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Spire of the Stars - Version 13 vs Version 14
May 23, 2026, 04:02 PM
Added internal wikilinks
Jun 9, 2026, 06:53 AM
Removed duplicate in-body wikilinks
11Overview22Spire of the Stars is the 57th main quest in Crimson Desert and continues the Forbidden Knowledge sub-chapter within Chapter 4: The Price of Knowledge. Following Tenebrum's defeat in the previous quest, Octavius vanishes without explanation. Grundir, the Dean of the Scholastone Institute, reports a strange phenomenon at the Institute's spire and provides Kliff with a key to investigate. The quest is entirely puzzle-based with no combat encounters, requiring players to collect Engraved Stones, align ancient symbols, and activate an elevator to reach the top of the tower.44At the summit, a portal to the Abyss has opened. Entering the portal completes this quest and immediately begins the next story quest, Obsession and Madness. For a standalone guide focused specifically on the climbing and puzzle mechanics, see the companion article Go to the Top of the Spire of the Stars.66Quest Details88DetailInfoQuest Number57Chapter4: The Price of KnowledgeSub-ChapterForbidden KnowledgeRegionHernand (Scholastone Institute, Everfrost Mountain)PrerequisiteGate to the OtherworldKey ItemKey to the Spire of the Stars (from Grundir)Required AbilitiesForce PalmCombatNoneRewardStory progression; access to the Abyss1111Objectives1212Go to the Spire of the StarsAscend to the top of the spire (solve the elevator puzzle)Enter the Abyss1414Walkthrough1616Reaching the Spire1818The Spire of the Stars is located on Everfrost Mountain, north of the Scholastone Institute and west of The Witchwoods. After receiving the key from Grundir, head northeast from the Institute plaza, past the banquet hall. Follow the marked road to a staircase that leads upward along the mountainside. Climb the stairs, pass through a cave system, and continue ascending more stairs until you reach a large stone door. Use the key to open the door and enter the spire.2020An alternate way to orient yourself: from the presentation area where Grundir gives you the key, head north and look for a set of stone stairs to the east. These stairs wind up the mountainside toward the spire. The path is linear once you find the staircase, so the only tricky part is locating the initial set of steps among the Institute's sprawling grounds.2222As you climb the mountain, the temperature drops and a cold debuff takes effect. Stamina regeneration slows noticeably, and all actions that consume stamina cost more while Kliff is cold. Watch the temperature gauge near the minimap to track how severe the penalty is. The lower the bar drops, the worse the effect becomes.2424If you do not have food or gear that provides cold resistance, you can restore your stamina by standing near one of the campfires placed along the path. Several fires are scattered along the staircase route leading up to the spire entrance. Warming up at a fire resets the cold debuff temporarily, giving you a window to continue the ascent. Cooking a Modest Clear Soup at any bonfire before heading up grants Ice Resistance level 2, which reduces the stamina penalty enough to make the climb more comfortable.2626Inside, a cutscene plays briefly before revealing the main chamber. The elevator in the center of the room has no power, and you need to solve a multi-step puzzle to activate it.2828Puzzle Overview3030The Spire of the Stars puzzle consists of two stages. First, you collect three Engraved Stones from hidden alcoves in the side corridors. Second, you insert the stones into wall sockets and then physically align four symbols to their correct vertical positions. The side corridors also contain mural panels that show the correct arrangement, so pay close attention to these clues before you start adjusting symbols.3232Step 1: Collect the Engraved Stones3434Three yellow walls with purple icons on the minimap surround the elevator area. Each wall hides an Engraved Stone behind it. Use Force Palm (R3 on controller) to strike the protruding center of each wall, causing it to flip around and reveal the stone inside. The three walls are located in the following positions:3636Left corridor: One wall on the left side of the elevator room. Enter the left corridor and use Force Palm on the yellow-lit wall to retrieve the first stone.Right corridor: Two walls on the right side of the elevator room, facing each other. Enter the right corridor and use Force Palm on both walls to collect the remaining two stones.3838Before leaving each side corridor, look at the mural panel painted on the wall. The left corridor's mural shows the correct positions for the Hourglass and Circle symbols, while the right corridor's mural shows the correct positions for the Square and Triangle symbols. These murals are your only clue for the alignment puzzle that follows.4040After collecting all three Engraved Stones, return to the central wall facing the elevator. You will see four symbol panels with slots beneath them. Three of the slots are empty and the fourth (the Circle) already has a stone fitted. Insert each of your three stones into the remaining open slots.4242Step 2: Align the Symbols4444With all four stones inserted, the symbol panels on the central wall become movable. Each symbol sits on a vertical track with four possible positions (numbered 1 through 4 from top to bottom). You need to move each symbol to the correct position by climbing the wall and hanging onto its handlebar. Your weight causes the symbol to slide downward. When it reaches the target slot, release your grip and drop off.4646The four symbols, reading from left to right on the wall, are the Hourglass (sometimes described as an infinity or cross shape), the Circle, the Square, and the Triangle. Each must be placed at a specific vertical position to complete the puzzle.4848Correct Symbol Alignment5050Symbol (Left to Right)Target PositionAction RequiredHourglassPosition 1 (Top)Insert stone; symbol moves to top automaticallyCirclePosition 2 (Second from Top)Already in place with pre-fitted stoneSquarePosition 4 (Bottom)Insert stone, climb wall, hang until it reaches the bottom slotTrianglePosition 3 (Second from Bottom)Insert stone, climb wall, hang until it reaches the third slot, then jump off5252The key mechanic is climbing and sustained grip. When you climb the wall and grab a symbol's handlebar, your body weight pulls it downward one position at a time. For the Square, you need to hold on all the way to the bottom (position 4). For the Triangle, you must release at position 3 before it drops further. The Hourglass automatically settles at the top (position 1) when its stone is inserted, so it requires no climbing.5353To summarize the correct order from top to bottom: Hourglass at the top, Circle second, Triangle third, and Square at the bottom. The circle rune sits at the third light up on both the side room murals and on the actual puzzle wall, which is how you can verify your reading of the clues.5555Resetting a Misaligned Symbol5757If you overshoot a symbol or place it in the wrong slot, do not worry. Walk up to the stone button at the base of that symbol's track and use Force Palm (R3) to reset it. The symbol will shoot back up to the top position, and you can climb and drop it again to the correct slot. This reset mechanic has no penalty and can be used as many times as needed.5959Activating and Riding the Elevator6161Once all four symbols are in their correct positions, they stop glowing yellow and the floor beneath the elevator turns blue. This signals that the elevator is active. Step onto the elevator platform immediately. The elevator ascends automatically after a few seconds and also descends back down on a timer, so you need to step off quickly once it reaches the top. If you miss the elevator or it descends before you can board, the symbols remain in position and the elevator will cycle again.6363Entering the Abyss6565At the top of the spire, run up the final staircase to the top floor. A portal to the Abyss has opened here, crackling with energy. Interact with the portal to enter. A cutscene triggers as Kliff steps through, and the quest completes automatically. The next quest, Obsession and Madness, begins immediately.6767What Lies Beyond the Portal6969Upon entering the Abyss, Kliff finds himself on a series of floating sky islands suspended above a vast void. Ancient technology and crumbling structures dot the landscape. An Abyss Nexus provides a fast travel point. Octavius appears in a frantic state, urging Kliff to stop whoever is tearing the rift open from the other side. Kliff must glide to a tall pillar ahead, climb to the main platform, and activate a ground switch using a mid-air Force Palm. These events unfold during the next quest and are covered in detail in the Obsession and Madness article.7171The illuminated platform contains a yellow glowing mechanism embedded in the floor. To activate it, jump directly above the mechanism and use Force Palm while airborne (an Aerial Force Palm). Simply standing on the mechanism does not trigger it. Once activated, a cutscene plays and the quest completes.7373The Obsession and Madness quest that follows is short but physically demanding. The cold debuff from Everfrost carries over into the Abyss, so stamina regeneration remains limited. Upgrading Force Palm to Level 3 and unlocking Double Jump from the Spirit Branch before starting this sequence makes the platforming much easier. The recommended technique is to Double Jump, then use Force Palm three times in succession to gain height before gliding to the next pillar. This conserves stamina for the final glide. Axiom Force's Aerial Maneuver can also help, though it requires more than the minimum 200 stamina to activate while cold.7575Force Palm uses Spirit rather than stamina, and Spirit regenerates by holding L3 + R3 (or the equivalent keyboard keys). This makes mid-air Force Palm chains especially valuable in the Abyss, where the cold debuff cripples normal stamina recovery. If you fall off a floating pillar, open the map and press R3 to switch to the sky view. From there you can fast travel back to the Abyss Nexus and retry the platforming section without losing progress.7777After completing Obsession and Madness, a bonus area called the Secret Garden becomes accessible from the Sanctorum of Insight. The Secret Garden contains its own puzzle involving laser beams and battery placement. Solving it rewards an Abyss Artifact, which can be used to upgrade character skills. To reach it, revisit the Sanctorum of Insight via its Abyss Nexus fast travel point and head to the Skybridge behind the main area.7979Once Obsession and Madness wraps up, Kliff returns to Howling Hill for the Cast Shadow quest, which finishes Chapter 4. You can fast travel to the Abyss sky map above Howling Hill and skydive down to the Greymane Camp. Entering the main tent triggers the chapter's closing cutscene.8181Completing the Obsession and Madness quest awards +8 Contribution Levels to the Hernandian faction. This is one of the larger faction reputation gains available in Chapter 4, so players interested in maximizing their standing with the Hernand region should not skip it.8383Tips8585Follow the minimap icons. The purple icons on the minimap mark the exact locations of the yellow walls hiding Engraved Stones. Do not wander randomly through the corridors.Read the murals first. Before you start moving symbols, visit both side corridors and memorize the mural panels. The left mural shows the Hourglass and Circle positions. The right mural shows the Square and Triangle positions. Knowing the answer in advance saves time.Bring cold resistance. The ascent to the spire inflicts a cold debuff that slows stamina regeneration. Cook a Modest Clear Soup at any bonfire before heading up, or equip gear with ice resistance. If you have neither, warm up at the campfires along the staircase path.Climbing controls the symbols. When aligning symbols, climb the wall and hold onto the handlebar. Your weight causes the symbol to slide into position. You do not need to push or pull them manually.Jump off at the right moment. For the Triangle (position 3), you must release your grip before the symbol reaches the bottom. Watch the vertical track carefully and jump off as soon as the symbol locks into the third slot.Use the reset buttons freely. If you overshoot a symbol, use Force Palm on the stone button at its base to send it back to the top. There is no penalty for resetting.Board the elevator quickly. The elevator runs on a timer. Once it activates, step on promptly. If you miss it, wait for it to cycle back up. You do not need to redo the puzzle.No enemies here. This quest is entirely puzzle-based. There are no enemies or combat encounters of any kind, so you can take your time solving the alignment.Prepare for what comes after. The next quest, Obsession and Madness, starts immediately and requires platforming across floating pillars while still under the cold debuff. Having Double Jump and Force Palm Level 3 unlocked beforehand makes that sequence much more forgiving.8787Related Quests8989Previous quest: Gate to the OtherworldNext quest: Obsession and MadnessObjective guide: Go to the Top of the Spire of the StarsKey item: Key to the Spire of the StarsChapter 4: The Price of Knowledge WalkthroughScholastone InstituteThe AbyssBonus puzzle: Secret Garden Puzzle (accessible after Obsession and Madness)Chapter finale: Cast Shadow (return to Howling Hill to complete Chapter 4)9191Element Unlocked9393The Spire of the Stars is the main-questline Spire, which is why most players unlock lightning before any other element. The main story routes Kliff through the Spire during Chapter 4, so even players who ignore optional content end up completing this Spire and receiving a Lightning Lv. 1 Abyss Artifact by default.9595Element: Lightning Lv. 1. Applies to all three characters once unlocked.Skill unlock: Grants Lightning Surge to Kliff, Lightning Strike to Damiane, and Lightning Pulse to Oongka.Abyss path: The Spire of the Stars is the entry point to the Sanctorum of Insight, which then leads to the Vault of Vengeance and the Courtyard of Precision. Clearing all three completes the Lightning branch of the Abyss.Imbue compatibility: Once Lightning Lv. 1 is active, the lightning imbue can be applied to most melee skills via Imbue Element for additional stagger and crowd control on trash mobs.9797Location Navigation9999The Spire of the Stars is located near the Scholar Stone Institute in Pywell. Because the Chapter 4 storyline routes through this Spire automatically, most players do not need directions on the first visit; the quest marker leads straight to the base of the tower. The notes below cover return trips and edge cases.101101Main quest route (first visit): During Chapter 4, a main quest automatically directs Kliff to the Spire. Follow the quest marker from the Scholar Stone Institute area; there is no way to miss it if you are progressing the main story normally.Fast travel for later visits: After the first visit, an Abyss Nexus waypoint unlocks at the Spire. Fast travel directly back to the tower for follow-up Abyss puzzle runs instead of riding across the map.Return path to the Abyss: After Chapter 4 story events interrupt the first visit, fast travel back and proceed past where the Abyss Artifact is normally obtained. Activate the abyss bridge and continue to the Secret Garden, then onward to the Sanctorum of Insight.Compared to other spires: The other three elemental Spires are all off the main questline. Spire of Frost is in northern Demeniss, Spire of the Sun is in the Valley of Grief west of Tommaso, and the Wind spire (Spire of Clockwork) sits east of Demeniss. Players who only follow the critical path will miss all three without intentionally seeking them out.
