| "If only we knew the suffering that would befall us next..." This page describes special lore or secret content. Continue at your own risk! |
For more information about other missions, see Levels
ENEMY STEP: Jump while in mid-air near an enemy to jump off the enemy. This resets the amount of available walljumps without needing to land.
- The Tip of the Day.
...THEN FELL THE ASHES is the encore mission of the LIMBO layer, and the second encore mission in the game. The level resembles Limbo, although all of the grass and screens instead display a barren wasteland of color-less ash. Halfway through, the power becomes faulty, causing the environment and the screens around to rapidly switch between various colorful environments back-to-back.
Major Areas[]
Intro[]
When entering the level, the player is presented with a ruined version of the Fountain from [ 1-1: HEART OF THE SUNRISE ]. The way to the right, resembling the Skylight Hallway from [ 1-3: HALLS OF SACRED REMAINS ], is blocked off by a Red Pedestal. The only way ahead is forward, with the door already opened.
Dual Tower Arena[]
A chamber filled with toppled pillars, archways, and most notably two towers in the middle. Upon reaching the right turn within the second tower, two Guttertanks spawn on each side of the first tower, alongside a Swordsmachine at the base level of the second one. Upon killing the first Swordsmachine, a second Radiant Swordsmachine spawns from behind. Once the Guttertanks are defeated, two 1000-THR Defence System Mortars spawn atop the tall pillars, as well as a Malicious Face at the entrance of the room.
After defeating all enemies, the door ahead opens to reveal a large, empty room resembling the first Drone arena from [ 1-1: HEART OF THE SUNRISE ]. A Reusable Checkpoint lies at the end of the room, and is only reactivated when revisiting the room later on after grabbing the Blue Skull.
Bridge Zone[]
A short corridor with a bridge down the middle towards a large door, resembling the entrance to the Manor in [ 1-4: CLAIR DE LUNE ]. When the player reaches the halfway point of the bridge, a Guttertank will spawn in front of them, as well as two Streetcleaners at the door behind them.
Courtyard[]
A large chamber with multiple platforms to the sides, as well as a central elevated area in the back featuring a Blue Pedestal. The room resembles the Courtyard from [ 1-2: THE BURNING WORLD ], minus the tall tower in the center. A dormant Hideous Mass sits below the center of the room, though no encounter occurs here yet.
Waterless Arena[]
A tall hallway branching off the right side of the previous room, reminiscent of the Waterfall Arena from [ 1-1: HEART OF THE SUNRISE ]. The room features two 1000-THR Defence System Rocket Launchers, alongside a Malicious Face ahead with a Gutterman behind. A Checkpoint can be accessed atop the stairs at the end of the room.
Graveyard[]
A window-filled room with six coffins in the ground, bearing resemblance to the start of [ 1-3: HALLS OF SACRED REMAINS ]. This room features two Schisms on the graves, one Sentry by the exit door, and two Radiant Sentries that spawn near the windows.
The room directly afterwards bears resemblance to the Red Skull Room from [ 1-2: THE BURNING WORLD ], which leads directly into a tight red-lit metal corridor taken directly from [ 0-1: INTO THE FIRE ]. Two Radiant Streetcleaners will round the corner when traveling through the hallway, and a Checkpoint lies ahead.
Floorless Fan Arena[]
A tall, elevator shaft room with a floor that slowly opens up when stepping inside, resembling the third Glass Room from [ 0-1: INTO THE FIRE ]. This room also has a gigantic deadly fan at the bottom, and six small beams surrounding the arena; three are located very high in the room and can be easily accessed with Slam Storage, the other three are pipes laid against the walls of the chamber.
Once the floor starts opening, two Virtues and a Mindflayer will spawn. Once the Virtues or the Mindflayer have been eliminated, four Drones spawn near each wall of the room. Once all enemies are dead, a Green Hookpoint spawns near the exit door.
Dual Tower Arena (B-side)[]
After exiting the previous room and taking the Red Skull, the music stops and a passageway opens back to the previously-visited hallway after the Dual Tower Arena. The screens across the environment are now rapidly switching between various scenery from the previous Limbo levels, the music has changed to be more frantic, and one of the screen panels in particular has become dislodged from the wall. Going through the opening leads to a Checkpoint, and a now lava-filled version of the Dual Tower Arena.
On top of the circular towers, two Guttermen spawn. After killing one of the Guttermen, two Sentries spawn on either side alongside two Malicious Faces spawning parallel to each other near the exit. Once the room is cleared of all enemies, a screen in the top left wall will open to the next area; after a brief drop above some fan blades, the player will emerge on the roof of the skylight room, where they can drop down to the red pedestal. Alternatively, the player can also backtrack through the starting room (which is now full of lava as well). Once the Red Skull is placed, the door ahead will open, with a Checkpoint behind it.
Staircase Arena[]
A tall staircase lies ahead, similar to the Staircase Arena in [ 1-3: HALLS OF SACRED REMAINS ], containing a dormant Cerberus at the bottom. A side room connects to the bottom of the stairway, resembling the Lower Floor from [ 1-2: THE BURNING WORLD ]. Two duos of Mannequins will spawn at the top and bottom of the stairway, and a Radiant Gutterman will approach from the side room. Once the Gutterman has been killed or the mannequins have been killed, the aforementioned Cerberus will wake up as a Radiant Cerberus, accompanied by a Virtue spawning above the room's exit.
Grinder Hallway[]
A large hallway, featuring grinders below a breakable glass floor, just like the first Grinder Arena in [ 0-2: THE MEATGRINDER ]. Unlike the grinders encountered in the aforementioned mission, these grinders deal 25 damage and bounce the player upwards, instead of 50 damage with a teleport.
In the hallway, two Cerberi stand across from each other on the bridge, with one by the entrance and another by the exit. Neither of them will move, but their explosions will still pose a threat due to the breakable glass floor. After the Cerberi are killed, the door ahead opens, leading to the Blue Skull and back out through a small grate into the hallway preceding the Dual Tower Arena once again, with the Reusable Checkpoint having been reactivated.
Courtyard (B-side)[]
Upon returning to the Courtyard, an elaborate encounter occurs with the aforementioned Hideous Mass. Two Cerberi wake up at the back of the room as well.
After lowering the Hideous Mass' HP to 66%, it is protected by an Idol, along with two Virtues spawning on top of the entrance door and under the Idol's perch. After breaking the Idol and bringing the Mass down to 33% HP, a second Idol spawns on the ledge above the entrance. Once both Virtues are killed OR after the second Idol is broken, a Mindflayer and three Mannequins spawn.
Beating the encounter opens a gate blocking the Blue Pedestal, allowing the skull to be placed and the door ahead to open, with a Checkpoint behind.
Grassy Stairway[]
A tall, winding staircase is beyond the Blue Skull door, resembling the Lava Stairs Room from [ 1-3: HALLS OF SACRED REMAINS ], but with an overgrown grass mound instead of lava. This room features three Stalkers spawning along the stairs, a Radiant Swordsmachine sprinting down from the top of the stairs, and two Malicious Faces in the center of the room.
Triple Threat Arena[]
Finally, a large room lies at the end of the level after a short hallway with the final Checkpoint and a Terminal. This room, resembling the Hideous Mass Arena from [ 1-3: HALLS OF SACRED REMAINS ], features Swordsmachines Agony & Tundra as well as an Idol-protected Hideous Mass in the center, with the Idol itself being Radiant. Killing Swordsmachines Agony & Tundra will open the case housing the Radiant Idol, allowing it to be broken.
Breaking the Idol causes the Radiance effect to be transferred from the Idol to the Hideous Mass. Once the Hideous Mass is defeated, the Level Exit will open.
Ranking Requirements[]
| Rank | Kill | Time | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 61 | 7:40 | 40,000 |
| A | 57 | 8:30 | 37,500 |
| B | 45 | 10:00 | 30,000 |
| C | 25 | 12:30 | 20,000 |
Trivia[]
- This level was revealed by a Soundtrack titled "An Absence" Released on January 18, 2025.
- The image used for the thumbnail is meant to be an extremely darkened image of Hakita saying hi.
- Both music tracks used for this level ("An Absence" and "A Part Falling") call back to the same naming themes that the tracks from [ 1-1: HEART OF THE SUNRISE ] and [ 1-2: THE BURNING WORLD ] use.
- Despite being based on the Limbo layer, certain parts of this level reuse rooms and aesthetics the Prelude as well.
- This level is the only level to have 3 bosses appear at once in a single encounter.
- The use of previously seen arenas in unfamiliar orders could back up the idea that Hell is "its own time-space" that "warps its own structure at will" to make sure that "the entrance to the next area has to come from somewhere."[1]
- The title of the level may come from the TwinSisterMoon album Then Fell the Ashes....
- The changing skybox in the second part of the level is existent and can be "edited" by noclipping outside of the level and finding the skybox and noclipping inside it. Enemies placed here will be in the digital skybox throughout the level.
Gallery[]
