The Black Fairy Rod comes from a questline run by Draven, who you'll find in the Underground Music Venue in Fisch. The first stage is six riddles, and each one asks for a specific item, most of them a mutated catch. The last riddle leads to a wooden plank at Castaway Cliffs.
| Item to find | Where to find it |
|---|---|
| Translucent Rotwood Perch | Everturn Forest |
| Mossy Ancient Wood | Around Sunstone Island |
| Rotting Gem Blobfish | Treasure Island |
| Shiny Depths Key | Vertigo's Dip, during the daytime |
| Ocean's Ruin Rotbloom | Rotbloom Hunt pool in Toxic Grove |
| Wooden Plank | Sunken ship east of Castaway Cliffs |
Starting the Black Fairy Rod Quest With Draven
Head into the Underground Music Venue and talk to Draven. When the dialogue offers it, choose "I'll help you find it." That starts the questline and the six riddles of the first stage.
Five of the six items need a specific mutation or the Shiny attribute. A regular catch of the same fish won't match the riddle, so the real task is getting the right version of each one.
How to Catch the Translucent Rotwood Perch in Everturn Forest
The first riddle asks for a Translucent Rotwood Perch, which you catch in Everturn Forest using Coral bait. The perch can be caught in any weather and at any time of day, so you don't need to wait for a specific condition.
The Translucent mutation is the part to plan for. A rod with the Ghastly enchantment, or the Spiritbinder rod, can apply it on a catch. If you have neither rod, you can also try for the mutation through appraisal at the Appraiser in Moosewood.
How to Catch a Mossy Ancient Wood Around Sunstone Island
The second riddle asks for a Mossy Ancient Wood, which you fish up around Sunstone Island. It has no bait, weather, season, or time requirement, so you can go out whenever you're ready.
Because the Mossy mutation can't be appraised, a rod is the route to use. The Elder Mossripper's passive can apply the mutation on a catch.
How to Catch the Rotting Gem Blobfish at Treasure Island
The third riddle asks for a Rotting Gem Blobfish, caught at Treasure Island. Use Golden Shrimp Bait, and the catch works in any weather or at any time of day.
The Rotting mutation can't be appraised either, so the rod matters here. Use the Splitbranch Twig, which can apply the Rotting mutation on a catch.
How to Get a Shiny Depths Key From Vertigo's Dip
The fourth riddle asks for a Shiny Depths Key. Start by catching a regular Depths Key during the daytime at Vertigo's Dip, the fishing pool inside Vertigo.
Shiny is an attribute, so a regular key needs that attribute added. Take the regular Depths Key to the Appraiser at Moosewood, where it can receive the attribute. A Shiny Surge event improves those odds, but it isn't required, so you can appraise without one.
You can also try to catch a Shiny Depths Key directly. The Destiny Rod, a rod with the Blessed or Glittered enchantment, and Rainbow weather each raise the chance of a Shiny catch.
How to Catch the Ocean's Ruin Rotbloom in Toxic Grove
The fifth riddle asks for an Ocean's Ruin Rotbloom, which only shows up in the Rotbloom Hunt pool in Toxic Grove during a Rotbloom Hunt. Fish with Luminous Larva or Thorn Cluster bait during Autumn.
The Ocean's Ruin mutation is the part to plan for. Use the Thalassar's Ruin rod, since its passive can give a catch the Ocean's Ruin mutation.
Finding the Wooden Plank at Castaway Cliffs
The final riddle leads to a sunken ship east of Castaway Cliffs. Look for the flag with a fishbone on it, which marks the wreck. Use the coordinates 883.1, 31.8, -1928.2 (X, Y, Z) to locate the plank.
