Overview
The Precipice of Echoes Ruins is an Ancient Ruins puzzle featuring a 7x7 tile grid with 49 total tiles. Players must connect pairs of identical symbols by stepping on tiles in sequence without touching any other icons or retracing their path. The puzzle is split across three rounds of increasing difficulty. Round 1 has a single pair, Round 2 has three pairs, and Round 3 has five pairs. Round 3 is especially demanding because you need to step on 42 tiles to complete all five connections in one go.
Location
The ruins are located southwest of the Hernand Highlands, south of The Witchwoods, near the front of Fort Perwin at the northern foot of the Mountain of Frozen Souls. The ruins appear as a Mysterious Energy marker on the map. A few bandits patrol the area in small groups, but they rarely pose a serious threat. The puzzle grid is out in the open, so avoid attempting it at night when the tile symbols become harder to read.
Rules
Connect two matching icon tiles by walking a path between them.
You cannot step on any tile with a different symbol.
If you step on a depressed (already pressed) tile, the entire puzzle resets and you must start over from the first round.
Jumping is not allowed. If your feet leave the grid, the puzzle resets.
Stand on one plate at a time. If you finish a round while straddling two plates, both will count as active when the next round begins. This corrupts the pathing and guarantees failure, even if your subsequent route is correct. If this happens, step off the grid to reset and start again.
Step-by-Step Solution
First Grid
Stand on the first raised platform and walk four blocks forward to connect the first icon pair.
Second Grid
From your starting tile, head right four tiles to complete the first rune pair.
Go north one tile.
Go left five tiles.
Go south two tiles.
Go right five tiles.
Go down one tile to complete the second rune pair.
Go left six tiles.
Go up five tiles to reach the corner of the grid.
Go right two tiles to complete the third rune pair.
Third Grid
The third round is the hardest, with five symbol pairs to connect across nearly the entire grid. Plan the full path before stepping onto the first tile. The directions below use the same orientation as the second grid (facing the entrance to the ruins).
From your starting position, go left four tiles to complete the first pair.
Go down two tiles.
Go right three tiles.
Go down one tile.
Go left four tiles to complete the second pair.
Go up four tiles.
Go right five tiles.
Go up one tile.
Go left six tiles to complete the third pair.
Go down six tiles.
Go right six tiles to complete the fourth pair.
Go up three tiles.
Go left three tiles to complete the fifth and final pair.
Tips
Plan your entire path before stepping onto the grid. One wrong step sends you back to the very beginning of round one, not just the current round.
Use your lantern. Hold out the lantern while walking across the tiles. This prevents your character from accidentally sprinting onto the wrong plate and makes it easier to control precise movements.
The symbols to connect are: triangle to triangle, fishbone to fishbone, Z to Z, squiggly line to squiggly line, and (in round 3) the lightning bolt to lightning bolt.
Leave enough space between your paths so you do not box yourself into a corner on later pairs.
Walk slowly and deliberately. Rushing often causes you to overshoot a tile or clip the edge of an adjacent symbol.
If the puzzle resets and you are unsure why, you likely straddled two tiles at the end of the previous round. Step completely off the grid to clear the state before trying again.
Rewards
Completing all three rounds unlocks a small chamber at the far end of the ruins containing an Abyss Cresset. Interacting with the Cresset awards 1 Abyss Artifact, which grants a permanent skill point for Kliff's ability tree.
After claiming the artifact, this location also becomes available as a fast travel point. The puzzle counts as an exploration challenge under The Thread in the Forest in the Challenges menu.