You finally unlocked the "A Rift in Time" expansion and thought you’d be breezing through Eternity Isle. Then you hit a wall. It’s that one quest. The one that makes you feel like you need a degree in archaeology and a lot of patience. Chronicles of the Ancients Dreamlight Valley isn't just a quest; it's basically the gatekeeper to understanding what happened to the civilization that lived here before Mickey and the gang showed up.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a grind. If you’ve spent forty minutes running around the Ancient’s Landing area wondering why your Hourglass isn't pinging, you aren’t alone. It’s a multi-stage headache involving Jafar, a bunch of hidden tablets, and some very specific crafting requirements that the game doesn't always explain clearly.
Getting the Quest Started with Jafar
You can’t just stumble into this. To even see the Chronicles of the Ancients Dreamlight Valley quest pop up, you have to have your friendship level with Jafar high enough—specifically Level 4. Most people ignore him because, well, he’s Jafar, but you need him. You also need to have progressed through the main Spark of Imagination storyline.
Once you talk to him, he’ll start rambling about the "Ancient’s" history. He wants you to find these Ancient Tablets. There are four of them. They are scattered, they are annoying to find, and they don't show up on your map like a giant "X marks the spot."
Tracking Down the Ancient Tablets
This is where the real work begins. You have to use your Royal Hourglass. If you haven't upgraded it yet, do that first. It makes the "hot and cold" mechanic a lot less punishing.
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- The first tablet is usually tucked away near the docks. Look around the area where you first arrived in Eternity Isle. Don't just look in the open; check behind the crates near the water’s edge.
- The second one is located up in the Courtyard. Specifically, look near the big gate that leads toward the Overlook.
- Tablet number three is in the Overlook itself. This area is beautiful, but the tablet likes to hide near the edges of the cliffs where the grass meets the stone.
- Finally, the fourth tablet is in the Ruins. This is the part that trips people up because the Ruins are vertically layered. You might be standing right on top of it, but it's actually on a different level.
Finding these requires you to spam the "use" button on your Hourglass. You’ll see the little arc of light. Follow it. If it turns blue, you're close. If it’s orange, you’re cold. If it’s gold and pulsing, you’ve found it. But wait, you aren't done. Once you have the tablets, Jafar doesn't just take them. He tells you they are broken or "unreadable" in their current state. Typical.
The Crafting Nightmare
Now you need to head to a Timebending Table. This is where most players realize they haven't been collecting enough "Ancient Parts." To fix these tablets and complete the Chronicles of the Ancients Dreamlight Valley requirements, you need a specific list of materials.
You’ll need Ancient Plates. These are found by timebending anywhere on Eternity Isle. You also need Copper, which is easy enough to get by smashing those bronze-colored rocks with your pickaxe.
The real kicker? You need Level 2 or Level 3 Timebending for some of the components. If you’ve been neglecting your Hourglass upgrades, the quest basically stops here. You’ll have to go grind for Mist—thousands of it—to upgrade your tools at the table.
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Why This Quest Actually Matters for Lore
A lot of people think this is just filler. It isn't. When you actually assemble the tablets and "read" them, you get the first real hints about the "Old Ruler." We know the player character is the "New Ruler," but the Ancients lived in a version of the Valley that was much more technologically advanced.
The tablets talk about a Great Rupture. It wasn't just the Forgetting that messed things up; there was a literal physical split of the islands. This quest bridges the gap between the base game’s magic-heavy story and the "Ancient Technology" vibe of the DLC. It’s the connective tissue.
The Ancient’s Library and the Final Step
After you’ve done the busy work, Jafar sends you to find the "Ancient’s Library." This is hidden inside the cave system in the Secluded Isles.
Inside, you’ll find a pedestal. This is where the tablets go. Once they are placed, a holographic projection appears. It’s a bit of a "wow" moment in an otherwise grindy quest. You get to see a map of what the Valley used to look like. It’s huge. It makes the current map look like a small neighborhood.
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The quest ends with a conversation with Jafar where he basically admits he wants that power for himself. No surprise there. But you get a hefty chunk of friendship points and a unique furniture item that looks like a miniature version of the ancient pillars.
Common Glitches to Watch Out For
Let's be real: Dreamlight Valley can be buggy. In the Chronicles of the Ancients quest, there are two main issues:
- The Hourglass won't "catch" the tablet. Sometimes you are standing right on it, but the interaction prompt won't appear. If this happens, go into your house, come back out, or restart the game. It usually resets the "search nodes."
- The Timebending Table doesn't show the recipe. Make sure you actually have the tablets in your player inventory, not in a chest at home. The table can't "see" items in your storage for this specific quest.
Actionable Steps to Finish Quickly
If you want to knock this out in one sitting, do this:
- Farm 5,000 Mist before you even talk to Jafar. You’ll need it for the potential Hourglass upgrades.
- Bring a Timebending Companion. Hanging out with a villager who has the Timebending role will give you a chance to find double the Ancient Plates. This cuts the grinding time in half.
- Check the "Ruins" level. If your Hourglass is pointing toward a wall in the Ruins, try taking the stairs to the upper or lower platform. The "verticality" of Eternity Isle is the biggest obstacle to finding these items.
- Clear your inventory. You’ll be picking up a lot of junk while hunting for the tablets (broken parts, cores, etc.). Have at least ten empty slots so you don't have to keep running back to a chest.
Once you place those tablets and talk to Jafar, the quest clears. You’ll unlock more of his friendship quests, which eventually lead to getting his laboratory and some of the coolest-looking "Ancient" decor in the game. Just remember that the Hourglass is your best friend here—keep it swinging.
Next Steps for Your Game
- Upgrade your Royal Hourglass to Level 3 at a Timebending Table to ensure all ancient fragments are discoverable.
- Assign the Timebending Role to at least three more villagers; the bonus for having multiple level-10 companions in the same role significantly increases your "drop" rate for rare quest items.
- Visit the Cave in the Secluded Isles even after the quest is done, as new timebending nodes often spawn there that contain rarer level-3 ancient cores.
- Store extra Ancient Plates in a dedicated chest near a Timebending Table, as future Jafar and Oswald quests require these in bulk.
The lore hidden in these tablets hints at a much larger expansion coming to the "outer" islands later this year, so pay attention to the dialogue during the projection scene. You might just spot a teaser for the next biome.