Hidden behind Extremely Dense Rock. Discovered March 2021. Still unsolved.
Not Yet ImplementedLocation: East of the upper edge of Hiisi Base, beneath the chasm near the Sauvojen tuntija. Enclosed by Extremely Dense Rock with no apparent intended entry beyond excavation.
The Room: Contains a central pedestal with a large cauldron, flanked by two pillars with unique patterns found nowhere else in the game. Grey sand fills the room initially; clearing it reveals two additional pillars and a flat slate protruding from rock behind the cauldron.
Mod Restrictions: If mods are enabled before loading the area, the room doesn't spawn. Only Extremely Dense Rock remains. It's one of only three secrets protected this way, alongside the Eye Messages (the only confirmed unsolved mystery).
The Void Liquid Calendar: An internal schedule determines whether the Cauldron contains Void Liquid or air on any given day (UTC-based). The schedule repeats yearly, with a slightly different pattern on leap years. A bug causes unpredictable contents during December of leap years. Preview the schedule at sdlwdr's forecast site.
Cessation Cipher Connection: The cipher's decryption revealed a 30-bit binary key matching the first 30 digits of the Void Liquid calendar. Only those 30 bits have a known use; the rest of the data remains unexplained.
The first 30 days of the Void Liquid calendar serve as the binary key for the Cessation Cipher, yielding: "SEEKING TRUTH, THE WISE FIND INSTEAD ITS PROFOUND ABSENCE".
The Cauldron is one of three areas protected by mod restrictions. Mods prevent the room from spawning. This classification puts it alongside the only confirmed unsolved mystery in the game.
The data chunk from which the calendar is derived contains far more information than the 30 bits used by the Cessation Cipher. The purpose of the remaining data is completely unknown.
The string building_altar_always → "Permanence Altar" exists in common.csv, added in the same update as the Cauldron. May be related to the Cauldron or to the Nullifying Altar.
During December of leap years, the Cauldron contents vary unpredictably. Not dependent on date, time, seed, or any observable factor. Could be a bug or a deliberate hidden mechanic.
Extensive testing: bosses, entities (Kummitus, Karl, Hiisi Chef), alchemy, wands, Orbs of True Knowledge, meat, liquids, fungus. Nothing has yielded results. Lid removal doesn't change behavior.
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The Cessation Cipher's decoded message ("SEEKING TRUTH, THE WISE FIND INSTEAD ITS PROFOUND ABSENCE") may be the developers' way of saying the Cauldron itself has no hidden function. The mystery was the point. Supporters note 5+ years of fruitless testing and the Epilogue 2 retroactively tying the calendar into the questline as a "closing of the book."
Based on the Cessation Cipher connection, the Cauldron may respond differently on specific dates within the Void calendar. Certain days might trigger unique material reactions or reveal hidden content, but no date-specific behavior has been observed so far.
The "Permanence Altar" translation string (added alongside the Cauldron) suggests a mechanism for transferring objects or states between NG+ runs. However, the string may also relate to the Nullifying Altar, and no verifiable evidence supports a direct link.
Unlike similar hidden rooms (Meditation Room, Ancient Eye Room), the Cauldron Room has no identifiable entrance or exit portal. Some theorize an undiscovered entry method exists that, if found, would alter or add functionality to the room.
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