Okay, what?

So I just reached Piken Square and as usual, every district is full of people trying to sell Althea's Ashes. I argued with a couple of people (in public) about it but still they proclaim that you can indeed use Althea's Ashes once they've been passed on. People even backed them up.

Basically, I'm wondering if now you can indeed use bought Ashes. I might just be the most gullible person in the world, but when you've got four of five people telling you that, yes, you can re-use them, things start to get a little blurry.

Thanks in advance.

i have heard it both ways including people who have gotten them as a gift and it worked and others that it didnt

possibly they have to be used in a particular order such as get the quest to find the ghost and then get the ashes quest and then pick up the ashes and return

who knows for certain?

I was thinking that maybe the people who sell it don't collect the reward, sell the Ashes, abandon the quest and then do it again? If so, that sucks.

Supposedly the ashes are not consumed when you complete the quest (I have never finished it so I don't know first hand, just what I have heard from friends and other players.) So you get the quest complete and keep the ashes for... who knows what. Maybe it's a bug...

When I first did this quest the ashes were not removed from my inventory even though I received the reward and the quest was removed from my log. I transferred the ashes to another character and they didn't help one bit.

Take that for what it's worth but that has been my personal experience thus far.

EDIT: Once my second character completed the quest the ashes that they legitimately received were removed from their inventory.

Far as I see it, its a scam. And the people backing them up are in on it.

Everything I have heard indicates that they can not be purchased for quest credit. There were even multiple threads on this issue a couple months ago. And since the quest is fairly easy now, why not just do it? Try leaving from the courthouse north of Nolani(?) acadamy if you don't want the long walk.

Actually, when I did the quest last I got 8 ashes. Only one was used up when I completed the quest. So, to test this growing theory I ofered to give them away (usually right after someone was offering to sell them ). Then, low an behold, I had several people whom I gave the ashes to tell me that it really worked and how they were all so grateful. I'm keeping a few in my stash now for the next time I make a new character.

Then its a bug that needs to be fixed... people should not be profitting from something like this.

My cousin had an extra set of ashes so he gave them to me. I wasn't able to get credit for the quest with the ashes he gave me.

The quest log is updated by the altar drop, not by the ashes. If you don't touch the altar, you won't get a message like 'bring back the ashes to the duke', so your ashes won't help you.

Ashes traders are either scammers or ignorant players. If it really worked, all players would complete this quest without getting their own ashes.

From what I heard (havent done it myself) you need to have the Altheas Ashes quest when the ashes get transfered to your inventory. If you do not have it yet, it will not work. Personally I would just rather do the quest then spend hard earned gold and buy it.

Let's see if I can explain this is easily as possible.

You talk to duke(action)...duke gives you the quest(result)....the quest is logged in your quest log and activated(checkset)

you retrieve the ashes(checkset)....you talk to duke(action)...duke gives you EXP(result)

the checkset works in two ways(on the database level)...action + result = checkset and checkset = action + result....regardless without the checkset there can't be an action or a result...so unless you go and get the ashes there is no checkset...the database doesn't know you've completed the first part of the quest and are now looking for your XP...having the ashes in your inventory when talking to duke won't result in anything more than your ability to question the duke about the quest.

I hope that wasn't as confusing as I thought it was....in short, from a programmers point of view(without any testing)...buying the ashes shouldn't ever work...unless it's bugged.

If you were referring to me, I will do it, just like I did last time. I enjoy this particular quest and would never buy quest items from another character.

If you weren't referring to me, then...sorry .

You are correct. I did the quest, but still have the ashes in inventory.

Don't know if they can be reused, as per the OP's question. Then again, I didn't try to use them for another of my characters.

It's a heck of a battle getting there unless you are really high up, since the char are thick as fleas by the area. I did it with my necro and the henchies from the courthouse. I got killed a bunch, but the respawn is right there so you can keep fighting until you whittle them down...

I did the quest, kept the ashes, they can't be used again.

However, the Testibrie's armor bonus mission (Surmia maybe... not sure) can be used again. So if you do it and really really can't find all the pieces, you can keep the ones you found to do it again, or give/sell them to a mate to make it easier on him/her.

Edit: and if you leave from Grendich courthouse, both the daughter and the ashes are far easier. This outpost cuts about 2/3 of the travel time off. I recommend trying to get their BEFORE doing either of these quests... much easier. Probably easier to pick up a group too.

When i did the quest, I hit the altar multipel times and got multiple ashes(one guy with me got 250 ). So , when i went back to piken square to get the reward, I saw people selling the ashes. I decided that was dumb, so as soon as a person offered his ashes for 200 gold, i gave my extra ones away free and saved one for this chacrter and another for my ranger. When i transfered the ashes to my ranger and talked to the guy, i got the reward without even touching the altar. So, yes if you sell/give your ashes to another person who hasnt touched the altar, they still get the reward. Its a bug that needs fixed.

For ashes, if using hench, leave from Nolani...level 8 henchies instead of 6

Yes, If you get the quest/urn form the Duke and then get ashes from another player then you get exp. and quest is done. Quest completed in 30 seconds. I totally disagree with it but it's a fact. Yes it needs to be patched. I mean what would you need more than 1 pile of ashes for in the first place? And wouldn't selling the ashes be a bannable offense? not sure? It seems that now a days in Pikens the all channel if full of ashes for sale or to be given away. shakes finger at them.

why would you want to buy them anyway? I never understood that. Just do the quest, get lots of char hides, and make money while getting your xp...

-Reiden