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Overview
The Spire of Insight is a challenge located south of Hernand, past Pororin Village, in the Steel Mountains region. It is a multi-floor puzzle tower where each level presents a riddle that must be solved by finding specific objects and placing them in a golden bowl. There are no combat encounters inside the tower itself, though the surrounding area is occupied by Goblins that can be cleared or ignored. Completing all floors grants access to an Abyss Gate leading to the Chaos Forest within the Path of Providence.
Beyond the puzzles, the Spire contains two valuable items that make it well worth visiting early: the Alchemy Recipe: Gold Bar and a Crafting Manual for two-handed weapons. The gold bar recipe in particular is one of the most impactful finds in the game for silver farming.
Location
The Spire of Insight is situated south of Hernand, past Pororin Village, in the Steel Mountains. The most direct route is to travel south from Hernand through Pororin Village and continue into the mountain paths. The tower sits east of a small lake and the Eastern Goblin Camp. You must first complete the Toll of Pywel challenge to reveal this section of the map.
The area around the Spire is occupied by a group of Goblins. Liberating the location is optional; you can fight through them or simply run past them to reach the entrance. The Goblins do not follow you inside the tower.
How to Enter
The tower entrance is blocked by thick, thorny brambles that cannot be cut with a sword. To burn them away, you need to use Blinding Flash combined with Focus Light. Hold L1 (PlayStation) or LB (Xbox) to activate Focus Light, which concentrates the flash into a sustained beam. Aim the beam at the brambles covering the entrance until they catch fire and burn away. Any fire source works, but Blinding Flash with Focus Light is the most reliable method available at this point in the game.
Once the brambles are cleared, the entrance is open permanently and you will not need to burn them again on future visits.
Floor-by-Floor Puzzle Solutions
Each floor of the Spire presents a riddle inscribed near a golden bowl. You must find specific objects hidden on the floor and place them in the bowl to open the way forward. Below is a detailed walkthrough of every floor.
Floor | Riddle Theme | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Entrance | "When the bones of the earth find their place" | Pebble | Near the doorstep at the entrance gate |
First Floor | "Traces left behind revive forgotten tales" | Gravestone | On the dresser below the painting |
Second Floor | "Records filled with wisdom" | Telescope, Pen Tip | Telescope on table; Pen Tip on desk in back room |
Top Floor (Pre-Final) | None (loot only) | Gold Bar recipe on bookshelf | |
Final Floor | "Dancing heavens, turning earth, march of time" | Celestial, Small Map Rotator, Sundial | Scattered on and between shelves around the room |
Entrance: Bones of the Earth
Riddle: "When the bones of the earth find their place, time begins to flow once more."
Solution: Pick up the Pebble lying on the ground near the doorstep at the entrance gate. The pebble represents the "bones of the earth" referenced in the riddle. Place it in the golden bowl near the door to open the way inside.
First Floor: Forgotten Tales
Riddle: "Even after many years have passed, the traces left behind revive forgotten tales."
Solution: Look around the first floor for a Gravestone sitting on a dresser. It is located below a painting on the wall. Pick up the Gravestone and return to the platform with the large golden bowl. Place the Gravestone in the bowl to activate the elevator mechanism and rise to the next level.
Second Floor: Records Filled with Wisdom
Riddle: "Records filled with wisdom illuminate the path forward."
Solution: This floor requires two items. Find the Telescope sitting on a table in the main area of the floor. Then head into the back room and locate the Pen Tip on a desk near the far wall. The telescope represents observation ("records") and the pen tip represents the act of writing ("wisdom"). Place both items in the golden bowl to proceed to the upper levels.
Top Floor: Notable Loot
Before reaching the final puzzle, you arrive at a floor that contains no riddle but holds two extremely valuable items.
Alchemy Recipe: Gold Bar is found on a bookshelf on this floor. This recipe allows you to craft Gold Bars at any witch NPC using alchemy ingredients (Brimstone, Mercury, and Silver Ore) instead of buying them at the bank for 500 silver per bar. This completely bypasses the purchase cost, making it one of the most important recipes for silver farming. See the Silver and Gold Farming guide for a full breakdown of how to use this recipe.
Crafting Manual: Two-Handed Weapons is also found on this floor. This manual unlocks additional crafting options for two-handed weapon types at blacksmith NPCs.
Make sure to thoroughly search the bookshelves and surfaces on this floor before moving on to the final puzzle. The Gold Bar recipe is small and easy to overlook among the other objects in the room.
Final Floor: The Dancing Heavens
Riddle: "The dancing of the heavens, the turning of the earth, and the march of time all point to a single truth."
Solution: This is the most complex puzzle in the Spire, requiring three items that are scattered around the room. Search on and between the shelves to find: a Celestial (a small celestial globe or orrery representing "the dancing of the heavens"), a Small Map Rotator (representing "the turning of the earth"), and a Sundial (representing "the march of time"). Place all three items in the central golden bowl to solve the final riddle.
The items can be placed in any order. Once all three are in the bowl, the puzzle completes and the way forward opens.
The Abyss Gate
Solving the final floor puzzle opens an Abyss Gate portal. Entering the portal transports you to the Chaos Forest, a dangerous area within the Abyss. The Chaos Forest is part of the Path of Providence and contains its own enemies, resources, and challenges that are separate from the Spire's puzzle content.
Completing the Spire of Insight challenge and entering the Abyss Gate is the primary objective here. The Abyss Gate cannot be accessed without solving all four riddle puzzles in sequence.
Tips
Search every desk, shelf, and corner of each floor thoroughly. Some items are small and easy to miss, especially the Pen Tip on the second floor and the Gold Bar recipe on the top floor.
There is no combat inside the tower, so you can take your time exploring. The Goblins outside will not follow you in.
Liberating the Goblin camp around the Spire is optional. You can run straight to the entrance and burn the brambles without fighting.
This challenge is part of the Hernand's Politics quest line and rewards Iron Ore x10 upon quest completion.
If you are visiting the Spire specifically for the Gold Bar Alchemy Recipe, you only need to reach the top floor (before the final puzzle). The recipe is on the bookshelf on that floor.
The brambles at the entrance burn away permanently after the first time. You can return to the Spire freely on subsequent visits.
Related
Silver and Gold Farming (full guide to earning silver; includes Gold Bar Alchemy Recipe usage)
Challenges (all challenge locations)
Steel Mountains (region overview)
Faction Quests (full side quest list)
Alchemy (crafting recipes and witch NPC locations)
Blinding Flash (ability used to burn brambles)