What a Cipher asks you to do
A Cipher is special loot found during an expedition, but picking it up does not finish the task. You must successfully extract with it, return to camp, read the keyword in its description, and bring it to the camp NPC associated with that word. The puzzle is therefore both an extraction problem and a matching problem: a correct answer is no help if the item is lost before the run ends.
The supplied IGN guide reports several possible acquisition routes. Ciphers can come from protected resource chests, ordinary enemies, elites or bosses, Soekja-related tasks or rewards, and random sources. Higher-risk maps or three-player expeditions may offer greater Cipher returns, yet those possibilities do not remove the need to leave safely. Event CDKEYs may also distribute Ciphers temporarily, but code availability is a separate question from solving the item after it reaches your inventory.
Think of every pickup as exposed loot until extraction completes. If you are still learning that decision, the beginner guide explains why protecting a useful find can matter more than extending a run for one more fight.
Safe camp decoding workflow
Once the Cipher is back at camp, inspect the item and preserve the English spelling of its keyword. Find the matching NPC, start a conversation, and choose Decipher at the bottom of the dialogue options. IGN's guide says the first correct submission can provide the best or an extra reward, so the practical goal is to verify before selecting rather than testing every person in sequence.
Use this order:
- Acquire a Cipher during an expedition.
- Extract successfully and confirm that the item reached camp.
- Read the keyword at the end of or within its description.
- Match that exact English phrase against the table below.
- Speak with the named NPC and select Decipher.
- Collect the reported reward and record any keyword you verify in your current game version.
Do not choose from character appearance or profession alone. Several words have broad meanings, and close ideas can belong to different people. For example, Return maps to Soekja while Homeward maps to Dew. Checking the actual word before the first attempt is safer than treating two similar translations as interchangeable.
All seven NPC keyword answers
This answer table is compiled from IGN's Cipher guide and cross-checked against the linked Reddit community solutions post. It is not an official developer table and must not be treated as permanently fixed. Keep the original English spelling when comparing it with the game because localization and later patches may change what a player sees.
| Camp NPC | Exact reported English keywords |
|---|---|
| Cazarro | Balance, Barter, Blood, City State, Covenant, Insight, Intelligence, Interest |
| Dew | Anchor, Echo, Homeward, Prophecy, Spindle, Weaver |
| Dramm | Anvil, Ashes, Brimstone, Fire, Furnace, Mineral Vein, Oathbound, Smoke |
| Merimo | Camel Bells, Caravan, Cheese, Hay, Rugs, Salt Lick |
| Pip | Elder Edict, Haggling, Hoarding, Mantra, Plucking, Score, Secret Cache, Tree Hollow |
| Soekja | Guidance, Praise, Return, Signpost, Stone Steps, Supplies, Tides, Wings |
| Sigrid | Acid, Cloves, Malt, Residual Heat, Sealing Wax |
If an item displays a word not shown here, do not force it into the nearest theme. First check for a transcription error or localization difference. Preserve a screenshot and the English item name when possible, then compare current patch information, the item description, and recent community reporting before changing a saved answer.
Memory groups for faster matching
The table is the authority for this page; the groups below are memory aids, not new rules. Start with distinctive object words, then use the larger semantic family only as a prompt to confirm the exact entry.
Cazarro, Dew, and Dramm
Cazarro clusters around trade, order, agreements, knowledge, and advantage. Barter, Covenant, Intelligence, and Interest make that pattern visible, although Blood shows why a theme cannot replace the table. Dew suggests fate and returning home through Echo, Homeward, Prophecy, Spindle, and Weaver. Remember Dew as destiny, weaving, and homeward movement.
Dramm has the clearest forge group. Anvil, Ashes, Brimstone, Fire, Furnace, Mineral Vein, and Smoke all point toward heat, metal, and the remains of burning. Anvil is a particularly useful first-pass clue, but confirm it before choosing Decipher.
Merimo, Pip, Soekja, and Sigrid
Merimo's words evoke caravans, animal supplies, and carried household goods: Camel Bells, Caravan, Hay, Rugs, and Salt Lick. Pip leans toward bargaining, collecting, hiding, or storing through Haggling, Hoarding, Secret Cache, and Tree Hollow. Those two groups can both sound commercial, so use the exact word rather than the general mood.
Soekja gathers directions, travel, return, and provisions. Guidance, Signpost, Stone Steps, Supplies, Tides, and Wings fit that travel-oriented memory. Sigrid's smaller set resembles alchemy, spices, brewing, heat, and sealing materials: Acid, Cloves, Malt, Residual Heat, and Sealing Wax. When uncertain, a unique object such as Camel Bells or Sealing Wax is more dependable than a broad word like Return.
Rewards, extraction risk, and version limits
Two risks surround the answer. Before camp, the Cipher can still be lost with the expedition's other exposed loot if extraction fails. After camp, guessing can matter because the guide reporting says the first correct NPC submission is tied to the best or an additional reward. That is enough reason to verify carefully, but not enough evidence to promise a fixed quantity, quality, drop rate, or permanent reward formula.
Reward details can change with events or patches. Likewise, a community claim that one route always drops a Cipher should remain a player report unless it has broad verification; it should not become a guaranteed spawn in a guide. Higher-risk or group content may be pursued for more returns, but the prospect of a larger haul comes with the same need to complete extraction.
The answer set has version limits too. IGN provides the main mechanism and solution guide, while Reddit supplies a community cross-check rather than an official announcement. Localized text may use a different translation, a patch may add a keyword, and a copied phrase may contain an error. If the live item conflicts with this page, prioritize the current item description and recent patch information, then update any personal record with the date it was verified.
A practical Cipher checklist
Before leaving a run, decide whether carrying the Cipher makes immediate extraction the better objective. At camp, read the complete item description, locate its exact English keyword in the seven-row table, and confirm both spelling and NPC before opening dialogue. Choose Decipher only after that check, then record what the current version actually showed.
For the three common questions: use a Cipher by extracting with it and selecting Decipher with the matched camp NPC; do not treat every listed answer as an official permanent rule; and do not guess from appearance alone. The safest routine combines the exact keyword, a current-version check, and the source caveats above. If no row matches, keep the item details or screenshot and investigate localization or patch changes instead of inventing an answer.