A Return to Your Roots is a collection quest set deep underground in Blackreach. The alchemist Sinderion of Skingrad came here chasing the rare Crimson Nirnroot and never left. You finish his work by gathering thirty of the glowing plants and delivering them to his former student, Avrusa Sarethi. It is a spiritual sequel to the Oblivion quest Seeking Your Roots.
How to start
- Pick any Crimson Nirnroot in Blackreach. This gives the objective to discover what the plant is for.
- Or read Sinderion’s Field Journal, found next to his remains in Sinderion’s Field Laboratory in Blackreach. This sets the goal of collecting thirty roots.
- Blackreach is reached through Dwemer ruins such as Alftand and Raldbthar.
Walkthrough
Collect 30 Crimson Nirnroot
Crimson Nirnroot grows only in Blackreach. Like ordinary Nirnroot it chimes when you are close and gives off a pale white-yellow glow; lowering the music volume makes the chime much easier to hear. There are at least 44 in the cavern, so you do not need every single one. Plants are most common near water. Some good spots:
- Indoors: one in the Derelict Pumphouse (turn a valve to lower the gate; it sits in the central pool), one in a pot in Sinderion’s Field Laboratory and one in a pot in the Silent Ruin.
- Around the Derelict Pumphouse: in a pot west of it at water level near a small shrine; east of the elevator to the surface north of the pumphouse, at the water’s edge below the falls; northeast of the pumphouse across the wooden bridge.
- Raldbthar Deep Market: west of it at the foot of the waterfall by the river; on the small island in the lake below those falls (where a pumphouse entrance is); southwest of the entrance in a stream at the top of the waterfall.
- Hall of Rumination: in a tunnel in the stream nearby, and in a pot on a platform above the hall reached by its elevator.
- War Quarters: south of the entrance, down and then up the stairs on the right; at the foot of the steps of a small building to the northeast, with another a few steps further northeast.
- Silent Ruin and Reeking Tower: one behind the Silent Ruin, two near the Reeking Tower entrance, one on the platform above the tower via its elevator, and one east of the tower near the top of a waterfall.
- Tower of Mzark: about five around the Falmer camp at its base: by the water south of the tower, in a pot in a small alcove (watch for the guardian), by the main waterfall, near the bottom of the outside stairs one flight above the lake, and at the top of the left waterfall behind the tower.
- Alftand elevator: one in front, one behind and one a few steps north down a short stair.
Bring them to Avrusa Sarethi
With thirty roots in your pack, travel to Sarethi Farm, southwest of Rift Watchtower in the Rift, and speak with Avrusa Sarethi. Tell her where you found the plant and that Sinderion is dead. She is saddened but glad he died doing what he loved, vows to continue his research, and rewards you with one of his finest works.
Rewards
- The book The Nirnroot Missive
- Sinderion’s Serendipity, a permanent alchemy effect
Tips and notes
- Crimson Nirnroot respawns after ten days, and harvested respawns still count toward the quest.
- The Green Thumb alchemy perk does not double Crimson Nirnroot, so it will not cut the number you need.
- The plant cannot be grown in a garden or greenhouse.
- Do not eat or brew with the roots before handing them in; Avrusa only accepts them if thirty are actually in your inventory, whatever the journal counter says.
- Talk to Avrusa about the nirnroot before mentioning Sinderion’s body, as the reverse order can break her dialogue.
