A sinister ritual awaits beneath the gnarled branches of the Tree of Whispers in Diablo 4’s Season of Witchcraft-can you decipher the witches’ cryptic incantations, gather serpent blood, and defend the circle before the poison takes root? Here’s how to unravel the “Poison in the Roots” quest and claim your reward before darkness claims the coven.
In this Diablo 4 guide, we’ll give you a full “Poison in the Roots” walkthrough, including showing you how to navigate through the ritual puzzle.
How to complete the ritual in ’Poison in the Roots’ in Diablo 4
To complete the ritual in the “Poison in the Roots” quest in Diablo 4, start by speaking with Gelena at the Tree of Whispers and entering the ritual circle. The first step is to invoke the Tree’s Old Name by interacting with the three ritual braziers in the correct order: select “Ayh” at the bottom-left brazier, “Yew” at the bottom-right, and “Oun” at the top brazier. After activating the braziers, defeat the snakes that appear within the circle to collect three vials of Nangari Blood. Next, trace the ritual circle by slowly walking your character around the outer edge of the ritual area, which will draw the circle with the collected blood-this may require a couple of laps. Finally, defend the ritual by defeating waves of Hollow enemies that attempt to disrupt the process. Once all enemies are cleared and the ritual concludes, the quest will complete, rewarding you with loot and advancing the seasonal storyline.
When you turn in enough Grim Favors (by doing Whispers out in the world), you’ll be able to start the “Poison in the Roots” quest, and will be prompted to talk to the witches at the Tree of Whispers. The scene will fade to black and when you regain control, the witches will have set up a ritual. There are four parts to the ritual:
- Light the braziers
- Gather Nangari blood
- Trace the ritual circle
- Protect the ritual
We’ll detail each step below.
Brazier puzzle solution in ’Poison in the Roots’
For the first ritual step, the witches will ask you to “invoke the tree’s old name in the correct order.” That’s fancy Diablo talk for “click on the three witches in the right order.” If you listen to what they say (or look in the chat log) each witch will have a spell word that they say in a certain order, which is the order you’ll need to repeat back.
Talk to the witches and activate their braziers in this order:
- “Ayh” (bottom left brazier, Gelena)
- “Yew” (bottom right brazier, Caidin)
- “Oun” (top brazier, Ouna)
Speaking to the witches and selecting their prompt in this order will cause all three braziers to light simultaneously, which will progress the ritual.
How to get Nangari blood
All you need to do for the Nangari blood step is to kill the three snakes in the ritual circle. When each dies, it’ll drop some of its blood, which you just need to gather like any other item.
How to trace the ritual circle with Nangari blood
The spreading the blood around the circle step is a little confusing, because it’s unlike anything else you really have to do in Diablo. When the witches ask you to “trace the ritual circle with Nangari blood,” what the game wants you to do is just walk your character around the outer circle of the ritual, basically where the braziers are sitting.
You may need to run the circle a few times before the blood starts to appear, but it’ll eventually show up around the area and you’ll finish this step.
How to keep Hollows out of the ritual circle
For the final step in this quest, you just need to kill all of the Hollows enemies who are trying to disrupt the ritual. These enemies are relatively weak in terms of health, and all but the boss-type enemies should pop under the pressure of even your most basic skills. If you’re struggling to keep the Hollows out of the ritual while you’re leveling, consider lowering the difficulty as low as you can until you complete this quest – you can always put it back up right after.
Once they’re all dead and the ritual completes, you’ll finish the quest, be teleported back to the open world map, and earn some minor rewards (a legendary and cache of assorted salvage). More importantly, you’ll be able to continue progressing the seasonal questline and unlock more witch powers.
What secrets does the ritual puzzle in ’Poison in the Roots’ hide
The ritual puzzle in “Poison in the Roots” hides several secrets tied to both gameplay mechanics and narrative lore:
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The puzzle centers on lighting three specific braziers-Ayh, Oun, and Yew-in the correct order, which is essential to properly start the ritual and avoid failure or negative consequences. This sequence is not just a mechanical challenge but also a test of your attention to the cryptic clues provided by the witches.
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Completing the ritual involves more than just the puzzle; you must gather Nangari blood, trace the ritual circle, and defend the witches from attacking enemies, revealing the ritual’s true purpose: to cleanse the Tree of Whispers from a corrupting force.
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The ritual’s layered steps and the need to protect the coven as the ceremony unfolds suggest that the puzzle is a safeguard, ensuring only those who prove their understanding and resolve can access the deeper mysteries of the Tree and the witches’ magic.
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The entire sequence hints at the witches’ hidden knowledge and the dangers lurking beneath the roots, rewarding players who solve the puzzle with narrative revelations and unique rewards tied to the Season of Witchcraft.
In short, the ritual puzzle is both a gatekeeper and a narrative device, concealing the coven’s secrets until you prove yourself worthy through wit and battle.
What hidden meanings or symbols are revealed in the ritual puzzle in ’Poison in the Roots’
The ritual puzzle in “Poison in the Roots” is rich with hidden meanings and symbolic elements that deepen the lore of Diablo 4’s Season of Witchcraft:
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Invocation of the Tree’s Old Name: Lighting the braziers in the specific order-Ayh, Yew, Oun-represents invoking the ancient, forgotten identity of the Tree of Whispers. Each word is spoken by a different witch, and the sequence is both a literal spell and a symbolic act of remembrance, calling upon the tree’s primordial power and history.
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Triad Symbolism: The use of three witches, three braziers, and three words reflects the recurring motif of the triad in magical traditions. This triad can symbolize balance, unity, and the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth-key themes in Diablo’s dark world.
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Blood and Circle Ritual: Gathering Nangari blood and tracing the ritual circle with it is a symbolic act of sacrifice and binding. Blood rituals in Diablo lore often represent the exchange of life force and the sealing of pacts with supernatural entities. The act of walking the circle with blood physically and magically binds the participant to the ritual’s outcome, reinforcing the connection between the coven, the tree, and the player.
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Defense of the Circle: Protecting the ritual from attacking enemies signifies the constant threat of corruption and the need for vigilance when dealing with ancient powers. It also echoes the idea that true knowledge and power are hard-won and must be defended.
Together, these elements reveal that the ritual puzzle is not just a gameplay mechanic but a layered narrative device. It uses ancient words, symbolic numbers, and blood rites to reflect the hidden dangers and mystical traditions of the witches, while drawing the player deeper into the secrets of the Tree of Whispers and the ongoing battle against corruption in Sanctuary.
