Ash Twin

Ash Twin is one of the two Hourglass Twins. It is small like Ember Twin, and circles its sibling as the pair closely orbit the sun.

Overview
Ash Twin's initially featureless geography changes dramatically over the course of the 22-minute time loop. The smooth layer of sand that covers almost all of its surface drains away into the canyons and caves of Ember Twin, leaving the dark, jagged bedrock of the planet exposed. After all the sand has drained away, the black, glittering ore that covers the planetary core is visible.

Before the sand is disturbed, Ash Twin lacks any defining features besides a small column at each pole. As sand levels drop, several uniquely shaped towers connected by a stone bridge rise to the surface along the equator; and the small polar towers are revealed to be pieces of large, four-winged energy stations similar to the one on Ember Twin.

Warp Towers
The Ash Twin is a dynamic world with much to explore during different stages, but the most distinguishing features are the Warp Towers. There is one for almost every major astral body in the solar system, each tower's architecture is meant to resemble the world it warps to. For example, the Giant's Deep tower resembles a Cyclone and the Brittle Hollow tower resembles an outer piece of the planet's crust. Each tower also has Nomai records for you to translate. The towers' heights (and thus the order in which they are revealed) are arranged in their planetary order, from the sun outward, beginning with the Sun Station tower, and followed by the Ash and Ember Twin towers, the Timber Hearth tower, the Brittle Hollow tower, and finally the Giant's Deep tower.

The Ash Twin Project
One of the three major enigmas in the game, the mysterious Ash Twin Project is frequently referenced in Nomai writings and seems to be connected to almost every major endeavor the Nomai undertook in the solar system. The project's connection to the mines on Timber Hearth, the strange Nomai statues, the giant satellite orbiting the sun and many other mysteries and artifacts is discoverable throughout the game.

Energy Towers
Though visually striking, player cannot do much with the giant, four-paneled towers that sit on each. They do make a stable location to land your space ship, though.