Windrose Guide: How to Solve the Ancient Altar Puzzle
Stop searching for fake items! Learn the true offering needed to solve the altar puzzle and easily claim your 10 Guineas.
Quick Answer: The Ancient Altar asks for “ancient spices,” but you actually need to offer 5 Mysterious Spices. Farm these from Plague enemies in the Tainted Forest, then place them in the altar’s bowl to earn 50 XP and two Gold Masks worth a total of 10 Guineas.
Windrose actively tries to trick you with the Ancient Altar puzzle. You walk up to this massive statue, and the game explicitly asks you to provide “ancient spices.” The problem? That item does not exist.
Countless players end up running in circles hunting for a fake item. The actual solution is simple once you realize the prompt is lying to you. Here is exactly where to go, what you actually need, and how to claim your 10 Guineas.
Where to Find Ancient Altars
Ancient Altars are tucked away inside the Tainted Forest zones, which are located within the larger Cursed Swamps biome. You will know you are in the right place when the trees around you are covered in gross, orange bulbous growths. Look for a towering humanoid statue wearing robes and a mask. It has a distinct offering bowl at the base.
Exploring this area is dangerous. The second you step foot into the Tainted Forest, your Wood Plague gauge begins to fill. If that meter maxes out, you die instantly.
Survival Tip: Always equip a Sun Ring before entering this biome. It heavily slows down the Wood Plague buildup. If you don’t have one, you have to constantly sprint out of the Tainted Forest to let your gauge reset.
Before you dive headfirst into these swamps, having a solid ranged build makes dealing with the local enemies significantly easier. If your gear is lacking, take a detour and check out our Windrose Guide: How to Get the Marksman’s Rig to boost your damage output.
The Correct Altar Offering
Ignore the altar’s request for ancient spices. To clear this point of interest, you need exactly 5 Mysterious Spices sitting in your inventory. You cannot partially fill the bowl, so do not bother interacting with the altar until you have all five ready to go.
How to Farm Mysterious Spices
Mysterious Spices are a direct drop from the enemies wandering around the Tainted Forest. You do not need to leave the immediate area to find them. Just hunt down these three specific foes:
- Plague Thrall
- Plague Warrior
- Plague Witch
Kill them until you scoop up 5 Mysterious Spices. Since multiple altars can spawn on a single swamp island, you might want to farm 10 or 15 spices at a time so you are completely prepared for the rest of your exploration.
Ancient Altar Puzzle Rewards
Once you dump your 5 Mysterious Spices into the bowl, the puzzle completes immediately. Here is the payout you get for your trouble:
| Reward | Quantity | Notes |
| Gold Mask of the Priest | 2 | Sell-only item |
| Experience | 50 | Flat XP gain |
The Gold Masks serve zero gameplay purpose other than making you rich. Do not hoard them. Take them straight to the Smugglers of Port Royal Buyer. They will pay you 5 Guineas per mask, netting you a cool 10 Guineas for just a few minutes of work.
Step-by-Step Completion Guide
Want the most efficient route? Here is how to conquer the Cursed Swamps without dying to the plague:
- Equip a Sun Ring to manage your Wood Plague gauge.
- Enter the Tainted Forest and farm Plague enemies until you have 5 Mysterious Spices.
- Track down the masked humanoid statue.
- Interact with the bowl and hand over the spices.
- Grab your masks and 50 XP.
- Check your map for any other altars nearby before leaving the island.
- Sell your masks to the Smugglers of Port Royal.
Stop wasting time searching for fake items. Grab your spices, get paid, and keep sailing. For more weapon tier lists, loadout strategies, and progression tips, check out our full collection of guides right here.
