⚠️ Editor note: Reference images sourced from powerpyx.com (watermarked). Replace with original screenshots before final polish.
Video walkthrough
The full Spire of Ringing Truth → Path of Trials run (~21 minutes) by Its Shatter. Watch this if you prefer video, otherwise the written walkthrough is below.
Skill overview
Frost Mantle (Frost Element Lv.1) is the first and easiest of the four Crimson Desert elemental skills to unlock. Once unlocked, you can imbue any weapon with frost damage. Hits slow and freeze enemies, deal bonus damage to fire-aligned foes, and the ice shield reflects damage back at melee attackers.
All three playable characters share the Frost element, but each has a different signature move:
- Kliff — Frost Mantle: a defensive buff. Wraps Kliff in ice armor that reduces incoming damage and frostbites adjacent enemies.
- Damiane — Frost Rush: a dash-slash that leaves a trail of ice behind to slow enemies in her wake.
- Oongka — Frost Slam: a ground slam that freezes everything in a wide AoE around him. Great crowd control.
Unlike skills bought from the regular trees, the four elements (Frost / Flame / Lightning / Storm) must each be unlocked through a specific Abyss Restoration Challenge. The Frost challenge is called Path of Trials, located deep beneath the Spire of Ringing Truth. Before you can enter, you have to defeat the tower's guardian boss, Priscus the Ancient.
This guide takes you from the spire's location all the way to picking up the artifact.
Prerequisites
- Main quest progressed past the open-world unlock so fast travel is available
- Force Palm learned: jump → R3 / mouse wheel
- Axiom Force learned: hold L2 / Tab
- Bow or musket (mandatory — the boss flies)
- Frost-resistance food (BBQ skewers and hot soups from the Pailune merchant)
- 10+ Lanterns for temporary cold protection
- Recommended character level: 20+
Step 1: Get to the Spire of Ringing Truth
The Spire of Ringing Truth sits in the western mountains of Pailune, southwest of the Wayward Woods. It's a tall stone tower with a massive bronze bell at the top that you can spot from a long way off.
Direct map link: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=2bbfd46b-b85f-42f6-b64f-321585a29a96
When you reach the base, the front door is sealed by an Abyss spell — don't waste time on it. Skirt the rock wall around to the side, where you'll find an unlocked side door. Enter from there.
Step 2: Climb the spire interior
Inside is a hollow spiral tower with stone platforms ringing the walls. Your goal is the platform under the giant bronze bell at the top.
How to climb: chain three Force Palms in a row.
`
jump → R3 in air → jump → R3 → jump → R3
`
Three chained jumps gets you very high. Repeat the chain a few times and you'll reach the top. When stamina runs out, recharge in place with L3+R3 (controller) / X (keyboard) — you'll use this trick everywhere in the game, so it's worth practicing.
When you reach the platform under the bell, look up: the bell is suspended from the ceiling by a wooden beam.
Pull out your bow or musket and shoot the beam. It snaps, the bell crashes down, and it smashes a hole in the floor leading to a basement.
Jump into the hole.
Step 3: Defeat Priscus the Ancient
Once you land in the basement, walk through the glowing corridor to trigger the boss fight. Priscus the Ancient is a flying boss — melee barely connects, so bring ranged weapons and the Nature's Snare counter skill for the fastest clear. After the kill he drops the Ether Rest key fragment, which auto-opens the Abyss gate next to the arena.
For full move breakdown, three build options, and gear recommendations, see the dedicated guide: Priscus the Ancient: Spire of Ringing Truth Boss & Puzzle Guide.
Step 4: Cross the Sleet Isles chain
Once the Abyss gate opens, walking through teleports you into the Sleet Isles cluster — a chain of floating, frost-themed Abyss islands connected by fan-glide platforms.
Progression order:
`
Ether Rest
↓
Frostbitten Paradise
↓
Path of Trials ← Frost element here
`
The first two nodes are transition zones — just glide across using the wall fans. Watch the cold meter and pop a Lantern (R1+Square / F) the moment it spikes red. Each lantern gives you a 30-second cold-resist window.
Map locations:
- Ether Rest: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=df5b8aaa-eeba-4623-abb8-6860444dcd5a
- Frostbitten Paradise: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=62103c7f-5467-4a37-8099-2ba0a41f5703
- Path of Trials: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=ea7de2ae-d6e5-48fe-8474-0b37e6c800fc
Step 5: Path of Trials puzzle
This is the actual Frost-element unlock zone. The mechanic is charged-block transport: pull a frozen block out of the wall, melt it in lava, then jam it into the main socket and hit a button.
Phase 1: Wall fan platforms
The entrance leads onto a series of vertical platforms with wall-mounted fans. Jump and glide — the fans push you horizontally to the next platform. The last platform has a large floor fan that launches you upward; glide across to the teleport pad.
Phase 2: Reach the core area
You teleport to the main island. Outside the central tower there's continuous frost damage — keep popping lanterns and use Force Palm dash + glide to traverse the ice platforms. Loop counter-clockwise around the central tower; your destination is the outer chamber door on the cliff opposite the entry.
Phase 3: Pull out the ice block
The outer chamber has a frozen energy block embedded in the wall. Use Axiom Force (hold L2 / Tab) to draw it out — the block floats toward you. It's still solid ice, so it can't go straight into the main socket.
Phase 4: Melt it in lava
Carry the ice block back inside, but don't head for the main socket. Take the door on the left into the lava room. Drop the block into the lava and let it soak for about 5 seconds — the ice shell cracks and the block glows red-hot.
⚠️ Speed matters from here. Once the block leaves the lava you have about 15 seconds before it refreezes. Run it straight to the socket, no detours.
Phase 5: Slot the heated block
Sprint back to the main room and the floor socket in the center. Line up and use Force Palm to slam it in. A satisfying click means it's locked.
Phase 6: Press the wall button
Slotting the block lights up a wall button. Press it → the Abyss restores → the puzzle is complete.
Step 6: Pick up the artifact
After the button press, the Abyss Artifact appears on the central pedestal. Climb up and grab it — confirmation pops up: Frost Lv.1 unlocked!
All three characters can use the Frost element immediately, and your Axiom Bracelet can now imbue any weapon with frost damage.
Pre-run checklist
- [ ] Bow / musket + 60 rounds
- [ ] 5x frost-resist food
- [ ] 10x lanterns
- [ ] Nature's Snare skill (strongly recommended for the boss)
- [ ] Full health potions
- [ ] Manual save before entering the spire (in case of Abyss puzzle bugs)
Common mistakes & fixes
- Trying to melee Priscus: he's flying, you'll barely connect. Use ranged or Nature's Snare.
- No frost-resist food: you'll die five times in Path of Trials.
- Letting the block sit too long after melting: 15 seconds and it refreezes — you'll have to redo the lava room.
- Force-Palming the socket and bouncing off: stand dead center of the socket, not on the edge.
- Lost the block? Save → reload to reset it to the original wall position. As a last resort, after the Chapter 4 Kiln quest, the Kuku Pot has a recovery box for missing puzzle items.
- Can't find the side door: the front door is sealed, walk around to the side.
What's next
Once Frost is unlocked, the natural next target is Flame Strike (Fire element), which sits deeper down the same Abyss chain. From Path of Trials, keep going: Sanctorum of Darkness → Loop of Life → Tree of Slumber.
Frost Mantle's cold protection makes the rest of this leg dramatically safer — keep it active the whole way.
👉 Next up: Flame Strike unlock guide