So you’ve found Fish, you’ve done the work, you’ve finished Alagar’s Grand Plans… and the merchant is still standing there like nothing happened. No cutscene, no movement, no new quest — just a very stubborn NPC refusing to cooperate.
Yep — welcome to one of the most confusing quest triggers in Of Ash and Steel.
At this point, it feels like your save is broken.
You did exactly what the game asked, and now it’s giving you nothing back. The good news? You’re probably not bugged, and you didn’t miss some obscure item or hidden NPC. The bad news? The game never clearly explains what actually triggers the Cart for Fish quest, so most players get stuck here thinking something went wrong.
Don’t worry — you’re not alone, and there is a fix.
Let’s sort it out.
The Quick Fix Cart for Fish Quest Not Starting (Read This First)
The Cart for Fish quest will NOT start unless all of these conditions are met — and missing even one will stop the quest cold:
- Alagar’s Grand Plans is fully completed
- You returned to the quest giver and turned it in (finishing objectives alone is not enough)
- A follow-up quest or world-state change successfully triggered
- The area has been reloaded (fast travel, leaving the zone, or reloading a save)
This is where most players get stuck. The game doesn’t warn you if a quest flag fails to trigger, and it doesn’t clearly indicate that a follow-up state change is required. So if the merchant is still standing in the swamp, acting like nothing happened, it means one of these steps didn’t properly register — even if it looked like you did everything right.
Double-check your quest log, confirm the turn-in, reload the area, and the progression should finally click into place.
Why the Merchant Won’t Leave (The Real Reason)
Here’s what trips up most players, and it’s easy to miss.
Finishing the objectives of Alagar’s Grand Plans is not enough on its own. The game treats that quest as incomplete until you properly close it out.
You must:
- Report back to the quest giver
- Finish the dialogue interaction instead of skipping through it
- Confirm the quest shows as Completed in your journal
If you skip the turn-in, rush the dialogue, or assume the quest auto-completes, the game never flips the internal flag that tells the merchant to pack up and leave. When that flag doesn’t trigger, the transport quest for Cart for Fish never unlocks, no matter how long you wait.
That’s why this issue feels like a bug. In reality, it’s just unclear quest feedback and invisible progression checks — something Of Ash and Steel doesn’t always communicate well.
Correct Quest Order (Don’t Skip This)
If you want the Cart for Fish quest to unlock properly, you need to follow this sequence exactly. Skipping or rushing any step can stop the progression without warning.
- Finish Alagar’s Grand Plans
- Return to the quest giver and turn the quest in
- Open your quest log and confirm it shows Completed
- Check for a new quest, objective update, or dialogue prompt
- Leave the swamp area (fast travel is fine)
- Wait a short while, then return
Once the game updates the internal quest flag, the merchant should no longer be in the swamp. When that happens, the Cart for Fish transport quest becomes available as intended.
If the merchant is still there after this process, it means one of the earlier steps didn’t properly register — not that you did anything wrong.
What to Do If It Still Doesn’t Work
If you’ve followed every step above and the merchant still refuses to move, don’t panic — this is where simple resets usually fix things.
Try these in order:
- Save → quit → reload the game
- Fast travel far away, then return to the swamp
- Wait one full in-game day before checking again
- Look around nearby paths or terrain (NPCs can occasionally wander or get stuck)
- Reload a save from before turning the quest in and complete the turn-in slowly, without skipping dialogue
In most cases, one of these steps forces the quest state to refresh and the merchant finally disappears as expected. It’s not ideal, but these workarounds have resolved the issue for the majority of players who get stuck here.
Is This Actually a Bug?
Usually? No.
In most cases, this is the quest working as intended — it’s just explained terribly. The game relies on hidden quest flags and follow-up triggers, and it doesn’t clearly tell you when one of those steps fails to register. That’s why it feels broken even when it technically isn’t.
That said, it is likely bugged if all of the following are true:
- The quest shows as fully completed in your log
- No follow-up quest or update ever appears
- Reloading, waiting, and leaving the area changes nothing
- The merchant never leaves, no matter what you try
If you hit that point, the safest and most reliable fix is to reload an earlier save from before turning the quest in and complete it again carefully. It’s frustrating, but it avoids getting permanently stuck.
What Won’t Help (Save Your Time)
If you’re stuck here, it’s easy to start trying everything — but these actions won’t move the quest forward and will only waste your time:
- Talking to the merchant again
- Doing random side quests elsewhere on the map
- Standing around the swamp hoping something triggers
- Restarting the game repeatedly without changing quest state
The key thing to understand is that this quest is progression-gated, not time-gated. Nothing will happen until the correct quest flags are triggered, no matter how long you wait.
Quick FAQ
Why won’t Cart for Fish start?
Because the merchant only leaves after Alagar’s Grand Plans is fully turned in, not just completed at the objective level.
I brought all three people — why isn’t that enough?
Because the quest still requires a final report and completion dialogue to trigger the next stage of progression.
Can I break this quest permanently?
No. You can’t lock yourself out for good. Reloading an earlier save or redoing the turn-in will fix it.
Does skipping dialogue matter?
Yes. Skipping dialogue during the turn-in can prevent the internal quest trigger from firing.
Is fast travel safe?
Yes — and it often helps reset NPC states and force the world to update correctly.
Final Takeaway
If the merchant won’t leave, you didn’t mess anything up — the game simply doesn’t explain the trigger clearly. This is one of those moments where Of Ash and Steel expects you to understand invisible quest logic without giving you the information to do so.
Finish the quest, turn it in properly, make sure it shows as completed in your log, then reload the area. Once the internal flag updates, the Cart for Fish quest should unlock the way it’s supposed to.
Clunky design? Absolutely.
Broken? Not usually.
Read more articles on ash and steel: