Rogue Trader Unidentified Ruins Puzzle Guide: Beam-Bounce Chest Solution

Players exploring Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader’s Latotian’s Passage system may eventually stumble into a location called the Unidentified Ruins on an Arid World. This area hides a locked chest behind a light-bouncing puzzle: you’ll need to fire a beam from the nearby pillars to match one of the ground-etched patterns. Before the chest will open, however, you must activate the central pillar—either by passing a Warp Lore check or by grabbing an item from a nearby chest. If you’re trying to claim the loot from this puzzle, here’s the exact approach to take.

Key takeaways

• The Unidentified Ruins puzzle requires activating the central pillar, either through a Warp Lore check or by collecting an item from a nearby chest.
• Recreating the star-like ground symbol involves bouncing light between pillars in a specific camera-and-interaction order.
• Solving the first pattern can reward you with an Ancient Force Sword, a stronger alternative to most basic Force Swords.
• Completing the star pattern may trigger a Screamer of Tzeentch plus two Pink Horrors, so be ready for a fight.
• There’s a second (secret) pattern tied to a Cracked Xenochest that yields the Foulsight Veil and Chains of Domination.

Unidentified Ruins Laser Puzzle Solution

The objective is to reproduce one of the two symbols carved into the ground by reflecting a beam of light from the central pillar to every other pillar in the Unidentified Ruins. On my first run through the area, I went straight for the star arrangement. You can rebuild that star by triggering the pillars in this sequence:

1. Middle to top-left
2. Top-left to bottom-right
3. Bottom-right to bottom-left
4. Bottom-left to top-right
5. Top-right to middle

To make the star pattern line up correctly, adjust your camera so that the “Open Maw” interactable appears at the top of your screen.

When every beam is properly aligned, interact with the Open Maw to obtain an Ancient Force Sword. This weapon is a step up from most standard Force Swords. It’s at its best when wielded by a melee-oriented Psyker—such as Heinrix or your own Rogue Trader—so long as the character is actually a Psyker. Non-Psyker frontliners like Abelard won’t get much out of Force Swords, since they rely on Psy Rating to generate bonus damage, which Warriors can’t build up.

One more thing: finishing the star pattern can also call in daemonic reinforcements, including a Screamer of Tzeentch along with two Pink Horrors. Go in prepared for combat.

Secret Second Pattern

If you explore the side route near the ruins, you’ll find a Cracked Xenochest tucked by some rubble. Loot it, then place it into the Open Maw. After that, aim your beams to follow the earlier pattern—but using this different pillar order:

1. Middle to top-right
2. Top-right to bottom-right
3. Bottom-right to bottom-left
4. Bottom-left to top-left
5. Top-left to middle

After returning to the Open Maw, you’ll be able to open the Cracked Xenochest. Inside are two items:

• Foulsight Veil (Aeldari Helmet): +15 Perception, -5 Willpower
• Chains of Domination: When the wearer kills an enemy, they gain +5 Willpower until the end of combat

Foulsight Veil can’t be equipped by human companions, which is fine because it fits Yrliet particularly well. The +15 Perception boost lowers the odds that enemies can dodge her attacks, making this helmet a strong option for sniper-focused builds in Rogue Trader.

Chains of Domination is a solid pick for Psykers, especially those who rely on spells that scale with Willpower—for example, Psychic Shriek. Some supportive abilities also scale upward based on your Willpower, so keep those interactions in mind when planning your character build. If you didn’t already secure the Daemon Tool from the Upperway Motive Force puzzle on Rykad Minoris early in the campaign, Chains of Domination is a good offensive Psyker alternative.

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