Of Ash and Steel opens like an old-school RPG—slow, immersive, and packed with quests that reward exploration as much as combat. While the game doesn’t present its narrative through traditional act screens, the story naturally unfolds across three broad phases: the Prologue at sea, the early survival journey on Gray Shaft, and the larger campaign spanning Acts 1–3.
Prologue — Life at Sea
The game begins aboard a ship bound for Gray Shaft. This section introduces the cast, core mechanics, and several small tasks that ease players into exploration and interaction.
Key Quests in the Prologue
1. The Hardships of Seafar
A simple introduction to NPC interactions. Speaking with EMTT, the ship’s physician, introduces item-based dialogue paths and status ailments.
2. Fetch the Brandy
You receive a key to EMTT’s storage chest and must retrieve three bottles of brandy. This teaches players how locked objects work and how consumables matter.
3. Squash the Insects
A one-legged sailor requests help clearing pests from the provisions. This functions as your first micro-task and introduces world interactivity.
4. Smoking Trouble
A sailor wants tobacco, supposedly held by EMTT. The task can be abandoned depending on player choice, reinforcing non-linear quest flow.
5. Talk to the Navigator
Basic crew-interaction step that leads to further story exposition.
6. Fight the Deck Boy (Combat Tutorial)
Find two sticks or a cudgel, equip them, and help the deck boy practice. This teaches combat basics but is skippable.
7. Report to Captain Galllet
A short narrative beat before the story escalates.
The prologue ends abruptly when the ship is ambushed, pushing the player into a survival scenario on Gray Shaft.
Early Gray Shaft — Survival Phase
After the wreck, you wake up injured and surrounded by the unfamiliar terrain of the fifth island: Gray Shaft. This section introduces scavenging, regional NPCs, and early branching missions.
Key Quests in the Survival Phase
1. Save the Knight
You must locate a potion in EMTT’s bag to stabilize Knight Sedar. This reinforces inventory-based solutions under pressure.
2. Get Out of the Cove
A simple traversal quest with the goal of escaping the shipwreck zone. Completing it leads to meeting Nerest.
3. Nerest’s Chores
A local marauder asks for help with everyday tasks—moving barrels, clearing weeds, and sorting bottles. These quests expand survival mechanics and reward careful exploration.
4. Soiled Trousers
A humor-tinged side quest involving a pair of abandoned trousers near the pond. Following the clues reveals Nerest’s embarrassing mishap after eating the wrong berries.
5. Soothing Tea
Collect red-leaved plants so Nerest can brew a calming infusion. A short gathering quest useful for learning the local flora.
6. Reach the Harbor and Make a Deal
A crucial story thread pushing you toward the region’s main city. This introduces abandoned settlements, patrol paths, and the economic tension of Gray Shaft.
7. Fox’s Smuggler Stash
Fox asks for help retrieving hidden sacks of goods. Completing the task reveals his treachery—and the player’s option to turn the tables and walk away with everything.
8. Hermit’s Request
A suspicious figure is reportedly lurking nearby. This quest ties loosely into Fox’s storyline and the early abandoned-village mystery.
9. Alek’s Cart Wheels
Retrieve missing wheels for Alek’s cart, Elena, from a hobster camp. This introduces enemy camps and early combat strategies.
10. Mystery of Atlantis
A cryptic diagram prompts optional exploration, suggesting deeper secrets hidden throughout Gray Shaft.
Main Storyline – Acts 1 to 3
After the early survival quests, the game transitions into the large-scale narrative traditionally referred to as Acts 1–3. These include stronger combat encounters, faction storylines, and major narrative branches.
Act 1: Foundations of the Campaign
Main Quests
- Pull Up Weeds
- Move the Barrels
- Clear Wolves Den
- Bandit Troubles
These quests focus on introducing regional threats and teaching players how to prepare for larger confrontations.
Side Quests
- Merchant’s Delivery
- Herbal Collection
- Find Missing Cat
- Knight’s Trial
- Missing Miner Rescue
- Fairy Queen’s Blessing
Act 1’s side activities are dense with rewards, making this act ideal for early leveling and resource gathering.
Act 2: Expanding the World
Main Quests
- Ancient Artifact Recovery
- Dragon Egg Theft
- Plague Cure Quest
- Pirate Treasure Hunt
- Golem Awakening
- Ghost Ship Mystery
- Volcano Crisis
- Royal Assassination Plot
Here, the story shifts toward major threats—magical, political, and environmental. Each main quest offers larger areas, stronger enemies, and multi-stage objectives.
Side Quests
- Plague Cure Quest
- Pirate Treasure Hunt
- Golem Awakening
- Ghost Ship Mastery
- Diplomatic Mission
These quests build secondary storylines surrounding disease, mystical constructs, and political relationships.
Act 3: The High-Stakes Finale
Main & Side Quests
- Time Portal Paradox
- Ancient Weapon Quest
- Ultimate Champion Tournament
Act 3 focuses on resolving long-running mysteries and providing climactic battles. These quests typically require advanced gear, strong builds, and a deep understanding of the game’s combat systems.
Rewards and Progression
Completing quests across all acts grants:
- Gold
- Experience Points
- Story progression
- Access to new regions, gear, and NPCs
Side quests are especially valuable for leveling, and skipping them can significantly slow progress.
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Of Ash and Steel builds its world gradually—starting with small, grounded tasks on the ship and evolving into a multi-act campaign filled with magical threats, conspiracies, and large-scale mysteries. Whether you’re chasing main missions or pursuing side objectives for extra XP, every quest adds character and context to Gray Shaft’s dangerous landscape. With more content still being discovered, keeping track of each act’s quests will help you stay ahead as the story expands. Play Now!
