvation dead-center in hell”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Dusk left light right salvation center”
For this step, it’s a puzzle. In the Captain’s Atlas, you’ll find 3 slots for Fallen icons. The solution is:
- House of Dusk Eliksni Sigil in the left
- House of Salvation Eliksni Sigil in the middle
- House of Light Eliksni Sigil in the right
Complete the cipher, then it’s onto the next step.
Step 6
The sixth riddle reads
“The cosmos had set me ashore, I was free / Forgotten at last, me heat empty of hate / On deck of the vessel that pointed to sea / I leaned on the mast and awaited me fate”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Cosmo shore forgotten vessel that pointed to sea mast”
Go to the Cosmodrome and make your way to the Forgotten Shore. Make your way towards Veles Labyrinth Lost Sector, and then make your way south west on the map until you find a ship that points out to sea. There you will find a glowing green X marking the spot. Dig up the treasure, and you’ll get your final clue.
Step 7
The seventh riddle reads
“I took all I had, placed it safe in a cave / Where stream joins its mother by pillars of three / It’s yours if you like, for you’re clever and brave / You may find me treasure… but never find me”
Looking at the highlighted text:
“Cave stream joins its mother pillars of three treasure”
Get on your sparrow, and make your way back towards the hill you initially drove down. To the left of that hill, you’ll find a small cave. Inside that cave is the final prize. When you approach the cave you’ll see the glowing green loot on the inside.
You’ll get a nice new Charge with Light exotic sparrow as a reward, plus you’ll complete the Beacon’s Guidance triumph, which you will need for the Scallywag Season of Plunder Title.
Let me know in the comments what you think about the treasure hunt.
That’s it for this guide for how to complete Cryptic Quatrains for Beacon’s Guidance in Destiny 2. For more Destiny 2 contrnt like this check out This Week In Video Games on YouTube and subscribe today.