Crimson Desert Priscus The Ancient Quest Guide
TL;DR
- Priscus the Ancient is part of the Aeserion’s Scales Delesyia Faction quest chain — one of three Ancient bosses to defeat
- The Spire of Ringing Truth is located in Five-Finger Mountain, west of Wayward Woods in Pailune
- Climb the tower, burn the bell rope with an Explosive Arrow, and glide down after the cutscene
- Do not use Blinding Flash on the rope — it does not work. Use a Fire or Explosive Arrow instead
- Priscus flies the whole fight — use Nature’s Snare Retribution to ground him, then combo
- Defeating Priscus opens an Abyss Gate that leads to the Flame Strike and Frost Mantle elemental spells
Priscus the Ancient is one of the more memorable bosses in Crimson Desert. He floats through the air, fires chasing laser projectiles, and dive bombs you without warning. But before you even reach him, you need to climb an entire tower and drop a bell on the floor to open his underground chamber. This guide covers everything from finding the Spire, climbing to the top, dropping the bell the right way, and beating Priscus cleanly.
For a full overview of the game, check our Crimson Desert review.
What Is The Priscus The Ancient Quest
Priscus the Ancient is a Delesyia Faction quest and part of the larger Aeserion’s Scales quest chain. This chain involves hunting down three Ancients: Priscus, Praevus, and Primus. You start the chain by speaking to Aeserion at the Serpent Shrine in the southwestern tip of Delesyia.
Once Aeserion marks all three Ancient locations on your map, you can tackle them in any order. Priscus in the Spire of Ringing Truth is considered the easiest starting point and is closest to the main story path through Pailune.
Spire Of Ringing Truth Location In Crimson Desert
The Spire of Ringing Truth is located in Five-Finger Mountain, west of Wayward Woods in the Pailune region. Here is how to reach it:
- Teleport to the Abyss Nexus right next to the Spire if you have already unlocked it
- Two Abyss Cresset waypoints are located north of the Spire and can also be used to fast travel close to it
- If you have not unlocked any nearby waypoints, ride from the City of Pailune heading west until you reach the mountain path
Not set up with fast travel yet? Check our guide on how to fast travel in Crimson Desert.
Skills You Need Before Climbing The Spire
The tower is a serious platforming challenge. Have these skills ready before you enter:
- Double Jump — essential for reaching higher platforms inside the tower
- Triple mid-air Force Palm — used to gain height and cross wide gaps
- Aerial Maneuver — optional but makes the climb significantly easier. Unlocks after upgrading Axiom Force to Level 2. It consumes a lot of Stamina, so upgrade your Stamina before relying on it heavily. See our guide on how to use Axiom Force
- Explosive Arrow or Fire Arrow — you need one of these to burn the bell rope at the top. Blinding Flash does not work on it
If your gear is not up to par before attempting this quest, see our guide on how to get better equipment in Crimson Desert and our best early build guide.
How To Climb The Spire Of Ringing Truth
Once you are inside the tower, follow these steps to reach the top:
- Climb the stone stairs at the base of the tower
- Take the wooden ladder up
- Walk around to the opposite edge of the platform
- Shoot the rope with a regular arrow to drop the plank bridge
- Cross the plank and use it to climb to the upper platform
- Climb the next wooden ladder
- Turn around and jump to the platform behind you
- Shoot the platform mechanism to lower it
- Use the chandelier to swing across to the other side
- Climb the stairs upward
- Turn left and shoot the next hanging platform down to create a crossing
- Walk to the other side and climb the ladder
- Cross the gap and take another ladder up
- Use the Double Jump skill to reach the next level
- Turn right and walk across the small wooden planks carefully
- Take the ladder up
- Turn around and cross the small planks again
- Jump to the higher platform ahead
- Turn right and take the final ladder to the upper platform
- At the top, equip your bow and fire an Explosive Arrow at the bell rope
Important: Do not use Blinding Flash here. It does not burn the rope. Use an Explosive Arrow (RT + Y on Xbox / R2 + Triangle on PlayStation / Shift + T on PC) or a Fire Arrow to reliably burn it.
A cutscene plays showing the bell crashing down and blowing open the floor at the bottom of the tower. After the cutscene ends, glide down to the basement and prepare for the boss fight.
How To Defeat Priscus The Ancient In Crimson Desert
Priscus mostly flies and glides in the air throughout the entire fight. Do not bother trying to land melee combos while he is airborne — they will miss. This fight is primarily won at range using your bow and smart use of Nature’s Snare.
Best Strategy — Nature’s Snare Retribution
This is the fastest and most reliable way to beat Priscus:
- When Priscus fires his laser projectile attack, use Nature’s Snare to absorb and block the incoming shots
- After absorbing enough hits, Nature’s Snare Retribution will trigger automatically, launching the energy back at Priscus and knocking him down to the ground
- While he is grounded, rush in and use Force Palm to build his stun bar (the yellow bar below his health)
- Follow up with Turning Slash, Armed Combat, or Forward Slash for heavy damage
- Repeat until the yellow stun bar fills, then unleash your hardest combo
- Keep repeating this cycle until he is dead
Alternative Strategy — Sleep Arrows And Bow
If you do not yet have Nature’s Snare Retribution ready, this approach works well:
- Stay at a distance and use Focused Shot with your bow to deal consistent damage
- Use Sleep Arrows to send Priscus into a brief sleep state and force him to the ground
- While he is unconscious, use Nature’s Retribution or charge a Force Palm to be ready when he wakes
- Hit him with the charged skill the moment he gets up to fill his stun bar quickly
- Unlocking Marksmanship, Evasive Shot, and Charged Shot all help significantly with this approach
For more detail on bow combat, see our guide on how to use Blinding Flash in Crimson Desert.
Priscus Attack Patterns To Watch For
- Laser Projectiles — multiple energy shots that track your position. Block with Nature’s Snare or dodge sideways
- Dive Bomb — Priscus swoops down at your location quickly. Roll away the moment he dips his body downward
- Quake Attack — a ground slam when he briefly lands. Back off immediately when you see him descend
- Ultimate Mode — Priscus flies to the center of the arena and fires a barrage of chasing projectiles. This is actually your best window to attack. He is stationary during this phase — use Nature’s Snare Retribution to ground him and punish hard
Bring plenty of healing food into this fight. Our guide on how to cook the best healing food in Crimson Desert will help you stock up. Also see our accessories guide for any combat-boosting accessories worth equipping before this fight.
Priscus The Ancient Rewards
Defeating Priscus the Ancient gives you the following:
- 100 Delesyia Contribution EXP
- Blessing of the Immortal — use to become invulnerable for 10 seconds
- Ancient’s Necklace — grants +3 attack, Level 3 refinement, and +0.1 spirit regeneration per second
- Ancient of Retribution Abyss Gear — commands a sentry to shoot down enemies from above; can be socketed into a melee weapon
- Abyss Artifact
For help using your new Abyss Artifact, see our guide on how to open sealed Abyss Artifacts in Crimson Desert.
What Happens After Defeating Priscus
After defeating Priscus, an Abyss Gate opens in the basement. Going through it leads to the Abyss islands, starting with Ether Rest and then Frostbitten Paradise. Completing the Path of Trials in this area unlocks two elemental spells:
- Frost Mantle — unlocked after completing Frostbitten Paradise
- Flame Strike — unlocked after completing the Tree of Life island puzzle
These are some of the most powerful abilities in the game. Bring ice-resistant gear or food with Ice Resistance if you plan to continue through the Frostbitten Paradise section straight away. For help with that, see our ice resistance and frost protection guide.
Related Guides
- Crimson Desert Wiggling Hill Ruins Puzzle Solution
- How to use Axiom Force in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert Spire of the Stars Puzzle Solution
- How to beat the Crimson Nightmare in Crimson Desert
- Can you beat Myurdin in Crimson Desert?
- How to beat Tenebrum in Crimson Desert
- How to beat Kailok the Hornsplitter in Crimson Desert
- How to beat Kearush the Slayer in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert all main story quests and chapters
Where To Get Crimson Desert
Ready to take on Priscus yourself? Get the game on your platform:
Priscus the Ancient is a test of patience more than skill. He spends most of the fight in the air, but Nature’s Snare Retribution is his hard counter. Absorb his lasers, knock him down, fill the stun bar, and punish. Do not forget to go through the Abyss Gate after the fight — the elemental spells waiting on the other side are well worth it.
