Ashen Key
An Ashen Key is a type of treasure and key in Sea of Thieves. As a key it can be used to unlock Ashen Chests to access the valuable treasure and rewards inside such as Ashen Tomes, Ritual Skulls, gold, or Doubloons. As a Bilge Rats Treasure it can be sold to the Bilge Rats for 5 
or to the Reaper's Bones for 10 and Reputation.
Mechanics
The Ashen Key is most useful when used on a locked Ashen Chest to unlock the chest and reveal the three treasures inside. Once a key is used it cannot be recovered, but the unlocked Ashen Chest itself can be sold for an equal amount of Doubloons once emptied.
Ashen Chests can be found from various sources, most commonly found as a reward for solving an Ashen Guardian's Notes Quest that is dropped by Ashen Guardians that appear during Skeleton Fort World Events or on Islands as Emergent Skeleton Captain spawns.
Where to find
Ashen Keys can be found from the following sources:
- 1 Guaranteed dropped by Ashen Key Master that appear during Skeleton Fort World Events.
- 1 Guaranteed dropped by Ashen Guardian that appear on Islands.
- 2 Guaranteed as a reward for sinking the Captain's Skeleton Ship at the end of a Skeleton Fleet.
- Low chance to be caught with a Fishing Rod as Treacherous Plunder when not using any Bait.
Rewards
Ashen Chest Treasure Pool
Every Ashen Chest opened with an Ashen Key will reveal 3 Treasure items:
- 1 guaranteed random Ashen Tome
- 2 additional Items that can be the following:
- 5 Doubloon Pouch
- 1,000
Gold Pouch - Ritual Skull
- Roaring Goblet
- Brimstone Casket
- Devil's Remnant
- Magma's Grail
- An additional Ashen Tome
- 5
Selling Ashen Keys
Ashen Keys can be sold to
- Sells for 5 to Larinna stationed at every Outpost tavern.
- Sells for 5 to the Sovereigns at every Outpost.
- Sells for 10 to The Servant of the Flame at The Reaper's Hideout, and rewards Reaper's Bones Reputation and Emissary Value (if sailing as a Reaper's Bones Emissary).
The following is the reward chart for selling Ashen Keys to the Reaper's Bones:
| Emissary Grade | Doubloons | Emissary Value |
|---|---|---|
| No Emissary | 10
|
0 |
| I | 10
|
900 |
| II | 13
|
1197 |
| III | 16
|
1503 |
| IV | 20
|
1800 |
| V | 25
|
2250 |
Notes
- It is recommended to sell these Keys to the Reaper's Bones as they will offer increasing Doubloon, Reputation and Emissary Value multipliers for selling these items to The Servant of the Flame as Graded Reaper's Bones Emissaries.
- All Commendations related to selling Ashen Keys can also be earned by selling them to the Reaper's Bones.
- Picking up and placing an Ashen Key on a Ship for the first time gives Emissary Grade Reputation to Trading Company Emissaries representing the Reaper's Bones.
- Ashen Keys can be stored inside Collector's Chests.
- Ashen Keys give off a dark-orange glint from a distance.
- Ashen Keys can be caught with a Harpoon
Commendations
| Commendations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Commendation | Requirements | Rewards |
 | Plundered Prizes | Sell 600 of any Trading Company items while flying the Reaper's Bones Emissary Flag. High Seas only
|  Unlocks the Dawn Hunter instruments for purchase at Grade I, the Dawn Hunter equipment for purchase at Grade II, the Dawn Hunter clothing and vanity for purchase at Grade III, the Dawn Hunter weapons for purchase at Grade IV, the Dawn Hunter ship set for purchase at Grade V. |
 | Fearless Reaper | Sell 320 of any Trading Company items while flying a Grade 5 Reaper's Bones Emissary Flag. High Seas only
| n/a |
 | Key Cash | Sell an Ashen Key. | +10 |
 | Key of Thieves | Use a stolen Ashen Key. High Seas only | +10 |
Pirate Chat Wheel
Here is the Pirate Chat Wheel for the Ashen Key:
Patch history
- 2.10.0 (January 23, 2024)
- Samuel will no longer purchase Ashen Keys within the Athena's Fortune Hideout.
- 2.0.9 (November 20, 2019)
- Introduced.
