A Return To Your Roots (2024)

in:Skyrim: Quests, Skyrim: Side Quests

English

Background[]

"I've discovered the remains of Sinderion, an alchemist from Skingrad in Cyrodiil. He was exploring Blackreach in search of the Crimson Nirnroot, and appeared to be on the brink of an amazing discovery."

Objectives[]

Discover the significance of Crimson Nirnroot
Collect 30 Crimson Nirnroot in Blackreach
Bring 30 Crimson Nirnroot to Avrusa Sarethi

Walkthrough[]

The Dragonborn must find Sinderion's Field Journal, which instructs them to find thirty crimson nirnroot. If the Dragonborn picks a crimson nirnroot before finding the journal, they are given the quest objective, "Discover the significance of Crimson Nirnroot."

Crimson nirnroots, unlike normal nirnroots, are found only in Blackreach. Crimson nirnroots still make the sound of chimes when they are nearby and have a white/yellow glow emanating from them. Going into audio settings and turning the music down will make the chime sound easier to hear.

Locations[]

Click to show
1 in theDerelict Pumphouse(requires you to activate a valve to lower the gate). 1 inSinderion's Field Laboratory, inside a pot. 1 in theSilent Ruin, inside a pot. In a tunnel in the stream near theHall of Rumination. On a platform above the Hall of Rumination, accessible by traveling through the hall to the elevator, then through the door. The plant is in a pot, behind the entrance. In a pot west of Derelict Pumphouse at water level and against the edge of the cavern, near a small shrine. Near the elevator to Skyrim north of the Derelict Pumphouse. The plant is located east of the elevator, below the falls and at the water's edge. West of Raldbthar Deep Market at the bottom of the waterfall and at the river's edge. West of Raldbthar Deep Market in a lake at the bottom of the falls is a small island. On the island there is an entrance to the Derelict Pumphouse. Starting from the entrance to War Quarters, head south, down and then up the stairs. The plant is on the ground to the right. Northeast of War Quarters, you will see a small building. The plant is at the bottom of the steps leading up to the building. Several steps northeast of the previous root. Southwest of the entrance to Raldbthar Deep Market in a stream, at the top of the waterfall. Behind Silent Ruin. Two near the entrance toReeking Tower(which is northeast of Silent Ruin). On a platform above the Reeking Tower, accessible by using the elevator inside the tower. East of Reeking Tower and northwest of Sinderion's Field Laboratory, near the top of a waterfall. South of Tower of Mzark, near the water by the Falmer camp. From the Falmer camp at the bottom of the Tower of Mzark, get into the water and travel in the direction of the main waterfall (to the right of the waterfalls coming from the building). There will be two plants. The first is on the right, in a pot at a little mini shrine-like alcove (watch out for the guardian). The second is on the left by the waterfall. Near the bottom of the stairs descending outside of the Tower of Mzark, one flight up from the lake. Looking from the same Falmer camp, located at the top of the left waterfall. Climb the stairs to get above the waterfall on the right, jump down and swim around the back of the tower (this makes 5 in this small area). Right in front of the Alftand elevator. Behind the Alftand elevator. A few steps north from Alftand elevator, down a small stair. Northeast of the Pumping House, across the wooden bridge.

Click to show

1 in theDerelict Pumphouse(requires you to activate a valve to lower the gate).
1 inSinderion's Field Laboratory, inside a pot.
1 in theSilent Ruin, inside a pot.
In a tunnel in the stream near theHall of Rumination.
On a platform above the Hall of Rumination, accessible by traveling through the hall to the elevator, then through the door. The plant is in a pot, behind the entrance.
In a pot west of Derelict Pumphouse at water level and against the edge of the cavern, near a small shrine.
Near the elevator to Skyrim north of the Derelict Pumphouse. The plant is located east of the elevator, below the falls and at the water's edge.
West of Raldbthar Deep Market at the bottom of the waterfall and at the river's edge.
West of Raldbthar Deep Market in a lake at the bottom of the falls is a small island. On the island there is an entrance to the Derelict Pumphouse.
Starting from the entrance to War Quarters, head south, down and then up the stairs. The plant is on the ground to the right.
Northeast of War Quarters, you will see a small building. The plant is at the bottom of the steps leading up to the building.
Several steps northeast of the previous root.
Southwest of the entrance to Raldbthar Deep Market in a stream, at the top of the waterfall.
Behind Silent Ruin.
Two near the entrance toReeking Tower(which is northeast of Silent Ruin).
On a platform above the Reeking Tower, accessible by using the elevator inside the tower.
East of Reeking Tower and northwest of Sinderion's Field Laboratory, near the top of a waterfall.
South of Tower of Mzark, near the water by the Falmer camp.
From the Falmer camp at the bottom of the Tower of Mzark, get into the water and travel in the direction of the main waterfall (to the right of the waterfalls coming from the building). There will be two plants. The first is on the right, in a pot at a little mini shrine-like alcove (watch out for the guardian). The second is on the left by the waterfall.
Near the bottom of the stairs descending outside of the Tower of Mzark, one flight up from the lake.
Looking from the same Falmer camp, located at the top of the left waterfall. Climb the stairs to get above the waterfall on the right, jump down and swim around the back of the tower (this makes 5 in this small area).
Right in front of the Alftand elevator.
Behind the Alftand elevator.
A few steps north from Alftand elevator, down a small stair.
Northeast of the Pumping House, across the wooden bridge.

Conclusion[]

When thirty are found, the Dragonborn can bring them to Avrusa Sarethi, located to the southwest of Rift Watchtower, at the Sarethi Farm.

Are you familiar with Crimson Nirnroot? "Crimson Nirnroot? I'd heard such a strain existed, but never imagined I'd see any in my lifetime. Where did you find this?"

I found it in Blackreach. "Blackreach... why does that sound so familiar? Of course! It's where my mentor, Sinderion said he was going to do his field research. It's been... years I think, but perhaps you could still find him."

I've found Sinderion's remains. "I knew this day would eventually come. At least poor Sinderion died doing what he loved, his field research. I told the old fool he should take it easy, but he was too stubborn. Perhaps someday I'll continue where he left off, it's the least I can do considering how much he did for me."

I've brought this Crimson Nirnroot for you. "You've gathered quite a few of them I see. I'll search through Sinderion's notes and find some more information about the Crimson Nirnroot and its properties."

Here you are. "Thank you. You've done alchemy a great service by helping to complete Sinderion's work. I'd like to give you this tome...it's one of Sinderion's greatest works. I believe you've more than earned it."

The Dragonborn is rewarded with The Nirnoot Missive book and the Sinderion's Serendipity active effect.

Journal[]

A Return To Your Roots – NN01
ID	Journal Entry
15	I've discovered an unusual ingredient called Crimson Nirnroot. Objective 5: Discover the significance of Crimson Nirnroot
20	I've discovered the remains of Sinderion, an alchemist from Skingrad in Cyrodiil. He was exploring Blackreach in search of the Crimson Nirnroot, and appeared to be on the brink of an amazing discovery. Objective 10: Collect Crimson Nirnroot in Blackreach (<Global=NH01Count>/30) Objective 20: Bring 30 Crimson Nirnroot to Avrusa Sarethi
200	I have brought my Crimson Nirnroot to Avrusa Sarethi, a former student of Sinderion. She was overjoyed that I was able to complete Sinderion's field work and pledged to continue his research in his memory. Quest complete

Trivia[]

The name of the quest, "A Return to Your Roots," is a reference to the Oblivion quest, "Seeking Your Roots." Both quests involve Nirnroots and Sinderion.
Clairvoyance can be used to locate crimson nirnroot while the quest is active.
- This has been removed in Patch 1.9.
There are at least forty-four crimson nirnroots in Blackreach, so it is not necessary to find them all.
While they can be found anywhere on land, crimson nirnoots are still found more commonly near water. One is in the central pool of the Derelict Pumphouse, while another is found far from water, high up where the frost trolls live.
Crimson nirnroots will respawn after ten days. Harvesting them will still count towards the quest.
Crimson nirnroot cannot be grown in a garden or greenhouse.^HF
The Alchemy perk Green Thumb, which provides two of a harvested ingredient instead of one, does not affect crimson nirnroot and therefore cannot be used to decrease the number needed to be found.

Bugs[]

This section contains bugs related to A Return To Your Roots. Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following:

Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening.
If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template 360/XB1, PS3/PS4, PC/MAC, NX/PS5, XS, depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on.
Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.

Click to show
The quest tracker may not tally all collected nirnroots properly. This occurs because only one is initially needed, but if more are collected before seeing Avrusa, the others are counted as quest items also. The above bug can help the Dragonborn receive the Hero of the People Achievement, which is to complete fifty Miscellaneous quests, by storing and retrieving the quest-item nirnroots from a chest repeatedly. Collecting crimson nirnroots after beginning Avrusa Sarethi's quest may cause the journal's counter to subtract, instead of add, acquired plants. The quest may not reduce the Dragonborn's crimson nirnroot count if any are eaten or used in alchemy. Once the count reaches thirty, it will direct them to Avrusa Sarethi, but she will not accept the nirnroots unless the Dragonborn actually has thirty of them in their inventory. PC360PS3PS4XB1NXPS5XS Similarly, if the Dragonborn has more than five crimson nirnroots and puts two or more of them in some sort of container at once, their number of nirnroots, according to the journal, will have decreased by one instead of having decreased by the number actually stored. Each nirnroot can then individually, or all at once, be taken out of the container, and the journal will act as though they have gained more crimson nirnroots than they actually have. (For example, if the player has twenty crimson nirnroots and puts all of them in a chest, the journal will say there are nineteen crimson nirnroots left. If one crimson nirnroot is taken out of the chest, the journal will say the player has twenty. If another is taken out of the chest, it will say the player has twenty-one, despite now only having two in the player's inventory.) This can be continued until the journal says that they have collected a total of thirty crimson nirnroots, and then directs the Draonborn to Sarethi. Sarethi will not accept the crimson nirnroots until there is actually thirty in the Dragonborn's inventory. Any crimson nirnroots collected before finding Sinderion's Journal may not be counted by the quest tracker. Dropping uncounted nirnroots one by one will reduce the quest counter, and picking them up will increase it. To fix this, put all uncounted nirnroots in a container at once as a single stack, then withdraw them individually. 360PS3 If the Dragonborn collects more than thirty crimson nirnroots and deposits the extras in a container or eats them before visiting Avrusa Sarethi, the quest may say "Collect Crimson Nirnroot in Blackreach 30/30," indicating that there are in fact thirty crimson nirnroots in the inventory, but the prompt to see Avrusa Sarethi (and the map marker) is absent. Taking another crimson nirnroot from the container should fix the problem. Speaking to Avrusa about Sinderion's dead body before showing her the nirnroot may prevent her from engaging in further conversation with the Dragonborn, rendering the quest not completable. (Fixed on PS3, tested). 360PS3 When crimson nirnroots are stored in containers or dropped, the game may subtract more or less from the quest counter than were actually lost. Picking them up individually fixes this issue. 360PS3 Sometimes, the quest counter will say that thirty crimson ninroots have been collected when the actual count is lower, and the quest will become non-completable. The only way to resolve this is to reload an earlier save.

Click to show

The quest tracker may not tally all collected nirnroots properly. This occurs because only one is initially needed, but if more are collected before seeing Avrusa, the others are counted as quest items also.
- The above bug can help the Dragonborn receive the Hero of the People Achievement, which is to complete fifty Miscellaneous quests, by storing and retrieving the quest-item nirnroots from a chest repeatedly.
Collecting crimson nirnroots after beginning Avrusa Sarethi's quest may cause the journal's counter to subtract, instead of add, acquired plants.
The quest may not reduce the Dragonborn's crimson nirnroot count if any are eaten or used in alchemy. Once the count reaches thirty, it will direct them to Avrusa Sarethi, but she will not accept the nirnroots unless the Dragonborn actually has thirty of them in their inventory.
PC360PS3PS4XB1NXPS5XS Similarly, if the Dragonborn has more than five crimson nirnroots and puts two or more of them in some sort of container at once, their number of nirnroots, according to the journal, will have decreased by one instead of having decreased by the number actually stored. Each nirnroot can then individually, or all at once, be taken out of the container, and the journal will act as though they have gained more crimson nirnroots than they actually have. (For example, if the player has twenty crimson nirnroots and puts all of them in a chest, the journal will say there are nineteen crimson nirnroots left. If one crimson nirnroot is taken out of the chest, the journal will say the player has twenty. If another is taken out of the chest, it will say the player has twenty-one, despite now only having two in the player's inventory.) This can be continued until the journal says that they have collected a total of thirty crimson nirnroots, and then directs the Draonborn to Sarethi. Sarethi will not accept the crimson nirnroots until there is actually thirty in the Dragonborn's inventory.
Any crimson nirnroots collected before finding Sinderion's Journal may not be counted by the quest tracker. Dropping uncounted nirnroots one by one will reduce the quest counter, and picking them up will increase it. To fix this, put all uncounted nirnroots in a container at once as a single stack, then withdraw them individually.
360PS3 If the Dragonborn collects more than thirty crimson nirnroots and deposits the extras in a container or eats them before visiting Avrusa Sarethi, the quest may say "Collect Crimson Nirnroot in Blackreach 30/30," indicating that there are in fact thirty crimson nirnroots in the inventory, but the prompt to see Avrusa Sarethi (and the map marker) is absent. Taking another crimson nirnroot from the container should fix the problem.
Speaking to Avrusa about Sinderion's dead body before showing her the nirnroot may prevent her from engaging in further conversation with the Dragonborn, rendering the quest not completable. (Fixed on PS3, tested).
360PS3 When crimson nirnroots are stored in containers or dropped, the game may subtract more or less from the quest counter than were actually lost. Picking them up individually fixes this issue.

360PS3 Sometimes, the quest counter will say that thirty crimson ninroots have been collected when the actual count is lower, and the quest will become non-completable. The only way to resolve this is to reload an earlier save.

Appearances[]

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

FAQs

What do you get for completing a return to your roots? ›

Give Avrusa 30 Crimson Nirnroot samples to complete the quest and receive The Nirnoot Missive. You will also be provided with Sinderion's Serendipity, an ability which provides a 25% chance to mix two potions instead of one.

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What does the idiom return to your roots mean? ›

It is commonly used to refer to returning to one's origins or ancestral home, or to an activity or action one used to do before moving away. For example: After living in the city for 10 years, I decided to return to my roots and move back to my hometown.

What is the easiest way to find crimson Nirnroot? ›

Like the regular Nirnroot, Crimson Nirnroot makes a loud chiming sound when the Dragonborn gets close to it. To make it easier to find, lower the music volume to a minimum, and you will find the plants you need pretty fast. In addition, we recommend that you look for them near bodies of water.

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Do crimson nirnroots respawn? ›

They respawn after ten in-game days, and are not affected by the Alchemy perk Green Thumb, as they only have one root. They can be easily located if their chiming is followed. One piece requires Whirlwind Sprint.

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What happens if I use crimson nirnroot? ›

Aside from the unique jarrin root, crimson nirnroot creates the largest magnitude damage health poisons in the game; see the alchemy effects page for full details. It also makes the largest magnitude damage stamina poisons in the game.

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What does get back to my roots mean? ›

Popular belief of “Back to roots” is going back to the place where you came from or at least to the state or country. Essentially going back to the comfort zone, thinking “In the Box” and glass is “Half-empty” than “Half-full”.

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Is the crimson nirnroot quest worth it? ›

It may take you a few hours to find all the Crimson Nirnroot in the ruin, but it's all worth it once you return it to Avrusa Sarethi at Sarethi Farm and gain Sinderion's Serendipity, which gives you a 25 percent chance of creating a second potion while crafting alchemical mixtures.

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Can you grow crimson nirnroot? ›

Nimroot, Crimson Nimroot, and Jarrin Root are the only three you cannot plant. The spooniest bard. Truth be told, I was kind of disappointed that I couldn't plant the crimson nirnroot, but then I realized that I love going to Blackreach anyways, so it's not a big issue for me.

Keep Reading ›

What do you mix with crimson nirnroot? ›

Two Reagents

Desired Effect	Combine with:
Spell Critical	Water Hyacinth
Gradual Ravage Health	Fleshfly Larva
Gradual Ravage Health	Nightshade
Restore Health	Blue Entoloma

10 more rows

Apr 20, 2021

Find Out More ›

Do plants regrow in Skyrim? ›

Once you have harvested a plant's ingredient, some or all of its flowers and stems disappear, allowing already-harvested plants to be easily identified. Harvested plants will later respawn, at which point you can again harvest their ingredients.

Tell Me More ›

Where is Blackreach? ›

Blackreach is a hidden dungeon buried deep under Skyrim. You can find it by delving deep through the Dwarven Ruins Alftand. Blackreach has a few exits in Northern Skyrim that will quickly lead back down to the gigantic dungeon: Great Lift at Alftand.

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How long does it take for nirnroot to grow back? ›

Crimson Ninroots do respawn, usually after 10 in-game days. Note that there are more roots in Blackreach than required to complete the quest "A Return to Your Roots." And if you look up "Proof of excess Crimson Nirnroot in Blackreach" by the channel Zeerin Star, you'll see video proof of the excess c.

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What do you get for completing from the ground up? ›

Diamonds ×3

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Why do people return to their roots? ›

Your roots impact your past because they help us understand where we came from and how we developed into the person we are now.

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Why going back to your roots is important? ›

But taking the time to return to your roots can have a profound impact on your well-being. It allows you to reflect on who you are and where you came from, providing a solid foundation for personal growth and fulfillment. Connecting with your roots also helps to ground you and give you a sense of belonging and purpose.

Know More ›

What do you get for collecting 30 crimson nirnroot? ›

Once the Dragonborn has thirty crimson nirnroots these should be brought to Avrusa Sarethi at her farm, to then receive Sinderion's tome The Nirnroot Missive and Sinderion's Serendipity as a reward.

Keep Reading ›

A Return To Your Roots (2024)

Contents

Background[]

Objectives[]

Walkthrough[]

Locations[]

Conclusion[]

Journal[]

Trivia[]

Bugs[]

Appearances[]

See also[]

FAQs

What do you get for completing a return to your roots? ›

Where is Blackreach? ›

References