Idols of Ash story and ending, explained

Tight spaces and limited oxygen aren’t the only things to worry about while spelunking in Idols of Ash. One wrong step or mistimed swing of your grappling hook could bring you to the ground faster than a tumbling stone.

Descend into the ruins, breathe in the ashes. Careful where you tread—a shadow follows. You’re not alone down here.

This is our interpretation of the cryptic indie title, Idols of Ash.

Idols of Ash lore, explored

Idols of Ash appears incredibly simple on the surface. It’s a straight and narrow shot to the bottom of the mysterious ruins while a monster pursues you the entire time. Yet, as the title suggests, the protagonist is in search of the idols in hopes of finding solace during the plunge. But the descent isn’t just a physical, but mental process the protagonist is actively pushing through—her descent into madness. Rappelling through the ruins of a lost civilization, home to a grotesque creature and the graveyard of mummified cocoons of previous travelers; Idols of Ash could be internalized as a journey of self, depression, or the five stages of grief.

Plagued by grief, our protagonist heard stories of this magical place that’d help one be at peace. But it came at a cost. Warned that the ruins is full of illusions that trick the mind into false realities, she searched for a loved one who passed away, perhaps for closure or to join her. She saw visions of the home she left behind in pursuit of finding something—herself, some meaning, for some kind of understanding. She only cared about seeing “her” again. She blamed herself for the death, the memory of her loved one twisted and rotten through guilt. The further she travelled, the closer she got to repairing the memory and forgiving herself. The journey may be one of acceptance and closure, perhaps one she thought would end in an apology, but you cannot apologize to a ghost.

What is the centipede?

I don’t believe the centipede is a living, breathing thing. Rather, it’s the manifestation of all life that has scaled the walls of the ruins, none of which have come out alive. The centipede, physically similar to Junji Ito’s My Dear Ancestors short story, is likely an apparition that grows in length with each lost soul; becoming faster, smarter, and hungrier for new flesh to add to the pile. We can see the hundreds, maybe thousands, of wanderers who suffered a fate saved for our protagonist. Their appearance is much like a cocoon or pile of ashes molded into a figure, where life essence remain as a means to regain vitality (health points) for our protagonist, situated next to a select few lost wanderers.

An alternative is that the centipede is the physical manifestation of our protagonist’s guilt. Being actively pursed by it the moment she enters the ruins, there’s a good chance that this creature was crafted by the guilt, depression, and loss that followed her to the very end. It’s only until she reaches the bottom that the centipede disappeared completely, that she could find peace. Perhaps it’s a combination of both as the idols of ash provide hallucinations and the monster appeared immediately after breathing in the first set of ashes. It’s likely everyone who steps foot into these ruins, plagued by darkness, are followed by a shadow. Whether it always looks like a centipede is uncertain, but the Idols of Ash monster only helps drive its victim to the bottom of the ruins.

What’s interesting is the centipede’s appearance. The only insect-like thing about it is its bug face and shape (from a distance). Close up, the monster has human arms near its face and underbelly, with spider-like legs helping it travel around faster than human legs could carry it. The centipede makes intense and rhythmic slurping and hissing noises, breathing erratically as it gets closer as if it’s desperate to capture you. But weirdest of all is the mechanical sound coming from its legs that resemble a winding clock, almost as if the protagonist is running out of time.

Idols of Ash ending, explained

Depending on your outlook on life, the ending of Idols of Ash will be bittersweet or melancholic. Through exposure to the idols of ash, our protagonist suffers from (what we can only assume is) asphyxiation. Breathing in the ash continuously offer strong memories relevant to whatever pain that had brought the traveler to these ruins. These hallucinations only push the victim further into the depths where oxygen would grow vastly more limited. This, alongside repeatedly breathing in fumes, resulted in the cocoon-like effect we saw from the many other ruin explorers who suffered the same fate.

The last thing we see is the protagonist’s body, now mummified from the idols of ash, being held by an apparition of the woman she was searching for. She found solace and was at peace with herself, though was tricked by her wandering mind that hoped to bring back someone who was long gone. Whether our protagonist gave up, knew the risk and accepted her fate is up to your interpretation.

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Tumbaga Ingot is one of those rare materials that you’ll need to find in Windrose, which is required to ascend different equipment. It’s one of the several types of Ingots you can obtain in the game. However, you can’t smelt it, which makes the process more difficult.

Let’s find out how you can get this unique ingot on your pirate adventure.

How to find Tumbaga Ingots in Windrose

So, you can’t smelt and make Tumbaga Ingots. In fact, you can only find it in specific locations. To find Tumbaga Ingots, you’ll have to head inside Ancient Ruins. Ruins are marked on the map, but their locations will be different due to the nature of the game’s map.

When you reach an Ancient Ruins, you’ll find a cellar entrance. Just look around the ruins, and you’ll find the cellar. Take the entrance to reach underground, and look around. Look for chests that are located in the ruins. Be careful, as you’ll find enemies (I found them during my rounds, but this can once again be different in your case).

Open the chests, and you’ll find Tumbaga Ingots. On my save, they’re not guaranteed, but the spawn rate appears to be quite common. However, they only appear to spawn inside the specific chests found in Ancient Ruins. This could change in the future since Windrose is in early access, and there will be updates.

How to use Tumbaga Ingots in Windrose

When you find a Tumbaga Ingot and read its description, it says that it’s required for ascending weapons. Since I am in the mid-game stage, I haven’t actively reached the stage where the weapons can be ascended. It’s tied behind a quest.

While it will take some time before you can ascend weapons, you can upgrade them quite early in the game. If you choose to upgrade them, you can improve their stats and how they function. Ascension, on the other hand, adds new skills for the weapons.

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