⚠️ Editor note: Reference images from powerpyx.com (watermarked). Replace with original screenshots before final polish.
Video walkthrough
Its Shatter's full Spire of the Stars → Courtyard of Precision run (~18 minutes).
Skill overview
Lightning Surge (Lightning element Lv.1) is the lightning skill of the four. The signature traits: fast chain-lightning hits, strong stagger on humanoids, hard interrupt on boss heavy charges, and excellent group control.
Per-character variants:
- Kliff — Lightning Surge: a charged sword thrust that releases chain lightning, jumping between up to 3 nearby enemies. A clearing tool in mob fights.
- Damiane — Lightning Rush: a teleport dash leaving an electric afterimage that stuns enemies along the path. Pairs perfectly with her counter-rapier playstyle.
- Oongka — Lightning Slam: a greataxe overhead that summons a lightning pillar at the impact point, AoE stagger. Particularly strong against humanoid bosses.
Unlike the first two elements, Lightning is on a separate Abyss chain — not in Pailune. It's in Demeniss at the Spire of the Stars, and you have to finish the Chapter 4 main quest before you can enter.
Prerequisites
- Chapter 4 main quest cleared — specifically the Obsession and Madness questline, which reopens the Abyss tunnel at the Scholastone Institute
- Focused Shot learned — this is the core mechanic of the Lightning puzzle. Don't come here without it.
- Frost Mantle + Flame Strike are not required, but bring them for an easier time
- Aerial Maneuver (Axiom Force grappling) — optional, makes the spire climb faster
- Bow / crossbow + plenty of arrows
- Recommended character level: 30+
Step 1: Get to Spire of the Stars
The Spire of the Stars is somewhere the Chapter 4 main quest drags you through naturally. Once you've followed the story there, it becomes a fast travel point.
Map location: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=5b529a41-344b-406a-885d-dd7edb968354
Confirm you've unlocked Focused Shot before entering — it's the slow-motion precision aiming skill you pick up during the campaign. Without Focused Shot you cannot solve the Lightning puzzle, the entire mechanic is built around it.
Step 2: Climb the Spire of the Stars interior
Inside the spire is a series of tall vertical platforms with wide gaps that normal jumps won't clear. Chain Force Palms:
`
jump → R3 → jump → R3 → jump → R3
`
That gets you across multiple levels in one go. The first leg lands on a pillar platform; from there, chain another set of Force Palms and glide to the main central platform.
Keep following the obvious platform line up.
⚠️ No boss fight inside the spire — the whole climb is platforming. Reaching the top unlocks the Abyss Nexus that feeds into the Lightning chain.
Step 3: Cross the Abyss chain to Courtyard of Precision
Once you activate the Nexus at the top of the spire, the chain begins. In order:
`
Spire of the Stars
↓
Sanctorum of Insight
↓
Secret Garden
↓
Vault of Vengeance
↓
Courtyard of Precision ← Lightning element here
`
The first three nodes are a progressive tutorial that teaches you Focused Shot mechanics:
- Sanctorum of Insight: platforming + spirit puzzle. Solve it to advance.
- Secret Garden: maze paths + activate glowing runes. Enter through the Skybridge behind Sanctorum of Insight.
- Vault of Vengeance: the ranged target challenge. Two yellow countdown targets that you must hit simultaneously with a dual-marked Focused Shot to open the Courtyard door.
Map locations:
- Sanctorum of Insight: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=a905ee30-e9ba-4d7a-987c-688b861b450f
- Secret Garden: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=fd93de6d-691f-47d0-bf8f-20efd0e830b2
- Vault of Vengeance: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=ef9707cd-c2b9-4f8c-9c41-79436d203a17
- Courtyard of Precision: https://crimsondesert.co/map?marker=f563fad2-bd73-48ff-a94f-ba9df9c24ac0
The whole chain is teaching you Focused Shot mechanics — Courtyard of Precision is the graduation exam.
Step 4: Courtyard of Precision puzzle
The Courtyard of Precision is a circular arena split into 4 quadrants. Each quadrant has a cluster of floating diamond switches — some yellow (need to activate), some blue (already activated). Goal: shoot every yellow diamond with Focused Shot to turn it blue.
Shot rules
- You must hit the yellow front face of the diamond. Hitting an edge doesn't register.
- Use the multi-mark feature of Focused Shot: hold to mark several targets, then release for a single salvo that hits them all at once.
Phase 1: Ground-level diamond clusters
Starting from the entry Abyss Nexus, work around the four quadrants:
Cluster 1 (directly across): 5 diamonds, with 2 yellow moving targets. Mark both with Focused Shot, fire.
Cluster 2 (one quadrant counter-clockwise): 3 yellow diamonds. Mark all three, salvo.
Cluster 3 (next counter-clockwise): 4 yellow diamonds. Mark all four, salvo.
Cluster 4 (last quadrant): a mix of yellow moving targets. Mark them all, salvo.
When all the ground diamonds are blue, a massive central fan spins up, generating an upward updraft column.
Phase 2: Aerial ring diamonds
Walk to the center of the arena and step into the updraft. As you ride it up, you'll see two suspended hoops (a lower ring and an upper ring), each with 3 yellow diamonds inside.
Lower ring first: as you pass through it, mark and fire at all 3 lower-ring diamonds with Focused Shot. The fan catches you and lifts you again.
Then the upper ring: the upper ring sits just past the fan's lift height — you need to add a Force Palm in midair for extra altitude, then quickly Focused-Shot the 3 upper-ring diamonds.
Don't panic if you miss in one cycle — the fan loop lets you try again.
Step 5: Activate the gear switch & grab the artifact
When every diamond (ground + aerial) is blue, a large gear switch appears below the arena floor. Walk over to it, jump and Force Palm down onto it to activate it (Palm Strike).
Gears start grinding, and the reward sequence triggers: Abyss restored, the Abyss Artifact appears on the central pedestal. Pick it up — confirmation: Lightning Lv.1 unlocked! All three characters get the Lightning skill, and the Axiom Bracelet can imbue any weapon with lightning damage.
Pre-run checklist
- [ ] Chapter 4 main quest cleared (Scholastone Institute storyline)
- [ ] Bow / crossbow + 40 arrows
- [ ] Comfortable with Focused Shot (practice in the open world first)
- [ ] Frost / Flame already unlocked (not required but recommended)
- [ ] Full healing potions
- [ ] Manual save before entering the chain
Common mistakes
- Hitting diamond edges and missing: only the yellow front face counts. Zoom in with Focused Shot and aim center.
- One-by-one shooting instead of multi-marking: the diamonds reset state after a short timer, so you have to mark several at once and salvo them down together.
- Can't reach the upper ring: the fan height alone isn't enough — Force Palm in midair for the extra altitude.
- Shooting blue diamonds: blue means already activated. Hitting them wastes arrows and may reset their state. Only shoot yellow.
- Coming before Chapter 4: the spire is locked. Push the main quest first.
- Out of arrows: this puzzle eats at least 15-20 arrows. Bring 40+ to be safe.
What's next
Lightning is your third element. The last one is Storm Veil (Wind), in eastern Demeniss at the Spire of Clockwork.
Spire of Clockwork requires Chapter 8 main quest cleared + the boss fight against Lucian Bastier for the key — it's the latest and hardest of the four elements.
While you're here, you can also clean up the post-Courtyard chain — Altar of Solitude → Ice Cradle → Root's End Ruins → Twisted Thicketway. These nodes drop Abyss Gears and upgrade materials that are useful for late Chapter 4 builds.
👉 Next up: Storm Veil unlock guide