The difference between a simple artifact and a masterpiece lay in the Forgemaster's ability to infuse their creation with a power core, a mana circulatory system, and multiple sets of external runes.
Together, they granted to an inanimate object the ability of living beings to produce and control multiple kinds of spells at the same time.
The main issue in achieving such a result arose from the mana circulatory system which was created by grafting mana crystals onto the vessel of the enchantment. Aside from making sure to use only purified materials and choosing carefully where to place the crystals, the Forgemaster had no control over the shape the system would assume.
It would take a mage countless attempts to find a way to create the space that the power core required at the center of the artifact while also not hindering the strict positioning that the runes required to achieve their maximum effect.
The Earth Root solved all of these problems.