Root of Evil is the 9th DLC side quest in the Brushes With Death expansion of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. This walkthrough will guide you through all objectives of the Root of Evil DLC side quest.
- Starting Location: Kuttenberg Region > Kuttenberg
- Quest Giver: Master Voyta (Enigmatic Painter)
- Requirement: Own Brushes With Death DLC and finished Stained Honour.
- Reward:
Nothing But the Best trophy/achievement if you brew the potion at the highest quality (“Henry quality”) + Shield Symbol: Potion - Quest Type: Side Quest
- Quest Description: Voyta has confided that there is a dark voice in his mind and the struggle is not going well. A potion of mandrake root, a peal of sage, which once helped, might calm his turmoil and help him complete the crucial painting.
- DLC Required: Brushes With Death
Nothing But the Best trophy/achievement if you brew the potion at the highest quality (“Henry quality”) + Shield Symbol: PotionStarting Location: Root of Evil
After completing Stained Honour keep talking to the painter and exhaust the questions:
- How’s your work coming along?
- What’s going on?
- Tell me, then
- (Say nothing)
- (Say nothing)
- Could I help you somehow?
- Shall I go and buy it for you?
- I’ll brew you that remedy
- Where can I find Mandrake root?
- Where to get river pearl?
- I know everything now
Obtain mandrake root
To get mandrake root, you must talk to Gravedigger Frantishek in Kuttenberg city. He will be marked by the “A” objective, at day he’s usually found in the graveyard in the north-west corner of Kuttenberg city.
He wants your help to fight off some thugs who have been stealing – put on your armor before talking to him. When ready, tell him:
- I need mandrake root
- I’m not really into it (doesn’t matter if you pass the skill check or not, he wants your help either way)
- So tell me what it’s about
- How can I help you with that?
- I’ll help you (wait with the gravedigger)
It will automatically skip time until 24:00 midnight. You’ll get a short cutscene where 3 thugs arrive. They are unarmed, simply knock them out with your fists. If they start running away you can let them.
Afterward, talk to the gravedigger again and say “We gave them a good thrashing!”. He gives you the Key to the mandrake chest. The chest will be marked, it’s in his house.
From the graveyard go across the next street to the east, then it’s the second house from the north. Inside the house check the storage room on the ground floor and loot the chest for 5 mandrake.
Obtain the river pearl
Go to the “B” marker south of Kuttenberg. You will see a yellow search area. You must go to the Enemy Camp just below the center of the search area. You can simply run along the river until you encounter 4 soldiers. They will turn hostile on sight. Defeat them!
You must loot the Freshwater pearl from the body of “Deserter Chief Vladimir“.
Additionally, loot his keys and open the chest in the enemy camp for 3 more pearls. It also contains lots of valuable armor pieces you can sell for money. Also loot the defeated bandits for their most valuable armor pieces (if you are overburdened, move it from your inventory to the horse inventory).
Obtain sage
Note: For 
Nothing But the Best trophy/achievement, to brew the potion at the highest quality you will want to pick FRESH (not DRIED sage)!
Fresh sage can be picked in Kuttenberg city > Woodland garden. It’s the little garden behind the apothecary, looks like a purple flower:
An alchemy bench is found in the apothecary building directly next to the garden. The apothecary also sells Dried Sage but if using dried ingredients it leads to lower potion quality, hence should be avoided. The fresh sage yields higher potion quality when brewed correctly.
Brew the mandrake potion
MISSABLE TROPHY/ACHIEVEMENT: Nothing But the Best (you gave the painter medicine of the highest quality)
For this you need brew Henry’s mandrake decoction, then the trophy unlocks immediately at the alchemy bench after brewing the potion. You have to be at least Alchemy Level 16 and have the Alchemy Skill “Secret of Secrets“. It allows you to brew “Henry” quality potions, which is the highest quality possible. Also use freshly picked sage (not dried). If you haven’t reached Alchemy Level 16, you must spend some time leveling it up by brewing other potions. Each potion you brew increases it. You can also check if scribes sell skill books that increase it. Note: highest level Fox Potion increases XP gain even further.
It’s best to make a save before starting the brewing process. In case you run out of ingredients you can reload.
When ready, interact with the alchemy bench in the Kuttenberg apothecary.
Then look at the recipe book on the right and flip to the page of Mandrake Concoction. You will automatically have the recipe as part of the quest, no need to buy the recipe anywhere. It’s a DLC exclusive recipe that wasn’t part of the main game. Then hold 
/ 
to place the ingredients automatically from the book (or 
to open inventory and place them manually).
Mandrake Concoction Recipe:
- Add wine to the cauldron
- Add in the mandrake root (from shelf in bottom right) and boil for 1 turn
- Grind the freshwater pearl with mortar & pestle, add it to the cauldron
- Boil for 1 turn
- Grind 2 sage with mortar & pestle, add to the cauldron
- Using the bellows, boil for 1 turn
- Use a phial (bottom left), interact with the Still to distil
If you do all steps correctly (especially boiling time) you will get Henry’s mandrake decoction and unlock Nothing But the Best. It unlocks as soon as the potion is brewed. A “Strong mandrake decoction” won’t unlock the trophy.
Deliver the potion to Voyta
Return to Voyta, deliver him the Mandrake Decoction. If you brewed it at the highest quality he will comment on how nicely you did it. Exhaust the remaining dialogues:
- Hopefully, it’ll cure you
- Describe that evil voice of yours
- Have you tried to sort it out some other way?
- I’m surprised you told me
Afterward, you can ask him “Did that decoction help?” > “I can go and see that carpenter” to initiate the next quest Unveiling.
This finishes Root of Evil quest in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2: Brushes with Death DLC.
Next up: Unveiling
For all other Quests refer to Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Walkthrough.
