While Stardew Valley is a simple farming sim on the surface, the game has expanded over the years and now has quite a lot of content, some more sinister than the bulk. Farmers can build their businesses as well as their families, and there are unlockable areas that reveal more about the world, but not all of them are as cheerful as the rest of the game.
The Ancient Doll is an in-game item that's unassuming on the surface but is a recurring feature of some Stardew Valley secrets. These secrets can only be found late in the game after several tasks have been completed.
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The Ancient Doll
By itself, the Ancient Doll is a fairly simple item. It's an artifact described as a grimy, ancient doll with an unclear purpose. It could have been part of a ritual or just a toy or decoration. It can be donated to the museum or added to the Children's Bundle in the remixed bulletin board. The Ancient Doll can also be used to create the Doll Shirt if the player has a sewing machine or uses Emily's. Interestingly, the only two characters who like receiving the Doll as a gift are the Dwarf and Penny.
On the surface, this is all the Doll is really used for in Stardew Valley, but it's possible that the item could have darker connotations based on secret events, perhaps what its ambiguous item description is alluding to.
The Dove Children and Fall 26
In order to access the secret events featuring the doll, the player must first access The Witch's Hut. The hut can only be accessed during late-game content after the player completes the Wizard's Dark Talisman quest. Once the player gains access to the Witch's Hut, there will be three dark shrines available for use. The Dark Shrine of Selfishness is particularly grim; it allows the player to permanently delete their children from the game.
Down the line, the player may randomly receive a telephone call with an ominous voice saying "you have forsaken us." On Fall 26 in Stardew Valley, watching TV and clicking the "???" channel will show a screen with the Ancient Doll, who warns the player that it's now free. Afterward, an Ancient Doll will appear in the Witch's Hut and attack players who approach the Shrine of Selfishness. It can be slain, and the Doll will turn into a bird and fly away. However, it will reappear every time the player returns to the hut. The Ancient Doll also has a chance of appearing when the farmer fishes on their farm.
The Ancient Doll's Implications
Considering the item's description and the secret Stardew Valley events, fans can speculate on what the Ancient Doll really is. It could be a ritual item connected to the dark shrines as its excerpt suggests; once the offering is made, the untold consequence is that it lets the Doll, and whatever is haunting it, loose.
Since the farmer's children are turned into doves and can be seen flying away, it's unlikely that it's specifically those children's spirits in the Doll. Perhaps the Dolls are children who were abandoned long ago, since the Doll also turns into a black bird when it haunts the hut. It may be an entirely different dark spirit, as well. Either way, the haunted spirit had to come from somewhere, adding to Stardew Valley's lore.
The characters most likely to know the meaning of the Doll would be Gunther, Penny, or the Dwarf. Gunther is the museum curator and would be most likely to know the significance of the artifact, but unfortunately, the player cannot interact much with him outside of making donations. The latter two are the only two characters who like artifact gifts. Penny reads often and cares for children; she may have read about the Ancient Doll. The Dwarf is directly connected to the ancient history in Stardew Valley, and the Dwarvish people may have been part of the ritual.
Unfortunately, most of the more supernatural lore in Stardew Valley remains a mystery. However, it's possible that more will be revealed in future updates, if the game every gets another.
Stardew Valley is available on Android, iOS, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
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