Fields of Mistria Written Root is the one item that makes players think their game is broken. It only spawns in the Ancient Ruins, floors 81-99 of the Mines, in any season. People who know that still can’t find it because the Ruins are pitch black, and this root does not glow. It also blocks the main story, so you cannot skip it. Anyway, here is how to actually find one.
Good news first: If you’re here for the Dragon-Forged Fang, you only need one Written Root for that.
What You’ll Find:
Where to Find Written Root in Fields of Mistria
Written Root is a mines forageable. It can be found on the floor like any other forageable. So no digging, no monster kills, no fishing. You just have to spot it.
| Location | The Ancient Ruins (Mines floors 81-99) |
| Season | All seasons |
| Type | Mines forageable |
| Museum | Flora Wing, Ruins set |
| Sell Price | 50t |
| Needed For | Dragon-Forged Fang (×1), Wheedle’s Request (×1), Faux Written Root (×4) |
Note: The Ruins are the fifth and final mine biome, locked behind the Breaking the Ruins Seal quest. If you have not done that yet, you cannot find this item at all.
Why You Can’t Find Written Root
If you have been sweeping floors and nothing is spawning, the Written Root spawn rate is probably not your problem. Visibility is.
Every floor of the Ancient Ruins starts shrouded in darkness. You get a small light radius; mineable Mistril gives off a bit, and that is about it. The root itself emits nothing. Its color also blends into the pots scattered around the Ruins rooms. So it is part of the scenery even when it is in your face.
Players who searched a dark floor thoroughly and left empty-handed lit the same kind of floor and started finding roots regularly. Two ways to do it:
- Cast Sacred Light. It lights the whole floor for five real-world minutes and keeps running when you move to a new floor.
- Wear Mistril equipment. Each piece worn bumps your light radius a little.
How to Farm Written Root Fast
Descending 81 to 99 over and over is the slow way. The fast way is rerolling a single floor, and it works because of three documented mine rules:
- Elevators connect every fifth floor (85, 90, 95) back to the Ground Floor once you’ve reached them.
- Elevator floors have a set layout, so they never reroll.
- Going back to the Ground Floor and re-entering resets floor generation.
So you park on an elevator floor, drop one floor into a randomly generated one, and reroll that single floor as many times as you want.
For example, take the elevator to 85 and walk down to 86. Light the floor, sweep it for the root. Nothing there? Go back to the Ground Floor, re-enter, repeat. No extra requirements, so start here.
Note: You need to finish “Find The Magic Key” to reach floor 91, but you can do the same loop there too.
What Else to Grab While You’re Down There
It’s a shame not to grab these since you’re already here. Collect the rest of the Fang ingredients on the same runs. Void Herb spawns on these same floors but only becomes visible with the Void Sight spell. Void Stone and Monster Fang both drop down here, and Voidite nodes and Pink Diamond are worth breaking on the way past.
What Written Root Is Used For (and How Many You Need)
Let’s talk about the Written Root’s different uses, starting with the most necessary one:
Dragon-Forged Fang
This is the most important one and why you’re probably here. The Fang is crafted at the Dragon Forge once you finish the story quest The Dragonsworn Tablet, and it needs five ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monster Fang | 5 |
| Void Stone | 5 |
| Void Herb | 5 |
| Written Root | 1 |
| Medium Essence Stone | 1 |
You also need Blacksmithing level 30, and the craft takes 50 minutes. The Fang is then required for two story quests: Breaking the Final Seal and Repair the Bell Tower. So you cannot progress the main story without the Written Root, but you only ever need one.
Wheedle’s Request
Wheedle asks for one Written Root on the Request Board. Note that patch v0.15.3 changed when this request can appear. It no longer shows up before the Saturday Market is upgraded. Before that fix, players were getting the request far earlier than they could realistically fill it. If you are on an old save, that is where the confusion came from.
Wheedle’s request is one of the easier Ruins-tier turn-ins. If you’re deep enough in the story to be here, you’re probably also looking at starting a family.
Other Written Root Uses
There are still four more things you can use the Written Root for that are worth noting:
| Use | Detail |
|---|---|
| Museum | Flora Wing donation (needs Ruins set (×1)) |
| Woodcrafting | Faux Written Root, an ornamental furniture version (needs 4 Written Roots and Woodcrafting 16) |
| Crown Request | Optional turn-in for “Mines Forageables” |
| Gifting | Can be given as a gift to villagers |
That’s everything on the Written Root in Fields of Mistria. Got more questions? Drop them in the comments and I’ll get back to you.
FAQ
Did 1.0 change Written Root?
No. The 1.0 patch notes do not mention the item, the Ruins forageable table, or Wheedle’s request. Its only History entry is still v0.15.0.
Is floor 84 the best floor for Written Root?
No. Two players found one there, and it got repeated. That proves it is possible, not that it is likelier. Every Ruins floor uses the same pool.
Why does Wheedle want a Written Root when I can’t reach the Ruins?
An old bug, fixed in v0.15.3. Update your game.
How many Written Roots do I need?
One for the Dragon-Forged Fang, and one for Wheedle’s request. The only thing that asks for more is the Faux Written Root furniture recipe, which needs four, and that’s purely cosmetic, so skip it until you’re done with the story and can afford it.
