Spires are hard to miss in Crimson Desert. These massive towers punch through the skyline across every region, and reaching the top of each one opens an Abyss Gate that drops you into specialized underground areas packed with Abyss Artifacts. There are 8 Spires total, and clearing all of them completes the Lands Meet the Sky challenge set and unlocks the Conqueror of Spires trophy and achievement.
The catch: most Spires are physically accessible from early on, but you cannot actually complete them until the story hands you the right keys or context. Trying to brute-force them before the relevant chapters is a waste of time. The cleanest approach is to follow the main quest and let the Spires open naturally, then mop up any you missed after finishing the story.
What are Spires and why should you complete them?
Each Spire functions as a puzzle tower. You work through the floors solving environmental puzzles until you reach the summit, where an Abyss Gate teleporter waits. Stepping through that gate is what counts as completing the Spire challenge and, more practically, it permanently unlocks that Abyss area for future farming runs. Since Abyss areas are the primary source of high-tier Abyss Artifacts, finishing every Spire directly expands your gear progression options.
Secret Places Challenges work differently: those involve hunting down hidden Abyss Cressets in the open world, which appear on your map as Mysterious Energy icons when you get close. Spires are distinct from those, though both feed into the broader Abyss challenge category.
Spire Abyss Gate entrance
All 8 Spire locations and solutions
Here is every Spire in Crimson Desert, organized by region with story unlock requirements. Solutions marked as pending reflect content where puzzle walkthroughs are still being documented by the community.
Spire of the Stars
Found in the Hernand region, north of Scholastone Institute. This one is tied directly to Chapter 4: The Price of Knowledge, making it the first Spire most players encounter. The tower sits in a prominent spot and is hard to walk past without noticing it. Completing the main quest associated with it handles the Spire challenge automatically as part of the story sequence.
Spire of Soaring
Located in the Demeniss region near the Denn River, north of Demeniss City. The tower is tall enough to spot from a considerable distance. This Spire unlocks through Chapter 5: Guest Unbidden, specifically the main quest Toward the Nest. Like the Spire of the Stars, progressing through the story quest completes it naturally rather than requiring a separate side trip.
Spire of the Sun
Situated in the Crimson Desert region itself, at Forebearer's Barrens. This is a late-game Spire tied to Chapter 9, unlocked through the main quest Unwavering Steps. You will not be able to enter or complete it until that point in the story, regardless of how early you find the physical location.
Jijeong Temple Pagoda
This one is the outlier in the group. Located on an island in Serpent Marsh, between the Demeniss and Delesyia regions, it is technically categorized as a Temple rather than a Spire, and it uses a different map icon. Despite that, it counts as 1 of the 8 Spires in the Challenges menu.
The Jijeong Temple Pagoda has no puzzles. You climb to it as part of the Chapter 9 subchapter Six Pensive Statues and the Evil Spirit within the main quest Face the Inner Self. Once you finish the other objectives in that subchapter, the tower opens and you climb up for a story objective. The Abyss entry is on the ground floor, and the challenge autocompletes on entry. The tower is locked before that quest triggers.
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If the Jijeong Temple Pagoda door is closed, you have not yet reached the Face the Inner Self quest in Chapter 9. Keep progressing the main story.Spire of Insight
Found in the Hernand region, east of a small lake along a road through the Steel Mountains. This Spire requires story progression to access, though the exact puzzle solution is still being documented. The Steel Mountains location means you will likely pass through this area during mid-game exploration.
Spire of Ringing Truth
Located in the Pailune region, specifically in the Wayward Woods near Five-Finger Mountain. Follow the path leading up to the mountain to reach the entrance. Story progression is required before you can complete the challenge inside.
Spire of Clockwork
This Spire sits in the Demeniss region at Breezeblown Knoll. The access requirement here is explicit: you must finish Chapter 8 by completing the main quest A Fleeting Dream. That quest rewards you directly with the Spire of Clockwork Key, which is the only way in. Trying to enter before Chapter 8 is done will leave you locked out regardless of where the tower is on the map.
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Do not attempt the Spire of Clockwork before finishing Chapter 8. The key is a direct quest reward from A Fleeting Dream and cannot be obtained any other way.Spire of Frost
The Spire of Frost is in the Demeniss region, at Deadfire Mountain. Story progression unlocks it, and the full puzzle solution is pending community documentation. Given its location at Deadfire Mountain, expect environmental hazards consistent with cold-climate areas in Crimson Desert.
Spire of Frost at Deadfire Mountain
What do you get for completing all Spires?
Clearing all 8 Spires does two things. First, it completes the Lands Meet the Sky challenge set, which counts toward your overall challenge completion. Second, each completed Spire permanently unlocks its associated Abyss Area, giving you a dedicated elevator access point for future runs. These areas feed directly into the Abyss Artifact farming loop, which is one of the most reliable ways to upgrade your gear in the late game.
The Conqueror of Spires trophy and achievement pops once all 8 are done. Since several Spires are locked behind Chapters 8 and 9, this is effectively a post-story or late-story achievement for most players.
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Spire completions contribute to the broader Abyss Restoration challenge category, which tracks alongside the 40 total Abyss challenges in the game.
How do you find Spires in the open world?
Spires are tall enough that you can spot most of them from a distance without any map assistance. That said, the in-game map does mark them once you are in the general vicinity.
For players working through all challenge types in Crimson Desert, you can browse the full library of guides on GAMES.GG covering everything from Abyss Artifact farming to boss strategies and build optimization.