TL;DR
- The Forgotten Altar is an Abyss puzzle accessed after the Origin of Thought puzzle
- Place a ball in a slot to activate wind turbines, then use them to reach the tornado
- Use Nature’s Snare to shut down the tornado — you need it from the green skill tree
- Rotate inside the cube using Resist + Force Palm to activate the battery
- Head east to find the Abyss Gate and collect your Abyss Artifact
Forgotten Altar Puzzle in Crimson Desert
After clearing the Origin of Thought puzzle, the Abyss Gate drops you into a new area in Crimson Desert. You land facing a spinning tornado with no obvious way forward. This is the Forgotten Altar.
It looks chaotic at first. But this puzzle has a clear three-step solution, and once you know what to do, you can clear it quickly.
For a full overview of all Abyss content, head to our Crimson Desert hub page.
Step 1 – Reach the Desert Tornado
When you spawn into the puzzle area:
- Look left to find a ball on the floor
- Use Axiom Force (L3) to pick up the ball
- Carry it up the stairs and place it in the empty slot at the top
- This activates the batteries around the arena
- Head to the south side of the room to find a now-active wind turbine
- Stand on the turbine and let it launch you upward toward the tornado
If you are not confident with Axiom Force yet, our how to use Axiom Force guide explains the mechanic in detail.
Step 2 – Deactivate the Tornado with Nature’s Snare
Once you are on the upper platform:
- Find the second active wind turbine on this level
- Use it to fly up and stand on top of the tornado itself
- While facing the tornado, activate Nature’s Snare:
- Press L3 + R3 to enter the activation stance
- Then rotate the Right Stick clockwise
- Nature’s Snare will begin slowing the tornado down until it shuts off completely
Don’t have Nature’s Snare yet? You can unlock it from the green skill tree using an Abyss Artifact. Make sure you have it before attempting this puzzle.
For help managing your skills and build, check out our best skills to level up first guide and how to get skill points guide.
Step 3 – Activate the Puzzle Cube and Open the Abyss Gate
With the tornado gone:
- Drop back down to the ground floor
- In the center of the area, a cube has appeared
- Climb onto any side of the cube and hang on to it
- While hanging, hold L2 to Resist, then press R3 to Force Palm — this rotates you inside the cube
- Once inside, use Force Palm on the ground to activate the battery
- Exit the cube the same way you entered
- Head east to reach the Abyss Gate
- Collect your Abyss Artifact and proceed to the next puzzle
Tips for the Forgotten Altar
- Do not forget the ball on the left when you spawn in. Nothing works until you place it in the slot
- The second turbine is easy to miss — look carefully on the upper platform before trying to jump to the tornado
- Nature’s Snare must be held until the tornado fully stops. Do not let go early
- The cube rotation feels unusual. Make sure you are hanging on the side, not standing on top
More Abyss Puzzle Guides
- Disconnected Truth walkthrough
- Vault of Vengeance Abyss puzzle guide
- Secret Garden Abyss puzzle solution
- Precipice of Truth Abyss puzzle solution
- Root’s End Abyss puzzle solution
- Loop of Life Abyss puzzle solution
- Sanctorum of Darkness Abyss puzzle solution
- Frostbitten Paradise Abyss puzzle solution
- Ether Rest Abyss puzzle solution
- Abyss Without Balance puzzle solution
- How to get Lightning Surge – Courtyard of Precision walkthrough
- How to get Abyss Cells
- How to open sealed Abyss Artifacts
- How to unlock Witch’s Abyss Gears
Related Guides
- How to use Axiom Force
- How to parry, counter, and dodge
- How to get max stamina
- How to get max health
- Best early build in Crimson Desert
- Frostcursed Armor Set – all locations
