Silksong Twisted Bud Quest Guide: Remove Parasite
Silksong Twisted Bud guide: find it in Bilewater, give it to Greyroot, survive the parasite curse, and earn a powerful Crest.
In the sprawling, perilous world of Silksong, few quests are as infamous as the Twisted Bud chain. This seemingly innocuous item, once picked up, sets off a series of events that can leave Hornet infested with a parasite, stripping away her core abilities. But for those who persevere, the reward is a powerful new Crest. Here’s everything you need to know about the Twisted Bud, from acquisition to removal.
Locating the Twisted Bud
To get the Twisted Bud, players must first reach Bilewater. While it’s possible to enter via Sinner’s Road early in the game, the recommended route is through the Whispering Vaults, as it drops you practically on top of the item’s location.
Enter the Whispering Vaults and make your way to the far bottom-right corner. Drop down into Bilewater, then go right and drop down again. Immediately go left to enter a dark room filled with twisting vines. The Twisted Bud sits in the top-left corner of this room.
Upon picking it up, the Twisted Bud begins its incessant screeching. Every time you open the inventory menu, you’ll hear it crying, even on other tabs. Highlighting it in your inventory triggers a shriek. It’s not immediately obvious what to do with it, let alone how to silence the annoying noise.
Giving the Bud to Greyroot
The Twisted Bud is tied to Greyroot, a strange NPC living in a hidden hut on the left side of Shellwood. Before Greyroot will take the Twisted Bud off your hands, you must complete its first quest, the Rite of the Pollip.
After completing that, talk to Greyroot again. It will ask Hornet to assist in ‘the final rite.’ Accept the Rite of Rebirth quest and continue through its creepy dialogue. Suddenly, Greyroot lashes out, crushing Hornet as the screen fades to black.
By accepting the Rite of Rebirth, Hornet becomes cursed with a parasite that removes her ability to heal or equip Tools. This is a major commitment—expect to spend an hour or two completing the chain. However, there’s a silver lining: if you finish the game while infested, you’ll earn the Cursed achievement.
Escaping the Chapel of the Witch
After being infested, mash the attack button to break free from the roots trapping Hornet. She’ll find herself in the Chapel of the Witch, but something is wrong—she’s now a host to the Twisted Bud parasite, which completely changes her moveset, removes equipped Tools, and disables healing and Silk generation.
To get rid of the parasite, players must embark on a multi-area quest chain. From the chapel’s start point, escape the dungeon, then head left and upward to reach the lower section of Shellwood. Immediately go back to Bellhart and enter the Bellway Station. Look for a breakable wall to the right of the Call spot, then enter it to drop down into the bell tunnels below.
Go left upon landing and you’ll find a pipe with the Bell Hermit inside. This NPC is important for several quests and knows how to remove the parasite. Talk to him to learn about Yarnaby, a surgeon exiled from Bellhart for his experiments.
Finding Yarnaby
To find Yarnaby, head to the right of Bellhart to enter Greymoor, then climb upward to reach the top-level rafters. Go left to the top-left corner of Greymoor to find a Locked Bellhome.
Walk up to it and Call Out—Yarnaby will respond from within. After Hornet explains the situation, he opens the door. Enter his bellhome and talk to him. Eventually, he offers the Infestation Operation quest.
Pick up Infestation Operation. Yarnaby talks about an upgrade to his extricator to break Hornet’s shell open. He needs Steel Spines, and knows two bugs in Sinner’s Road who can provide them.
Acquiring Steel Spines
From Yarnaby’s bellhome, go all the way to the right until you reach the area above the Halfway Home. Unlock the elevator shortcut, then jump over the elevator and continue across until you reach a platform on the other side. Climb up to enter Sinner’s Road.
In Sinner’s Road, go all the way to the right of the first room, then go up one floor and look for an entrance on the right side, about midway up the tall room. Make your way to the top-left of this room and use a combination of movement skills to get to the top-right corner. The Clawline ability is incredibly useful here, as
