Overview
Spire Challenges are part of the Exploration category in Crimson Desert. There are 9 Spire Challenges in total, tracked under the Land Meets Sky tab in the journal. Spires are towering structures scattered across Pywel that serve as gateways to the Abyss and contain some of the most powerful rewards in the game. Completing all Spire Challenges unlocks the Conqueror of Spires trophy and achievement.
Each spire contains a unique multi-step puzzle that must be solved to reach the top and activate the Abyss Gate. Some spires are accessible from the start of the game, while others are tied to specific story chapters and become available only as you progress through the main quest.
How Spires Work
Each spire is a vertical structure with multiple floors connected by puzzles and platforming sections.
Solving the puzzles within a spire activates lifts or unlocks doors that allow you to ascend to the summit.
At the top of each spire, you will find an Abyss Gate that teleports you to sky islands in the Abyss.
Some spires require a key obtained during story quests before you can enter.
Rewards
Completing spire puzzles grants access to the Abyss sky islands, which contain valuable loot including Abyss Artifacts, Abyss Gear, crafting recipes, and crafting manuals. The Spire of Insight, for example, rewards the Alchemy Recipe for Gold Bars and a Crafting Manual for Two-Handed Weapons.
All Spire Locations
Spire Name | Region | Availability | Notable Features | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Available any time | Located south of Hernand past Pororin Village. Contains four riddle-based puzzles requiring you to find and place objects in bowls. Rewards include the Alchemy Recipe for Gold Bars. | Alchemy Recipe for Gold Bars, Crafting Manual for Two-Handed Weapons | ||
After Scholastone puzzles | Requires a key. Contains a symbol-positioning puzzle with four Engraved Stones and four symbols (infinity, circle, square, triangle) placed on an elevator. | Abyss Artifact, access to Abyss sky islands | ||
Spire of Soaring | Main quest (Chapter 5) | Located in northern Demeniss. Part of the main story, visited during the Toward the Nest quest. Contains a Skybridge puzzle. | Abyss Artifact, Skybridge access | |
Chapter 5 (Witch quest key) | Requires a key obtained during the Witch faction quest in Chapter 5. | |||
Main quest (Chapter 9) | Visited during Chapter 9: Thinning Blade. Contains mirror-and-light puzzles where you push plinths with mirrors along floor lines to direct beams at red crystals. | |||
Available any time | Located west of Waywards Woods. Requires climbing to the top and shooting a bell to open the basement. Contains the boss Priscus the Ancient. | |||
Available any time | Located along the road east of Beighen, at the border of Demeniss and Beighen. Requires lighting 7 stone lanterns using fire or Concentrating Light. Contains the Frozen Anguish two-handed sword. Cold environment deals passive damage. | Frozen Anguish (two-handed sword), Refined Palmar Pill | ||
Gate to Advancement | Story-locked (around Chapter 10) | Becomes available late in the main story. | ||
Story-locked | Contains Pensive Statues that need to be repaired. Not fully explorable until you complete the area's story content. |
Spire of Insight Puzzle Solutions
The Spire of Insight is one of the earliest spires you can tackle because it has no story requirements. It is located south of Hernand in the Steel Mountains, past Pororin Village. The spire features four floors, each with a riddle-based puzzle.
Entrance: Place a pebble in the bowl to activate the first lift.
First floor: Find and place a gravestone in the bowl.
Second floor: The riddle reads "Records filled with wisdom guide us to the past, while tools that look to distant places illuminate the future." Find a telescope and a pen tip from the back room, then place them in the bowls.
Final floor: Place a celestial object, a map rotator, and a sundial in their respective bowls. Completing this puzzle grants access to an Abyss Gate leading to the Chaos Forest.
Spire of the Stars Puzzle Solution
The Spire of the Stars requires a key and is accessible after completing the Scholastone Institute puzzles and defeating Tenebrum. The elevator puzzle involves four symbols: infinity, circle, square, and triangle.
Collect three Engraved Stones from side rooms by pressing wall buttons.
Insert each stone into the elevator and manipulate levers to position the symbols correctly.
Ride the elevator to the top and interact with the Abyss Gate to teleport to the sky islands.
Spire of Ringing Truth
The Spire of Ringing Truth sits atop a mountain west of Waywards Woods in Pailune. You can access it by climbing the mountain or using a nearby Abyss Nexus. Two additional Abyss Cressets are located north of the spire.
Climb the tower using wooden platforms, ladders, rope-activated planks (shoot ropes with arrows), and a chandelier crossing mechanism.
At the top, shoot the bell to open a passage to the basement below.
The basement contains the boss Priscus the Ancient, a floating enemy best defeated using bow attacks and Sleep Arrows to ground it for melee combos.
Spire of Frost Puzzle Solution
The Spire of Frost is an optional spire located at the border of Demeniss and Beighen, along the road east of Beighen. Unlike most other spires, it is not visited as part of any main quest and must be sought out by the player. The area surrounding the spire is a frozen landscape where the cold temperature deals passive damage over time.
To complete the Spire of Frost, you must light all 7 stone lanterns scattered throughout the tower:
Find the entrance on the southern side of the spire, marked by a lantern with ice covering it.
Melt the ice on the lantern using fire. You can use Blinding Flash followed by the Concentrating Light button prompt, or hit the lantern with a fire-imbued or explosive-imbued weapon (spears and arrows work well).
Press the button prompt to light the stone lantern once the ice is melted. The door opens when the first lantern is lit.
Inside, check the bottom of the spiral steps for a chest containing the Frozen Anguish two-handed sword and a Refined Palmar Pill.
Climb the spiral staircase, finding and lighting each lantern as you go. Each lantern is frozen and must be melted with fire before it can be lit.
Once all 7 lanterns are lit, the Frostwarden side quest completes and the Abyss Gate at the top activates.
Be aware that the spire is defended by multiple flying wizard enemies. The cold environment drains your health over time, so bring warming consumables or fire-element equipment to offset the damage. The Frozen Anguish reward is one of the stronger two-handed swords available through exploration.
Tips
Tackle the Spire of Insight early for the Gold Bar recipe. Crafting and selling gold bars is one of the best ways to earn money.
Story-locked spires become available as you progress through the main quest. Check back on locked spires after completing each chapter.
Bring ranged weapons when entering spires. Several puzzles require shooting targets, and the Spire of Ringing Truth boss is best fought at range.
Explore every floor thoroughly. Spires often contain crafting manuals and other valuable items on upper levels.