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Spire of Ringing Truth
April 11, 2026 at 07:55 AM
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The Spire of Ringing Truth is one of eight Spire Challenges in Crimson Desert, towering structures scattered across the world of Pywel that connect to the Abyss. Located at Five-Finger Mountain in the Pailune region, this Spire is an ice-themed vertical dungeon that tests platforming skill, ranged combat proficiency, and puzzle-solving ability. It is tied to the Priscus the Ancient quest, a Delesyia faction quest line.
Completing the Spire of Ringing Truth is the first step on the path to unlocking the Frost Mantle skill, one of the game's elemental abilities. After climbing to the top of the tower and defeating the boss in its basement, an Abyss Gate opens, leading to a chain of Abyss puzzle islands: Ether Rest, Frostbitten Paradise, Path of Trials, Sanctorum of Darkness, Loop of Life, and the Tree of Slumber. Completing the Path of Trials (the third island) grants Frost Level 1 and the Frost Mantle ability. Continuing through the full chain to the Tree of Slumber also unlocks Flame Level 1 and the Flame Strike ability.
The Spire counts toward the "Conqueror of Spires" trophy and achievement, which requires completing all eight Spires in the game. It is optional content that players can tackle once they have progressed far enough in the main story and obtained the necessary traversal skills.
The Spire of Ringing Truth stands at Five-Finger Mountain, west of Wayward Woods in the Pailune region. The structure is visible from a distance as a tall stone tower rising above the surrounding mountainside. Players can reach it by following the mountain path from the Wayward Woods area, or by fast-traveling to the nearby Abyss Nexus teleport waypoint. Two Abyss Cresset waypoints north of the structure also provide convenient travel options.
The region around Five-Finger Mountain is cold, so players should prepare accordingly before making the journey. Equipping ice-resistant armor and bringing food that provides Ice Resistance will help mitigate the environmental frostbite damage in the area.
The Spire is positioned north of Calade in the mountains, making it accessible after reaching the northern regions of the map. Players traveling from Calade should head toward the mountain passes and look for the tower's distinctive silhouette against the skyline.
Detail | Information |
|---|---|
Region | |
Specific Location | Five-Finger Mountain, west of Wayward Woods |
Quest | Priscus the Ancient (Delesyia Faction) |
Boss | |
Abyss Islands | Ether Rest, Frostbitten Paradise, Path of Trials, Sanctorum of Darkness, Loop of Life, Tree of Slumber, Skyloop Bridge (optional) |
Elemental Reward | Frost Level 1, Frost Mantle (Path of Trials); Flame Level 1, Flame Strike (Tree of Slumber) |
Boss Rewards | Blessing of the Immortal, Ancient's Necklace, Ancient Retribution, 100 Delesyia Contribution EXP |
Trophy | Counts toward "Conqueror of Spires" |
The Spire of Ringing Truth and its subsequent Abyss puzzles take place in extremely cold environments. Proper preparation makes the experience significantly smoother and reduces the risk of dying to environmental hazards or the boss fight.
Several traversal and combat skills are essential or strongly recommended before attempting this Spire:
Double Jump (required): Many platforming sections require a Double Jump to reach higher ledges and cross gaps between platforms.
Aerial Maneuver (strongly recommended): The Aerial Maneuver skill, which requires Axiom Force Level 2, makes the climbing sections significantly easier. Without it, some sections require precise timing on basic jumps.
Triple Mid-Air Force Palm (recommended): Allows crossing wider gaps by chaining Force Palm presses in mid-air for extra horizontal distance.
Explosive Arrow or Fire Arrow (required): You need a fire-based projectile to shoot the bell's support structure at the top of the tower. Standard arrows and Blinding Flash do not work for this purpose.
Nature's Snare (strongly recommended): The Nature's Snare ability is the most effective tool against Priscus the Ancient, as it can absorb his laser projectiles and set up a powerful counterattack.
Ice-resistant armor: The Frost Cursed Plate set or any gear with high ice resistance is highly recommended. The environmental cold in the Abyss sections will gradually freeze you over time.
Cold-resistant food: Stock up on food items that grant Ice Resistance buffs. These help counteract the freezing effect in the later puzzle areas.
Stamina upgrades: The exterior climbing sections require sustained stamina. Upgrading your stamina pool beforehand prevents frustrating falls.
Ranged weapon and arrows: A bow with plenty of arrows is essential for the boss fight and for shooting the bell rope. Bring fire arrows or explosive arrows specifically for the bell.
The first major phase of the Spire of Ringing Truth involves ascending from the ground floor to the very top of the tower. The climb combines interior traversal (ladders, chandeliers, wooden planks) with exterior rock climbing on the tower's outer walls. The entire ascent features more than twenty distinct platforming sections.
Approach the Spire from the mountain path and locate the entrance at the base. Once inside, look for an open window on the interior wall. The window provides access to the tower's exterior, which offers a faster route upward than the internal scaffolding alone.
Climbing the outside of the Spire is often easier than navigating every interior section. Use the gaps between stones and the small roof overhangs on the tower's facade to recover stamina while ascending. The key is to move from one rest point to the next without exhausting your stamina bar completely. If your stamina runs out, you will fall and potentially die, forcing a restart.
Continue climbing the exterior until you reach the highest open window you can enter. This window leads back into the tower's upper interior sections where the remaining climb continues through ladders and platforms.
After re-entering the tower through the upper window, the ascent continues through a series of wooden ladders and plank bridges. Some sections require precise jumps across narrow beams. Use the Axiom Force to grapple to higher platforms where standard jumps fall short.
Several notable obstacles appear during the interior climb:
Wooden ladders: Multiple ladders connect the tower's floors. Climb them quickly to conserve time, but watch for crumbling sections.
Chandelier crossings: Some gaps require swinging from chandeliers to reach the opposite platform. Time your jumps to land cleanly.
Narrow wooden planks: Walk carefully across thin wooden beams connecting platforms. Falling means restarting from the last checkpoint.
Arrow-shot ropes: In certain sections, shooting a rope with an arrow lowers a plank or platform that creates a new path forward.
Continue ascending through these sections until you reach the bell chamber at the very top of the Spire.
At the summit of the Spire, you will find a large bell suspended by wooden support beams. This bell is the key to accessing the basement where the boss fight takes place.
To trigger the mechanism, equip your bow and shoot the white wooden support beams connected to the bell with an Explosive Arrow or Fire Arrow. Standard arrows will not break the supports. When the beams break, a cutscene plays showing the massive bell crashing downward through the center of the tower, smashing through the ground floor and creating a large hole that leads to the previously inaccessible basement.
After the cutscene, jump down through the hole the bell created. The fall is scripted and will not kill you. This leads directly into the boss arena.
Multiple methods work for breaking the wooden beam: a charged melee heavy attack, Force Palm, a charge shot, or explosive arrows. Any of these will cause the large bell to crash into the basement below, opening the path to the boss fight.
Priscus the Ancient is a floating, airborne boss that resides in the Spire's basement. This is one of the more challenging boss encounters in the game, particularly for players who are not experienced with ranged combat. Priscus spends most of the fight flying and gliding around the arena, making melee attacks difficult to land consistently.
Priscus uses three distinct categories of attacks, each requiring a different defensive response:
Attack Type | Description | |
|---|---|---|
Priscus fires multiple tracking energy shots and spawns sentry orbs that shoot lasers at your position. This is his most frequent attack pattern. | Block with Nature's Snare, then follow up with Nature's Snare Retribution to ground him. | |
Shadow Attacks | Dark energy attacks that cannot be blocked by Nature's Snare. These require pure evasion. | Dodge roll away immediately when you see the shadow animation tell. Do not attempt to block. |
Golden Spear | A devastating melee-range spear attack that can kill in a single hit. Priscus telegraphs it with a distinct wind-up animation. | Stay at range and dodge away the moment you see the wind-up. This attack has very high damage. |
Priscus swoops down rapidly at your position from the air. | Roll to the side the moment he dips his body downward. | |
Quake Attack | A ground slam performed when Priscus briefly lands in the arena. | Back away immediately when you see him descending to the ground. |
Ultimate Barrage | Priscus flies to the center of the arena and fires a barrage of chasing projectiles. He remains stationary during this phase. | This is actually your best window to attack. Use Nature's Snare Retribution to ground him and punish hard. |
The most effective strategy revolves around Nature's Snare and bow combat. The core gameplay loop is as follows:
Absorb laser projectiles: Activate Nature's Snare when Priscus fires his laser attacks. The barrier absorbs the projectiles and charges your Retribution counter.
Ground the boss: Trigger Nature's Snare Retribution to knock Priscus out of the air and onto the ground.
Build the stun bar: While Priscus is grounded, use Force Palm and melee attacks (Turning Slash, Armed Combat, Forward Slash) to build up his yellow stun meter.
Punish during stun: Once the stun bar fills, Priscus collapses and becomes completely vulnerable. Unleash your strongest melee combos during this window.
Repeat: When Priscus recovers, he returns to the air. Repeat the cycle until he is defeated.
Alternative approaches work as well. Players comfortable with bow combat can use Evasive Shot, Multi-Shot, or Charged Shot to deal steady damage while Priscus is airborne. Sleep Arrows can temporarily ground him, creating openings for melee punishment. The Marksmanship skill tree enhances all of these ranged options.
Players who prefer a ranged approach can defeat Priscus almost entirely with a bow, even at low upgrade levels. The Focus Shot ability fills the stagger bar rapidly on every hit, making it one of the fastest ways to bring Priscus down to the ground. Hold L2 to aim, then press R1 to charge and release a Focus Shot. Even a level 1 bow can stagger Priscus in roughly four or five Focus Shots if each one connects while he is hovering.
Two other ranged skills work well against Priscus while he is airborne. Crow's Pursuit is a homing projectile that tracks Priscus across the arena, so you do not need to lead your shots when he is circling overhead. Otter's Orb launches a slow-moving energy sphere that deals continuous damage on contact, and it can chip away at his health even when he changes direction mid-flight. Both abilities let you deal damage during phases where melee is impossible.
When Priscus swoops close to the ground but does not fully land, Blinding Flash can inflict bonus stagger damage. The timing window is narrow: you need to activate Blinding Flash just as he passes within melee range during a low glide or dive recovery. If it connects, the stagger bar fills by a large chunk, often enough to push him into the grounded state immediately. Combine this with Focus Shot pressure to cycle through stagger phases faster than melee alone.
Sleep Arrows offer another option for grounding Priscus. Landing a Sleep Arrow on him while airborne puts him to sleep for a few seconds and sends him crashing to the ground. Use this opening to close the distance and unload melee combos or charge a Force Palm strike for when he wakes up. Sleep Arrows are craftable at any campfire using Poppy Flowers and standard Arrow Shafts.
Nature's Snare does NOT block Priscus's shadow attacks or spear attacks. Attempting to block these will leave you completely exposed.
The Golden Spear attack can one-shot most players. Treat any spear wind-up animation as an immediate signal to dodge away.
Stay mobile during the shadow attack phases. Prioritize survival over damage output during these windows.
If you die during the boss fight, you will respawn at the start of the arena. The fight resets completely.
Defeating Priscus the Ancient grants the following rewards:
Reward | Details |
|---|---|
100 EXP toward the Delesyia faction | |
Quest completion reward | |
Accessory drop from Priscus | |
Abyss Gear piece |
After the boss is defeated, an Abyss Gate opens in the basement. Entering this portal begins the Abyss island puzzle chain that ultimately leads to the Frost Mantle skill.
The Abyss Gate opened by defeating Priscus leads to a sequence of Abyss puzzle islands in the Sleet Isles. The full chain is: Ether Rest, Frostbitten Paradise, Path of Trials, Sanctorum of Darkness, Loop of Life, and the Tree of Slumber, with the optional Skyloop Bridge accessible afterward. Each island must be completed in order before progressing to the next. The puzzles involve environmental manipulation using cubes, batteries, wind lifts, and light beams. Dying during any puzzle section means replaying it from the beginning of that island, so careful and methodical play is rewarded. Completing the Path of Trials (third island) grants Frost Level 1 and the Frost Mantle ability. Completing the Tree of Slumber (sixth island) grants Flame Level 1 and the Flame Strike ability.
Ether Rest is the first Abyss puzzle island in the Sleet Isles chain. It introduces several core mechanics that appear throughout the subsequent puzzles.
The puzzle revolves around a central rotating pillar with spiral wires for climbing. Key mechanics include:
Yellow dials: Use Axiom Force on yellow dials to rotate them. The first dial is above the central pillar; rotate it counter-clockwise twice to open the caged pillar.
Vent gusts: Wind lifts (fans) propel you upward or across gaps. Use your glider to ride these gusts to upper floors and adjacent islands.
Nature's Snare interaction: Use Nature's Snare on specific walls to reveal hidden dials and openings.
Floating reactor cube: Locate the reactor cube above the structure, then transport it back down to the room at the top of the rotating pillar. The Kuku Iron Pot (also called the Cuckoo Pot) can be used to capture and transport cubes between locations.
Abyss panel activation: At the end, climb the spiral wires, glide across using the wind gust, and use Force Palm on the Abyss panel on the wall to complete the island.
Completing Ether Rest awards one Abyss Artifact and opens the path to Frostbitten Paradise.
Frostbitten Paradise is a cold, labyrinthine puzzle area that builds on the mechanics introduced in Ether Rest. The primary puzzle elements are Lightning Cubes and rectangular power cores (batteries) that must be placed on specific pedestals and aligned with crystals to open barriers and progress through rooms.
Pick up the first Lightning Cube: From the entrance, locate the Lightning Cube sitting on a pedestal to the left. Pick it up and carry it to the square floor platform near the yellow crystal. Position the cube so its emitted laser beam points directly at the crystal. When the beam hits the crystal, the barrier ahead opens.
Open the vent and drop down: Step on the square floor plate to activate it, which pushes down the floor panel below. Drop through the opening to reach the lower level.
Retrieve the second cube: On the lower level, look around for a second Lightning Cube. Pick it up and carry it toward the back of the room where another yellow crystal sits behind a side gate.
Activate the side gate: Aim the cube's laser at the yellow crystal on the back wall. When the beam connects, the side gate opens. Walk through before it closes.
Use the conveyor belt: In the next room, place the laser orb (power core) on the conveyor belt. The conveyor points at the far wall. Pull the nearby crystal using Axiom Force to shift the conveyor belt to the left, which redirects the power core toward the back crystal and activates it.
Navigate through the timed door: Walk forward while the door triggered by the back crystal is still open. Grab the Lightning Cube from its pedestal on the other side and take it out of the room.
Activate dual crystals: Shine the Lightning Cube on crystal 1 to unlock the first barrier. Then pull away the other cube (using Axiom Force) so its laser no longer blocks crystal 2. Reposition your cube to hit crystal 2 instead, opening the second barrier.
Blinding Flash through the energy shield: The final room has a yellow crystal dome protected by an energy shield. Use Blinding Flash: Concentrated Light (L1+R1+L1) on the crystal dome to briefly open the shield. While the shield is down, use Axiom Force to push the power core through the gap before the shield closes again.
Complete the island: Push the battery through the floor hole and crawl after it. Place it in the empty slot on the west side of the room, then hit it with Force Palm. The circular platform activates. Use Jump plus Force Palm on it to trigger the Abyss Gate and collect the Abyss Artifact.
The general flow involves acquiring Lightning Cubes and batteries, transporting them between rooms, and aligning them with crystals to unlock successive barriers. Dying during any step means replaying the entire island from the beginning, so take your time with each cube placement.
The Path of Trials is the final puzzle island in the chain and the one that directly rewards the Frost Mantle skill upon completion. This area features the harshest cold environment in the sequence; the freezing effect damages you over time, making ice-resistant gear and food essential.
The Path of Trials walkthrough:
Find warmth: Locate the stone lantern at the northern end of the frozen lake. Stand near it to warm up and stop the freezing damage.
Wall climbing: Use Jump combined with Triple Force Palm to climb the northern stone wall. Navigate westward to reach an exterior area with a second lantern for warmth.
Frozen battery: Climb eastward walls to discover a frozen battery stuck in an empty slot. Return to the stone lantern and light an arrow using the lantern's fire, then shoot the frozen battery with the fire arrow to defrost it.
Battery activation: Insert the now-thawed battery into its slot and lock it in place with Force Palm.
Follow the wire: Trace the wire extending east from the activated battery to locate the Abyss panel on the wall.
Activate the panel: Hold L2 to grip the panel, then press R3 to Force Palm it. This activates the final Abyss Gate.
Upon activating the panel, you automatically learn Frost Level 1 and unlock the Frost Mantle ability, which allows you to use Frost as an Elemental Imbuement on your attacks. You also receive an Abyss Artifact.
After completing the Path of Trials and earning the Frost Mantle skill, the Abyss chain continues into the Sanctorum of Darkness. This island focuses on laser alignment and energy chip retrieval. The puzzles are more compact than Frostbitten Paradise but require careful use of Axiom Force in three dimensions.
Enter the Sanctorum: From the fast travel point, descend to the lower floor. In the center of the room, find a metallic contraption you can cling to. Hold LT to grip it, then press R3 to Force Punch it, which launches you inside the main puzzle chamber.
Retrieve the energy chip: On the far side of the room, spot an energy chip (battery) embedded in the wall. Use Axiom Force to rip it free by pulling the right stick in the correct direction. The chip comes loose and floats in front of you.
Move the chip to the upper level: Pull the energy chip upward through the roof opening above using Axiom Force. Carry it back to the top level of the Sanctorum where the laser emitters are mounted.
Place the chip: Insert the energy chip into the empty slot on the left wall. Hit it into place with Force Palm. This activates the left-side laser, giving you two active laser emitters in the north area of the room.
Align both lasers: Use Axiom Force on the back of each laser to grab it, then use the D-Pad to aim. Point each laser so its beam hits one of the yellow crystals across the room. When a crystal receives a beam, it turns blue. Both crystals must be blue simultaneously to open the final barrier.
Cross the gap: With the barrier open, you need to reach the Abyss panel on the far side. Use a Triple Mid-Air Force Palm jump sequence to cross the gap between platforms. The timing is tight, so chain your jumps without pausing between presses.
Activate the panel: Grip the Abyss panel with L2 and hit it with Force Palm (R3). The panel activates, completing the Sanctorum of Darkness and awarding an Abyss Artifact.
The Loop of Life is a platforming-focused island featuring three large inactive rings suspended above a void. Each ring has an empty battery slot that must be powered up to activate the rings and unlock the exit to the Tree of Slumber.
First ring (south): Drop down to the first ring. Battery 1 is floating nearby in plain sight. Use Axiom Force to grab it, guide it into the empty slot, and lock it with Force Palm. The first ring lights up.
First ring (north side): Move to the north side of the same ring. Battery 2 is floating above a gap. Grapple it with Axiom Force and pull it back to the second slot. Force Palm it into place.
Second ring: Platform across to the second ring using the now-active walkways. Battery 3 is on a ledge below the ring. Drop down carefully, grab it, and bring it back up to the slot. Lock it in with Force Palm.
Complete the puzzle: Once all three batteries are placed and all three rings glow, the central Abyss dial activates. Use Force Palm on it to open the Abyss Gate leading to the Tree of Slumber.
The Loop of Life is shorter than the previous islands, but the platforming over open void can be punishing if you miss a jump. Save your stamina for the longer gaps and use Aerial Maneuver to extend your reach between platforms.
The Tree of Slumber sits above a lake of lava with platform pillars rising from the molten surface. Completing this puzzle unlocks Flame Strike, the fire elemental imbuement ability. The puzzle mechanic here is unique: you rotate a central platform to raise and lower the surrounding pillars to a specific height.
Approach the central pillar: Jump across the lava to the central platform in the middle of the area. You will see four openings (slots) around its circumference where you can insert your sword.
Ram your sword in: Press R1+Triangle (or RB+Y on Xbox) to stab your sword into one of the four openings. This reveals which set of surrounding pillars that particular slot controls. Each of the four slots affects a different group of pillars.
Identify the reference pillar: There is a fifth pillar in the area that cannot be moved. This is your target height. All four movable pillars must match the height of this fixed reference pillar.
Rotate to align: With your sword inserted, rotate the central platform left or right. This raises or lowers the connected pillars. Watch for the glow color: pillars glow orange when they are moving and switch to a blue glow when they reach the correct height (roughly two-thirds of the way up, matching the reference pillar).
Repeat for each slot: Move to the next slot and repeat the process for a different set of pillars. You need to use all four openings, adjusting each group until every pillar glows blue.
Drain the lava: Once all four movable pillars are correctly aligned and lit blue, the lava drains from the basin below, revealing a walkable surface.
Activate the Abyss panel: Head north across the drained lava bed to find the Abyss platform. Use Force Palm on it to activate the Abyss Gate, which unlocks Flame Level 1 and the Flame Strike ability in your Skills menu.
A common mistake is pushing the pillars all the way down or all the way up. The correct position is partway up, matching the immovable reference pillar. If you overshoot, rotate the platform back in the opposite direction to bring the pillars to the right height.
The Skyloop Bridge is an optional Abyss island accessible from the Tree of Slumber. If you have already unlocked fire power through the Tree of Slumber, you do not need to complete the Skyloop Bridge to progress. However, it contains an additional Abyss Artifact and provides a teleporter back to the surface of Pywel.
The puzzle involves four sections separated by gaps. Each section has a circular control panel that you operate via Axiom Force. Pressing the Operate button summons a moving platform to your position. Ride it to the next section and interact with the control panel there. In each section, you must repair a circular "stargate" by using Axiom Force to grab floating ring debris and push it into the gaps in each gate until it clicks into place and glows. Once all four stargates are repaired, the Skyloop Bridge activates and grants access to the teleporter.
The complete Spire of Ringing Truth experience, including the boss fight and all three Abyss puzzle islands, grants the following rewards:
Reward | Source |
|---|---|
Priscus the Ancient boss fight | |
Priscus the Ancient boss fight | |
Priscus the Ancient boss fight | |
Priscus the Ancient boss fight | |
Ether Rest completion | |
Frostbitten Paradise completion | |
Frost Level 1 + Frost Mantle | Path of Trials completion |
Path of Trials completion | |
Sanctorum of Darkness completion | |
Loop of Life completion | |
Flame Level 1 + Flame Strike | Tree of Slumber completion |
Tree of Slumber completion | |
Skyloop Bridge completion (optional) | |
Conqueror of Spires progress | Spire completion (1 of 8) |
Fast travel points are available throughout the Abyss puzzle chain. Activate every Abyss Nexus and Abyss Cresset you encounter so you can return quickly if you need to restock supplies.
Dying during any Abyss puzzle section means redoing that puzzle from the beginning. Take your time and play carefully, especially in the Frostbitten Paradise and Path of Trials sections.
The exterior climbing route on the Spire is generally faster and safer than trying to navigate every interior platforming section. Use the small roof overhangs to recover stamina.
Bring extra fire arrows beyond what you need for the bell. You will also need fire arrows to defrost the frozen battery in the Path of Trials.
If you are struggling with the Priscus boss fight, consider upgrading your bow and investing in the Marksmanship skill tree before reattempting.
The Frost Element unlocked by completing this chain is useful for many late-game encounters, making this Spire a worthwhile investment of time even for players focused on the main story.
This Spire is separate from the Spire of Frost, which is associated with The Frostwarden quest line and contains the Frozen Anguish greatsword. Do not confuse the two.
The Abyss island chain extends well beyond the three islands needed for Frost Mantle. After the Path of Trials, players who continue through the Sanctorum of Darkness, Loop of Life, and Tree of Slumber will also unlock Flame Strike. This makes the Spire of Ringing Truth one of the most rewarding Spires in the game, granting two elemental abilities from a single chain.
For the Priscus boss fight, even a level 1 bow with Focus Shot can fill the stagger bar in four or five hits. Players who have been neglecting their ranged skills may want to invest a few skill points in Marksmanship before attempting this fight.
In the Tree of Slumber puzzle, the pillar height is not fully up or fully down. Look for the immovable fifth pillar as your reference and match the other four to its height. The pillars glow blue when correctly positioned.
Spire Challenges (overview of all eight Spires)
Priscus the Ancient (detailed boss guide)
Frost Mantle (skill details and usage)
The Abyss (Abyss system overview)
Abyss Artifact (artifact guide)
Spire of Clockwork (another Spire dungeon in Demeniss)
Spire of Insight (another Spire dungeon)
Five-Finger Mountain (location details)
Flame Strike (fire elemental skill from Tree of Slumber)
Focus Shot (ranged stagger ability)
Nature's Snare (defensive skill for Priscus fight)
