The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu does not hand you the Tulu Cylinder on a plate. In the Cliffs of Ibarra, the cylinder rotates between three separate spawn points, and checking just one will leave your contract unfinished. The good news: all three locations sit along a single logical route from camp, so running all of them back-to-back is faster than it sounds.
All Cliffs of Ibarra Tulu Cylinder spawn spots
Before walking the route, know what you are looking for. The cylinder can appear at any one of these three spots per run:
Upper platform spawn point
How to run the full Cliffs of Ibarra cylinder route
This route covers all three spawn checks in order, starting from camp and ending at the rowboat extraction.
Getting from camp to the monument area
Leave camp heading straight out and pick up the muddy track marked by cow cart wheel ruts. Follow the brown, muddy ground as it curves left, even where it fades. Pass through the ruins while keeping the river on your left.
You will hit a small bridge that needs to be lowered for the cow cart. Loop around in a U shape to drop it, then continue into the open section beyond. The Cthulhu monument sits here. Pass around its left side, keeping it to your right.
Spawn 1: Upper platform
Past the monument, follow the muddy tracks toward the fallen tree. Before you reach the log, angle left and climb toward the small bridge and steps. Take the first bridge, then the second one just ahead and to the left. Check the top platform for the Tulu Cylinder.
If it is there, pick it up and skip directly to the extraction section below. If the platform is empty, head back down.
Spawn 2: Cave ramp
From the upper platform, come back down and turn right with the fallen tree log on your left. Go straight toward the rock ahead, then curve right into the cave entrance. The second possible spawn sits at the top of the small ramp inside.
Spawn 3: Northern dark cave
If both the platform and the cave ramp are empty, open your map and push north toward the dark cave. This is the most involved of the three locations.
Once inside the dark cave, you cannot hold the map and manage your lantern at the same time, so get your bearings before entering. Move through the cave and climb the ladders on the far side.
Here is the audio trick that separates this location from a normal cave passage: listen for a mellow drumbeat after the ladder section. That sound confirms you are in the right cylinder area. The third spawn sits here, and the drumbeat is your most reliable signal that you are close.
How do you extract the Tulu Cylinder from Cliffs of Ibarra?
Once you pick up the cylinder, the priority shifts entirely to getting out. Do not linger or fight anything you can avoid.
Retrace your path back through the cave or tunnel route to reach the cow cart. Load the cylinder onto the cart, then keep moving back to the rowboat. Once everyone is at the boat, extract to the main ship with the cylinder secured.
Survival tips for the Cliffs of Ibarra run
A few things that make this run cleaner:
- Avoid fights on the monument route. You can run past most threats on the path from camp to the monument. Engaging enemies wastes time and resources you need for the dark cave section.
- Watch your movement noise. Loud movement near branches can draw attention on the return trip when you are carrying the cylinder.
- Check the closer spawns first. The upper platform and cave ramp are both on the same path from camp. Hitting them before committing to the northern cave saves significant time on runs where the cylinder spawns early.
- Lantern prep before the dark cave. There is no good moment to sort your inventory once you are inside the northern cave, so handle it before the entrance.
For players who want to make sure the game is running well before tackling this route, the best PC settings for max FPS in The Mound can help eliminate any performance issues that might cost you a run in the dark cave.
What does the drumbeat mean in the Cliffs of Ibarra?
The mellow drumbeat is an audio cue tied specifically to the third cylinder spawn in the northern dark cave. It plays when you are in the correct area after climbing the ladders. Think of it as the game confirming you have reached the right zone rather than just wandering through a generic cave passage.
If you hear it, the cylinder is nearby. If you do not hear it and the first two spawns were empty, double-check your route north because you may have taken a wrong turn before the ladders.
For more on navigating the jungle zones and uncovering hidden map areas, the Fort Logbooks guide for The Mound covers similar exploration mechanics that carry over between areas. The full The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu strategy guides collection has everything else you need to keep progressing through this action game.