TL;DR
- Roots of Truth is an Abyss puzzle in the Path of Providence cluster, unlocked after completing Chaos Forest
- You must clear Spire of Insight first to access Chaos Forest, which then opens Roots of Truth
- The puzzle involves navigating lasers, flipping grates, and placing two Abyss Chips (power panels) into their slots
- Use Charged Stab to pass through the waterfall and Axiom Force to move panels
- Completing it rewards an Abyss Artifact and unlocks the path to Precipice of Truth
- A hidden chest with a Faded Abyss Artifact is on a small side island — don’t skip it
The Roots of Truth is one of the trickier Abyss puzzles in Crimson Desert. It stacks lasers, rotating grates, and a two-part panel placement challenge all in one run. If you go in without knowing what to expect, it can feel chaotic. But once you understand the layout, it’s actually manageable — and very rewarding.
Here’s everything you need to know.
How to Reach Roots of Truth
Roots of Truth is part of the Path of Providence cluster. You cannot access it directly from the ground. The progression path is:
Spire of Insight → Chaos Forest → Roots of Truth
You need to complete the Spire of Insight riddles first, which opens Chaos Forest. After you clear Chaos Forest, a Skybridge appears that leads toward the Roots of Truth teleporter.
The Skybridge between Chaos Forest and Roots of Truth uses platforms that crumble fast. Move quickly and don’t stop. If you hesitate, the platform falls. Use your glide to cover any gaps.
Once you reach the teleporter, you’ll be transported to the Roots of Truth area.
Skills You Need Before Going In
Don’t enter without these:
Force Palm (Level 1 minimum) — used to flip grates and jam panels into sockets.
Axiom Force (Level 2 recommended) — you’ll need this to grab and move the Abyss Chips across the puzzle. Level 2 requires around 200 Stamina invested in the skill tree.
Flight/Glide — essential for bypassing laser sections and crossing gaps safely.
Stab (Charged) — used to pass through waterfalls to access hidden areas. Hold the Stab input to build charge, then release to burst through.
Make sure your stamina is solid. Low stamina makes the grate sections and panel carrying much harder. Check out how to get max stamina and bring some healing food before heading up.
Step-by-Step Puzzle Solution
Step 1 — Activate the Abyss Nexus
The moment you land on the main island, find and activate the Abyss Nexus before anything else. This sets your fast travel point here. If you fall later, you can retry without walking the entire Skybridge again.
To reach it: climb the nearby roots to the elevated platform, then use an Aerial Force Palm to gain height and glide across the gap to the Nexus.
Step 2 — Enter Through the Waterfall
From the Nexus, you’ll see a large waterfall directly ahead. You cannot just walk through it. Instead, look to the right of the waterfall for a small opening in the wall and climb through there. Follow the path upward.
Alternatively, use the Charged Stab technique to burst straight through the waterfall. This is worth learning because the second Abyss Chip later in this puzzle is also behind a waterfall via a hidden corridor.
Step 3 — Bypass the Paddle Wheel and Lasers
After climbing up, you’ll hit a rotating paddle wheel with three laser beams beyond it. Don’t try to time it. The easiest approach: use a Force Jump (jump + Force Palm) to gain height, then activate your glide and fly right over the lasers. No timing needed at all.
Before moving on, check to the right of this area. Some players miss a chest here while rushing forward.
Step 4 — Navigate the Grate Section
Next you’ll face a vertical wall with three circular grates and moving lasers going up and down.
Wait for the bottom laser to move upward, then grab onto the lowest grate. Hold L2/LT (or Q on keyboard) to make Kliff brace against it, then press Force Palm to spin the grate and carry yourself to the other side. If you don’t hold the brace input, Kliff flies off backward. Repeat this process for the remaining grates to get through.
If your stamina is too low to climb the wall and repeat for higher grates, drop to the ground, climb the stone beside the metal wall, and use Force Palm jumps to reach the top instead.
There’s also a shortcut: use an Aerial Force Palm to the right of this entire section, which bypasses the grates and lasers completely.
Step 5 — Find and Place the First Abyss Chip
Past the grates, you’ll see an active electrical panel, three more flippable grates, and a cage hanging from the ceiling.
Look through the golden circular grates. Inside is a room with a floating Abyss Chip (also called a power panel or block). Use Axiom Force through the grates to grab it. Look up — there’s a cage above with a horizontal slot. You need to rotate the chip using Axiom Force until it’s completely horizontal, then push it up into that slot to drop it into the cage.
This part takes patience. The rotation can feel fiddly. Take your time and don’t rush.
Once the chip is inside the cage, head back up to the top of the building. You’ll find several slots near a power cord that look down into the cage below. Grab the chip from this angle using Axiom Force, then rotate it again to fit it through the middle slot on the ground. Push it through carefully.
Now carry it over to the socket on the other side of the building. Slide it in and use Force Palm to lock it into place. The first power fan activates.
Don’t try to push the panel through the cage from the wrong angle — the cage only has one open side. Approach from the correct direction using Axiom Force and float it in properly.
For more on how Axiom Force works in these kinds of puzzles, see our how to use Axiom Force guide.
Step 6 — Find and Place the Second Abyss Chip
After placing the first chip, face the big gap where you can see a waterfall. Look to your left. You’ll see a tree by the edge of the island. Glide toward the trunk and face the wall to your right. There’s a horizontal slit in the wall — climb or glide through it to find a small room containing the second Abyss Chip.
You can also get here using the Charged Stab method to burst through the waterfall into a hidden corridor. Note that water currents inside can push Kliff around, so be ready to adjust your position.
Use Axiom Force to pull the chip out through the gap in the wall, then push it to the opposite side. Go back outside, follow the branches leading south, climb up to the level above, and grab the chip again. Take it over to the second open slot near the spinning water wheels and lock it into place the same way as the first — Force Palm to jam it in.
Step 7 — Activate the Button and Claim the Artifact
Once both chips are placed, the large activation button opens up. It appears above where you slotted the second chip. Climb up to it and press Force Palm to activate it.
Now climb all the way up to claim the Abyss Artifact waiting at the top. This is your main reward for completing the puzzle.
Don’t Miss the Hidden Chest
Before you leave the area, there’s a bonus chest most players walk right past.
After activating the Skybridge that leads toward Precipice of Truth, moving platforms appear. Cross them, but look for the tree on your right. Climb to the middle section of the tree, face the small island above and to the side, and use Aerial Force Palm to gain height — then glide across to that small island.
You’ll find a chest there containing a Faded Abyss Artifact and Fortification II Abyss Gear. That’s a free skill point and useful Abyss Gear you don’t want to leave behind. For more on collecting Abyss Artifacts, see our how to get unlimited Abyss Artifacts guide.
What Comes After Roots of Truth
Completing Roots of Truth opens the Skybridge to Precipice of Truth. This is a noticeable step up in difficulty. It introduces power cores dropped by turrets, moving batteries, and wind-powered platforms. The Axiom Force execution required there is tighter than anything in Roots of Truth, so make sure you’re comfortable with object manipulation before heading in.
The next area after Precipice of Truth is also locked behind story progress, so if you cross the Skybridge and hit an empty platform — that’s normal. You’ll need to continue the main story first.
If you’re working through the full Abyss chain, check our Precipice of Truth guide next. You can also find all Abyss locations and their connections in our complete Abyss Artifacts overview.
Tips to Make This Easier
Activate the Nexus the second you arrive. This is the number one mistake players make. Don’t skip it.
Use Aerial Force Palm liberally. It gives you height and lets you bypass a lot of the trickier laser navigation.
The chip rotation is the hardest part. Take your time. The chip floats in place when you let go of Axiom Force, so you can reposition yourself and try again. There’s no timer.
Don’t try to block unblockable red attacks if you have your Shotgun Shield equipped. The Abyss has some aggressive mobs — save your shield durability for enemies you can block properly.
Bring stamina food. The grate and panel sections drain your stamina more than you expect. Stock up from camp before heading in.
Where to Play Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert is available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Epic Games Store. Visit the official Crimson Desert site for more. For all guides, visit our Crimson Desert hub.
