Crimson Desert is Pearl Abyss’s open-world action RPG, and the Roots of Truth Abyss puzzle is one of its most demanding exploration challenges. It stacks laser obstacles, rotating grates, and a two-part electrical panel hunt into a single run, testing both your platforming precision and your Axiom Force control throughout. However, with a clear step-by-step plan in hand, you can clear it without losing your mind. Here is everything you need to know before heading in.
Before You Begin Roots of Truth Quest: Prerequisites and Skills
Before entering the Roots of Truth area, confirm that Kliff has the right skills unlocked. Attempting this puzzle without them turns a manageable challenge into a genuinely frustrating one.
| Requirement | Why It Matters |
| Force Palm (Aerial) | Used to gain height mid-air, glide over obstacles, and activate panel slots. Unlocks automatically at Lv. 1 in the Spirit skill tree, allowing up to 3 mid-air uses |
| Axiom Force (Lv. 1+) | Essential for grabbing, moving, and placing both electrical panels. Lv. 2 unlocks Aerial Maneuver and Aerial Swing, which make panel handling and platforming noticeably smoother |
| Resist (L2 / LT / Q) | A core mechanic, not a separate skill. Hold it while on grates or walls to stop Kliff being knocked backward |
| Chaos Forest Cleared | The Roots of Truth path only opens after completing Chaos Forest |
| Spire of Insight Solved | Required to unlock access to Chaos Forest itself |
Recommended preparation before entering:
- Upgrade Force Palm to at least Lv. 1 and invest points into the Stamina skill tree to support Axiom Force Lv. 2 (requires approximately 200 Stamina).
- Bring stamina recovery food or upgrades. Low stamina makes the grate sections and panel carrying significantly harder.
- If you have a Faded Abyss Artifact available, you can respec your skill points before entering. Conveniently, one comes from the hidden chest inside this very puzzle.
- Focused Force Palm (unlocked by observing a glowing wall south of the Scholastone Institute during the main story) can assist in some sections, though it is not required for this puzzle specifically.
How to Reach the Roots of Truth in Crimson Desert
The Roots of Truth Abyss location connects to Chaos Forest via a Skybridge. After clearing Chaos Forest, floating platforms appear along the path leading toward the teleporter. Several of these platforms crumble within seconds of stepping on them, so move quickly and deliberately.
- Step 1 — Complete Chaos Forest: Clear the Chaos Forest Abyss puzzle, which itself requires solving the Spire of Insight riddles first.
- Step 2 — Follow the Skybridge: Head along the Skybridge from Chaos Forest toward the Roots of Truth. Keep moving as the platforms crumble fast. Alternatively, climb the tree roots around the outside of the platforms for a slower but safer route.
- Step 3 — Skip the Crumbling Platforms: Once past the first island, use Force Palm mid-air to gain height and glide directly to the island with the teleporter. This bypasses most of the crumbling platform section entirely and is the method recommended by most guides.
- Step 4 — Unlock the Fast-Travel Point: Stand on the panel at the teleporter to unlock the fast-travel point before starting the puzzle. If you fall mid-run, you will respawn here rather than at the very beginning. Check around the teleporter for a small optional chest on a nearby side platform, as some players report loot behind thorns or on lower platforms in this area.
Roots of Truth Puzzle: Full Walkthrough
Once inside the Roots of Truth area, the puzzle unfolds across several distinct challenge sections. Here is how to clear each one.
The Waterfall Entry
As you enter, a large waterfall sits directly ahead. The passage behind it looks accessible, but you cannot walk through the water directly. Instead, look to the right of the waterfall for a small opening in the wall. Climb through it and follow the path upward.
Alternatively, some players climb the tree roots around the left side of the waterfall area to avoid the water entirely, though the right-side opening is the most straightforward route.
Worth knowing: You can use Stab in Crimson Desert to pass through waterfalls and access hidden areas. The second electrical panel later in this puzzle is reachable through the waterfall via a hidden corridor, so keep this mechanic in mind. Note that water currents inside the corridor can push Kliff around, so be ready to adjust.
The Laser Fence and Paddle Wheel
At the top of the path, you will encounter a rotating paddle wheel with three laser beams just beyond it. The cleanest solution is to bypass it completely. Use Force Jump (a jump combined with Force Palm) to gain height, then activate Kliff’s flying ability to glide straight over the lasers to the other side. No timing needed.
After clearing the paddle wheel, check to the right of the area before moving on, as some players report a chest tucked away that is easy to miss while rushing forward.
The Rotating Grates with Lasers
The next obstacle is a vertical wall fitted with three circular grates and lasers moving up and down. This section trips up a lot of players, so the method matters here.
- Step 1: Watch the laser movement and wait for the bottom laser to begin moving upward before you grab onto the grate.
- Step 2: Hold L2 (PS5) / LT (Xbox) / Q (PC) to make Kliff brace against the grate. This is the single most important input in this section. Skip the Resist hold and Kliff will fly backward off the wall every single time.
- Step 3: With Resist held, use Force Palm to spin the grate and carry Kliff to the other side. An alternative angle worth trying: grip the grate from the inside and Force Palm from there, which some players find reduces the knockback issue further.
- Step 4 — Low on stamina? If you do not have enough stamina to climb up the opposite side, drop to the ground instead. Climb the stone wall beside the metal grate and use Force Palm jumps to reach the top from there.
The Electrical Panel Puzzle
This is the most involved section of the Roots of Truth puzzle and where most players get stuck. There are two electrical panels to locate and place, and both require precise Axiom Force handling. Expect the panel placement steps to take several attempts each, particularly around tight floor slots and narrow angles. Rotating the panel fully and repositioning Kliff around it is the key to making it work.
First Electrical Panel
After clearing the grate section, you will enter a room with an active electrical panel, three more flippable grates, and a cage-like fixture hanging from the ceiling. The instinct to push the panel through the grates will not work here.
| What You See | What To Do |
| Cage hanging from the ceiling | The cage has one open side facing the two flippable grates — approach and insert from that exact angle only |
| Electrical panel on the floor | Use Axiom Force to float the panel from the correct angle into the cage slot |
| Three grates blocking the exit | Once the panel is placed, flip yourself through the grates using Force Palm to continue |
Cross the platforms upward and turn right. You will spot a section of floor with holes in it. Look down through the larger central slot to find the panel sitting below in a small rectangular space in the wall.
- Step 1: Carefully glide down or cling to the wall and descend to reach the panel.
- Step 2: Use Axiom Force to pull the panel free and raise it as high as possible. Release it to float in place.
- Step 3: Climb back up, grab the floating panel, and carry it to the empty slot on the platform.
- Step 4: Use Force Palm mid-air to lock the panel into its slot. This activates the first water wheel and one of the generators.
Alternative approach: Some players find it easier to Force Palm themselves through the grates first, then maneuver the panel from inside the room at a cleaner angle. If the standard approach is not working for you, try this method instead.
Fitting the panel through the narrow floor slot is the trickiest part of the entire puzzle. Rotate the panel and move Kliff around to try different angles. It routinely takes five to ten attempts, so patience here pays off.
Second Electrical Panel
Cross the gap ahead and follow the path to the left. You will see another empty slot waiting for a panel. However, you need to find the panel first.
Head to the edge of the platform and look over. You will spot a small rectangular hole in the cliffside wall below — the second panel sits inside it. Alternatively, pass through the waterfall nearby using Stab to enter a hidden corridor that leads around to the panel’s location.
- Step 1: Cling to the wall and climb down, or carefully glide to reach the opening in the cliffside. Watch for water currents if you enter via the waterfall corridor.
- Step 2: Use Axiom Force to pull the panel free and raise it as high as possible before releasing it to float.
- Step 3: Climb back up, grab the panel, and carry it to the empty slot.
- Step 4: Force Palm the panel into its slot to activate the second water wheel and light up the final circular generator panel on the wall. The slot for this panel is typically horizontal, so precise rotation is key. As with the first panel, expect to adjust your position and angle multiple times.
Final Activation and Claiming Your Artifact
With both panels placed, the final circular generator on the wall lights up. All that remains is reaching it and activating it.
- Step 1 — Reach the Generator: Follow the large tree roots up the outside of the island for the safer route, then glide down to the generator panel. You can also climb directly if your stamina allows, though the root path reduces the risk of falling.
- Step 2 — Activate It: Hold Resist and use Force Palm on the generator panel. This unlocks the altar and the Skybridge.
- Step 3 — Claim Your Artifact: Make your way back to the top of the island to collect the Abyss Artifact at the altar.
- Step 4 — Bonus Chest: Before leaving via the teleporter, climb the middle section of the large tree near the Skybridge. Face the small island above and use Aerial Force Palm to glide across. A chest there contains a Faded Abyss Artifact and Fortification II Abyss Gear, two useful rewards that most players walk straight past.
Roots of Truth Rewards
| Reward | How to Get It |
| Abyss Artifact x1 | Activate the final generator and claim the altar reward. Grants permanent skill points in Kliff’s skill trees (Health, Spirit, Stamina, etc.) |
| Faded Abyss Artifact x1 | Hidden chest near the Skybridge (glide from the tree). Used to respec Kliff’s skill points |
| Fortification II Abyss Gear x1 | Same hidden chest near the Skybridge |
Where Roots of Truth Fits in the Abyss Restoration System
Roots of Truth is part of the connected Spire of Insight chain: Spire of Insight leads to Chaos Forest, which opens Roots of Truth, which then unlocks the path to Precipice of Truth. Other connected Abyss areas exist across different Spires in the world, including Path of Providence and the Spire of Ringing Truth.
Completing Roots of Truth opens the Skybridge directly into Precipice of Truth, which is a noticeable step up in difficulty. That puzzle demands tighter Axiom Force execution throughout, involves turrets that convert into power cores, and requires precise timing that goes beyond what Roots of Truth asks of you.
Quick Tips and Common Mistakes
| Situation | What To Do |
| Getting knocked off grates | Always hold Resist (L2/LT/Q) before using Force Palm on any rotating grate. No exceptions |
| Can’t find the second panel | Check the cliffside wall below the left platform, or enter via the waterfall corridor using Stab |
| Panel won’t fit through the floor slot | Rotate the panel fully and reposition Kliff for a different angle. Expect 5 to 10 attempts |
| Falling mid-puzzle | Use the fast-travel point unlocked at the teleporter to return quickly |
| Can’t reach the generator panel | Follow the tree roots up the outside of the island and glide down rather than climbing directly |
| Laser fence blocking the way | Use Force Jump then glide to fly straight over it rather than timing through the beams |
| Low stamina throughout | Bring stamina recovery items and invest points in the Stamina skill tree before entering |
| Axiom Force feels unresponsive | Camera obstruction causes most issues — reposition Kliff around the panel rather than fighting the angle |
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