🏝️ Progression and Exploration Across the Five Main Regions

Who to speak to, what to prepare and which Pursuits to progress in the five main regions, including Stellar Basin’s deep-water equipment and Devil’s Spine’s tablets.

Edition:The five main regions and PC Pursuit steps. The Pale Reach and The Iron Rig are outside this table’s scope. English request fish names are retained. / Additional checks: October 3, 2026

Five main regions: Objectives and return points

Region	First place to check	Next objective
The Marrows	Greater Marrow and Blackstone Isle	Progress the opening fishing requests, meet the Collector and unlock dredging. Check repairs and equipment at port before sailing.
Gale Cliffs	The Hermit’s home and Ingfell	Retrieve Family Crest for the Retired Whaler and progress the Hermitage reunion to unlock explosives.
Stellar Basin	Old Fortress and Research Outpost	Deliver the first three fish to the Research Assistant, retrieve parts and prepare deep-water equipment and Repulsion Machine.
Twisted Strand	Airman at Camp	Retrieve two mortar components from wrecks. Use three fish-based bait recipes at the traps.
Devil’s Spine	Fanatic at Ancient Temple	Offer the required catches at three tablets and light the statue using three Fathomless Flames.

This is a progression table for the five main regions, not a map of every port, Pursuit or DLC area.

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Gale Cliffs: From Family Crest to explosives

Speak to the Hermit in Gale Cliffs to start Hermitage and the brothers’ reunion.
Dredge Family Crest inside the cliffs and deliver it to the Retired Whaler in Ingfell.
At the Whaler’s indicated obstruction, ignite the explosives already installed there. You do not yet need purchased Packed Explosives. Report success to the Whaler.
Take the Hermit aboard and deliver him to the Whaler in Ingfell. Packed Explosives can then be purchased.

Do not stop after retrieving Family Crest: report to the Whaler and transport the Hermit. While carrying a passenger, avoid collisions that could lose cargo.

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Stellar Basin: Three night samples and deep-water equipment

Avoid the deep central area initially and take the request at Old Fortress. Prepare one of each of the first three fish above.
Deliver Prototype Parts and install the received Repulsion Machine on the Generator at Research Outpost.
Activate the Generator before entering central waters. Its creature-repelling effect is temporary, so finish the needed exploration while it operates.
The later request needs one Anglerfish, Loosejaw, Giant Amphipod and Snailfish. Prepare both Abyssal and Hadal coverage before departure.

Request or catch	Required conditions	Delivery or next action
Glowing Octopus ×1	Night; a rod covering Shallow water.	Deliver to the Research Assistant at Old Fortress.
Firefly Squid ×1	Night; a rod covering Coastal water.	Deliver to the Research Assistant at Old Fortress.
Aurora Jellyfish ×1	Night; equip and deploy a suitable Trawl Net. Waiting at rod-fishing spots does not catch it.	Sail Stellar Basin with the net deployed, then deliver the catch to the Research Assistant.
Prototype Parts	Search the laboratory at Research Outpost.	Deliver the parts to progress toward Sampling Device and Repulsion Machine.
Abyssal and Hadal equipment	Sampling Device covers Abyssal. For Hadal, research and buy equipment such as Bottomless Lines.	Check supported water types before setting out for the next deep-water samples.

Aurora Jellyfish needs a net; deep-water fish need Abyssal or Hadal coverage. High fishing speed alone does not satisfy a water-type requirement.
Installing the machine does not make the center permanently safe. Check that it is activated before entering.

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Twisted Strand: Two components, three bait recipes, three collections

Speak to the Airman at Camp, then retrieve Mortar Frame and Mortar Barrel from the wrecked aircraft and deliver them.
Give the Airman fish for special trap bait. Prepare the three combinations below.
Move the bait into Cargo and choose “Load the trap with Bait” at a trap. After the Airman fires, collect Chunk of Flesh from the defeated Mind Sucker.
Repeat at the remaining traps and deliver three Chunks of Flesh to the Airman to progress toward Shimmering Necklace.

Bait type	Required fish	Time to search	Equipment coverage
Pungent Bait	Grey Mullet ×2＋Gar ×1	Gar by day; Grey Mullet by day or night.	Grey Mullet is Coastal. Gar needs a Mangrove rod or net.
Reeking Bait	Longfin Eel ×2	Mangrove at night. Longfin Eel cannot be trawled; equip a suitable rod.	Longfin Eel requires a Mangrove rod, not a net.
Fetid Bait	Grey Mullet ×1＋Catfish ×1	Grey Mullet by day or night; Catfish at night.	Grey Mullet is Coastal. Catfish needs a Mangrove rod or net.

Total for all three recipes: Grey Mullet ×3, Gar ×1, Longfin Eel ×2 and Catfish ×1. Do not leave prepared bait in storage before visiting the traps.

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Devil’s Spine: Offerings for the three tablets

Speak to the Fanatic at Ancient Temple to progress Flames of the Deep.
Make the required offering at each of the three tablets and collect a Fathomless Flame from each.
Place all three flames individually into the statue’s Stone Crucible at Ancient Temple.
Return to the Fanatic; after the ritual, choose “Inspect the pyre” to retrieve Antique Pocket Watch.

Approximate tablet location	Required catch	Equipment and cautions
Southern tablet near Charred Pontoon	Squat Lobster ×1＋Spider Crab ×1	Use a Crab Pot. Equipping only a rod and waiting does not catch these crabs.
Eastern / central tablet	Pale Skate ×1＋Ghost Shark ×1	Pale Skate needs a Volcanic rod; Ghost Shark needs Abyssal.
Northern tablet	Two aberrations	Prepare distorted fish rather than two specified regular fish.

Explosive shortcuts help navigation, but reaching the tablets does not require destroying every rock. Narrow passages offer other routes.

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Before departure and quitting: Checks at port

Before a long trip, check hull damage, equipped rods, net and pots, and Pursuit cargo at port.
To rest, choose Rest while docked. Merely sailing near a lighthouse does not perform the dock’s rest action.
To finish playing, return to a dock and choose Save and Quit in the pause menu. Distinguish this from quitting while at sea.

Goal	Where and how
Rest and advance time	Dock and choose Rest, adjusting the rest period to your target time.
Save progress and quit	Dock, then choose Save and Quit. Check the save icon and menu display too.
Set out for nocturnal fish	Check the required water-type equipment, rest until night, then sail.

Prepare hull condition, time, equipment and cargo. Do not treat every lighthouse as a universally available save point.

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← Equipment and upgrades Endings →

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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Why can I not catch Aurora Jellyfish with a rod in Stellar Basin?

Equip and deploy a suitable Trawl Net and sail at night. It is caught differently from fish found at rod-fishing spots.

How do I avoid the creature in the center?

Progress the Old Fortress Research Assistant’s request, install Repulsion Machine on Research Outpost’s Generator and activate it. The effect is temporary, so check it before entering the center.

Can I quit beside a lighthouse?

To save and quit, dock and choose Save and Quit. Distinguish this from quitting while at sea.

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Based on site-wide views, captured July 6, 2026 (previous 28 days plus capture day).