Crimson Moon Sanctus Clypeus
The Divine Shield: where every hunt begins and every kit comes home.
Sanctus Clypeus is the Order’s stronghold and the only map you will memorize on purpose. Official hub trailers call it the Divine Shield, once known as the Crimson Hall, and a place of study for the Lunatarian Church. Knights of the Crimson Moon and the Church share the space in an uneasy alliance. Gameplay-wise it is your rest, your shop, and your mission select. If a guide on this wiki says “return to the Church,” it means here. Pair this page with loot and progression for what you do with the NPCs, and with getting started for the first-hour route.
Why the hub exists
Crimson Moon is not an open-world commute. Hunts are compact. The cathedral is where permanence lives: purified gear, rarity upgrades, lore Boons, consumable restocks, Angel selection, and the War Table. Art direction is the Gothic High Renaissance pitch in one room: gold, bone, red glass, statues. Previews at Game Informer started here before any combat. If you skip the hub, you skip the game’s memory.
New districts unlock as you reclaim Gildenarch. The overworld around the Church is not just wallpaper. Directors said new map areas bring narrative reveals and challenges. You will feel the city change from this building even when you are not in a ward.
Loadout station
Before every mission you choose starting equipment from purified weapons, shields, armor, trinkets, and consumables, then you pick the Angel you will take into battle. Nine gear slots. Two consumables. One Angel. That screen is the build. Do not ready up until the Weapon Art on your main matches the Boons you hope to see at Nexus Gates. The station will not warn you.
Starter hunts offer two base loadouts. After that the closet is whatever you purified. If the station looks empty, the problem is not a missing class tree. The problem is that you have not finished a hunt and talked to Gajov.
The War Table
The War Table is mission control. You survey Gildenarch, pick a ward, and accept modifiers. Official copy talks about an evolving mission board: new objectives, progression paths, escalating trials. Preview players saw a flame ritual when they accepted Forsaken Streets. Treat the table like Monster Hunter’s quest counter, not like a fast-travel map. Difficulty and rewards are a pair. If you are practicing parries, do not stack three challenge modifiers on top of a district you have never seen.
World bosses wait for hunters who chain three districts. That is a War Table ambition, not a random encounter in the nave.
NPCs you should actually talk to
The commander / mentor. Official narration describes a mentor who offers bounty quests and prepares you for battles. He is the human face of the Order. Bounties are extra objectives, not a second campaign.
Mereda (Marida in some trailer captions). Resident historian obsessed with the forgotten history of Eden. Recover lore scrolls and she rewards you with Boons and soul blessings. If you care about mid-hunt power, feed her. The story page is the lore; she is the gameplay tap.
Lottie. A thrill-seeking treasure hunter who paid for forbidden relics. Her counter is trinkets, throwables, and consumables. Restock the two hunt slots here instead of hoping a chest drops a potion at the boss door.
Gajov. Vampire blacksmith. Purified equipment goes to him to climb rarity or to be replaced for souls. He is the long-term power spike hiding behind a side character. The achievement “Gajov Make Strong” is a tutorial disguised as a trophy.
More names may appear in the launched client. This wiki will not invent a full vendor list from a single trailer beat. If an NPC sells it, it still has to survive purification rules.
Church, Order, and why the alliance is uneasy
Story framing matters in this room. The Lunatarian Church studies. The Knights kill. They share a roof because Hellgrowth does not care about jurisdiction. When trailers say you seek sanctuary between runs, they mean this political truce as much as a bonfire. Walk the nave. The story guide explains Gildenarch’s fall; the architecture here is the surviving argument that humanity still has a headquarters.
A hub routine that does not waste time
- Dump lore at Mereda.
- Purify at the station, then rarity at Gajov.
- Buy consumables from Lottie.
- Set the nine slots and Angel.
- Pick a War Table mission that tests the slot you just upgraded.
- If you play co-op, ready only after both kits are complementary.
Sanctus Clypeus is gorgeous on purpose. Stay long enough to get stronger. Leave before you spend more time in menus than in Gildenarch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you enter Gildenarch.
Is Sanctus Clypeus the same as the Church?
Yes. Official materials use Church, headquarters, Divine Shield, and Sanctus Clypeus for the same hub cathedral between hunts.
Who is Gajov?
The vampire blacksmith who raises purified gear rarity or sells replacements for souls. He is central to loot progression.
Can I change my Angel mid-hunt?
You select the Angel at the loadout station before the mission. Plan the transformation as part of the Nephilim kit.
Does the hub change as I clear districts?
Directors said reclaiming wards unlocks new map areas, narrative beats, and challenges. The War Table is where that progress shows up as missions.