Ghost of Tsushima: Honor and Ash
Ghost of Tsushima's Honor and Ash is the starting quest of Act 3 where Jin begins a new path as an outlaw in his journey to defeat Khotun Khan and the Mongols to bring peace to the island of Tsushima.
He gets help from Kenji in escaping captivity and from Yuna in finding a new home base to continue his war against Khotun Khan.
I escaped my samurai captors, but I almost lost my life when the Mongols poisoned me. They learned to reverse engineer my poison… and they're using it against our people. More than ever, I have to stop them. Yuna says Khotun Khan has established a stronghold at Port Izumi. She and I need to find a safe place to rest and plan our next move.
Rewards:
- Major Legend Increase
The Ghost Imprisoned
At the end of the quest From the Darkness, Jin sacrificed himself to protect Yuna. The Ghost was outlawed and he was imprisoned, waiting for judgment. Until one day, a merchant visits his guard.
Exit the Building
Of course, the merchant is none other than Kenji, ready to deliver high-quality sake for Jin's guard.
Samurai: What do you want?
Kenji: Lord Shimura asked me to deliver sake, a reward for helping retake his home.
Samurai: I'm watching the prisoner.
Kenji: He's not going anywhere. Wait too long, and your friends will drink it all.
Samurai: I haven't had anything but water since we got here.
Kenji: Then you deserve it, my lord!
Jin: Kenji. What are you doing?
Kenji: What does it look like? Let's go!
Jin: If I run... I won't be able to unite our people against the Khan. I'll never regain my uncle's trust.
Kenji: If you stay, he'll ship you to the shogun for judgment. The orders just came through.
Kenji: The people need you, Lord Sakai. Yuna... Needs you.
Jin: Where is she?
Kenji: Up north, tracking the Khan in the frozen wastes, she has your sword. She's waiting for the Ghost.
Jin: Forgive me, uncle...
Jin: Find Masako, Norio, and Sensei Ishikawa. Get them to Omi village. Yuna and I will open the pass for you to join us.
Kenji: She's waiting in Kin, with your equipment. At the sacred tree. Your horse is at the outer stables. A servant told me about a damaged fence near the gate. You can slip out that way. I'll distract the men outside, but I don't want to be here when they find out you're gone.
Jin: Thank you, Kenji.
Escape from Castle Shimura
As you escape the camp, you can hear Kenji distracting the guards
Kenji: How do you like the sake, my lords?
Samurai: It's good enough to make me forget the smell of burning Mongols.
Samurai: Everything here stinks of death. Thanks to that damn "Ghost."
Samurai: Dishonorable dog. Not fit to call himself a samurai.
Kenji: Here, let me pour you another drink...
Use the window to get out of the cell. To your left will be a ladder. Use it so you can traverse the camp without getting seen from below.
While walking in the roof, you will hear the people gossiping on the Ghost and Lord Shimura.
Samurai: Rumor is he'll be giving a speech outside the main keep tonight.
Peasant: I.. is it safe?
Samurai: Let's hope so.
Peasant: The way he killed them. He's not human.
You would have to use the slacklines to move from one roof to another. This way you nobody will see you and you can reach the stables for your horse.
Samurai: I didn't spend a week on a boat just to stand around here. When are we going after the Mongols?
Samurai: Shimura is being cautious. I don't blame him, after what they did to that bridge. We won't fall for that trick again...
While moving towards the stables, you will hear Lord Oga disparaging Lord Shimura. You can deduce from this that Lord Oga might do a political maneuver against Lord Shimura in the future.
Samurai: We can't judge him too harshly. Until now, Lord Shimura has had no support.
Lord Oga: He wielded the combined might of five clans. Then lost it all in one battle.
Samurai: Komoda Beach was unfortunate. Look what he's accomplished since. (Grim laugh) With a few peasants, a couple of old warriors, and that unruly nephew.
Lord Oga: It's true that Lord Shimura has accomplished a great deal with very little. But his failures continue to mount. The Khan slipped through his fingers, and Lord Sakai threatens the very peace we fight for.
Lord Oga: If Lord Shimura doesn't turn this around soon, clan Oga will be forced to finish his fight.
Reach your Horse in the Stables
Upon reaching the opening in the wall, you will have a perspective of the stable where your horse is located.
Jin: Nobu!
Just after reaching that spot, the whole camp will be alerted of your absence.
Samurai: Lord Sakai escaped!
Samurai: Search everywhere! Find him!
Peasant: Should we help search, my lord?
Samurai: No. Keep burning the Mongols.
Similar to earlier, you would have to use the slacklines to move from roof to roof until you reach your horse.
Samurai: Anyone seen him?
Samurai: He may have run north! You two, on your horses! The rest of you, man the gate!
Samurai: How did he get loose?
Samurai: We'll find out when we catch him. Do you think he'll fight his own kind?
Samurai: He's already proved he has no honor.
Push Forward to Reunite with Yuna
During the chaos of the escape, your horse will get hit with multiple arrows.
Jin: Forgive me, Nobu.
Jin: We have to reach Kin. Yuna's waiting for us.
However, your horse will no longer be able to travel with you, as the arrows earlier proved fatal for him.
Jin: I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.
After burying your faithful horse, it's time to push forward and search for Yuna.
Jin: Mongols! Yuna... They burned everything... Kenji said Yuna was at the sacred tree...
Jin: No weapons. I'll have to stay hidden.
Reach the Sacred Tree without being seen
Use stealth to reach the sacred tree without being seen.
Jin: A storm's coming... Better find Yuna soon...
Use the grass and the buildings on the right side to get nearer to the tree.
Investigate the Area further
Once you reach the center of the sacred tree, you will find out that Yuna is not there.
Jin: No... Yuna's not here. But these people... the Mongols must have rounded them up...
During your investigation, you will find people who died without obvious wounds.
Jin: Blood... but no wounds...?
Jin: Blood poured from his mouth... Smells like wolfsbane. The Mongols learned how to make my poison... now they are using it against us.
Immediately after realizing this, you will get shot with an arrow laced with the same poison you used against the Mongols. Not only did they learn how to create the poison, but they also adapted it to their weapon.
Jin: They poisoned me... I can lose them in the storm...
In this part of the game, you have to move fast after getting shot. Otherwise, you will get shot again and die.
If you are able to reach the river in front without dying, you will get saved by someone.
Yuna: Come on, you stupid horse!
Jin: Yuna? Is that you?
Yuna: I wasn't sure you'd wake up.
Jin: I thought I wouldn't. The Mongols used my own poison on me.
Yuna: How did they get it?
Jin: I don't know... but they learned how to make it themselves.
Yuna: They must have tested it on the people of Kin. Before they burned the town, I saw families, lying in pools of blood.
Jin: There is only one way to end this. Kill Khotun Khan.
Yuna: He's taken his army to a stronghold on the coast. Port Izumi.
Jin: We'll need a staging camp somewhere close.
Yuna: I'll see what I can find. Your equipment is in that chest. Meet me by the lookout tower when you're ready.
Collect your gear
Just a few steps from the bed, you will find your armor.
Jin: Now to find Yuna...
Meet Yuna near the Lookout Tower
You can use the Guiding Wind to find Yuna. She's just a few meters from your current location.
Yuna: I think I found a better hideout... Climb up and look toward the mountain.
Survey the Area
Use the observation circle to look for a new hideout.
Jin: A hideout... somewhere by the mountain... Jogaku's pagoda. Sheltered, defensible, and in striking distance of the Khan's stronghold.
Yuna: There's only one problem. The Mongols have it.
Jin: We can fix that.
Yuna: Let's get the horses.
While moving to the stables, Yuna will ask about your original horse.
Yuna: What happened to your mount...?
Jin: When I escaped, the castle guards fire on us... they killed Nobu.
Yuna: I'm sorry. These will have to do, for now.
Ride out with Yuna
The conversation that follows could be one of the most important and interesting in the whole game. It shows the awareness of Jin to what he has become and his conviction for the choices he has made so far.
Jin: Are those people from Kin?
Yuna: I don't know. The Mongols burned a lot of towns.
Jin: If we'd only pursued their army instead of fighting each other...
Yuna: Why did you surrender to your uncle?
Jin: I couldn't let them take you. My uncle needed someone to blame...
Yuna: And I was his first choice.
Jin: He was trying to protect me. To fulfill his duty to the shogun. I surrendered so you can escape north, and pick up the Khan's trail.
Yuna: Shimura's a fool for turning against you.
Jin: He wanted me to be his son. I destroyed his dream.
Yuna: By doing the right thing.
Jin: Being right doesn't always make things better.
Yuna: Tell that to the people you saved. If we kill the Khan and drive the Mongols out... is there a chance your uncle will forgive you?
Jin: When I was young, Lord Shimura became my father, my sensei, my entire world. I never wanted to disappoint him... I have to hope we can heal this wound. Whatever happens, his forgiveness won't change who I am.
Yuna: He thinks I corrupted you.
Jin: I made my own choices. Even knowing what they've cost me, I'd make them again. Even if the shogun brands me a traitor...
Head to the Frozen Lake
Jin: We're close to Jogaku temple.
Yuna: There's a fishing camp on the lake. We could scout the temple grounds from it.
Jin: Leave the horses here. We'll go in on foot.
Yuna: The woods here are thick. Good cover.
Jin: For us, and the Mongols.
Yuna: The safest approach to the temple might be over open ground...
Jin: Or a frozen lake.
Survey the Frozen Lake
Once you reach the frozen lake, use the observation circles to survey the enemies.
Jin: They have prisoners.
Yuna: They'll freeze to death.
Jin: We'll free them. Clear the fishing village. Then we take the temple.
Jin: A signal cannon.
Yuna: To alert the temple of an attack.
Approach the Ice Fishing Camp
Use stealth to approach the fishing camp and then free the prisoners.
In case you get seen and discovered by the Mongols, always remember the number one rule for rescuing hostages - beware of the red skull icon. That is always your priority enemy to eliminate, as it will kill the hostages if unstopped.
Go to the hostages and kill any enemy that gets near, especially those with red skull icons.
After eliminating all the Mongols, free the hostages.
Peasant: They were working us to death.
Jin: You're free now.
Yuna: That's everyone here.
Jin: The temple will have stronger defenses. We can't rush in.
Yuna: Let's see what we're dealing with...
Review the Plan of Attack
It's time to use the observation circles again to survey the strength of the enemies.
Jin: Archers watching the lake.
Yuna: They'll see us coming. Pick us off.
Jin: Let's bring them to us.
Yuna: How?
Jin: Fire the signal cannon. Lure them onto the ice. Then, divide and conquer.
Jin: They left explosives on the ice. We can use that against them. Keep watch. I'll draw them out.
Set off the Signal Fireworks
As planned, go to the signal fireworks and set them off. Eliminate any Mongols that you might find guarding them.
Jin: That will get their attention. Better get back to Yuna...
Return to Yuna
Yuna: It worked! They're on the ice.
Jin: Let's take them.
Go ahead and defeat all the Mongols that approach you. After defeating them, proceed to the temple.
Yuna: We got the bastards!
Jin: Let's get to the pagoda.
Scout the Grounds of Jogaku Temple
You will discover that this Mongol camp is well defended and that rushing in the front gate will not be a smart move.
There are hostages inside. You might want to use stealth to complete this objective.
Jin: We need to plan our attack carefully...
Yuna: That waterfall's frozen. We could climb it, go over the back wall.
Find the Frozen Waterfall
As suggested by Yuna, use the frozen waterfall to sneak inside.
If you use the frozen waterfall to get in, you will be in a very favorable position to do a slaughter on the Mongol leader.
Sneak inside and slaughter the leader. This decapitation will let you activate your ghost stance and will enable you to kill some of the stronger enemies inside.
After slaughtering the leader, unleash immediately your ghost stance and kill the three heavily armored brutes nearby.
Once you have killed all the Mongols, free the hostages.
Yuna: No Mongols, solid walls... I think we'll be safe here. Hey... Your uncle chose his path.
Jin: And I chose mine. Khotun studied Lord Shimura's tactics. He knows how to break an army of samurai. But he doesn't know how to defend against us.
Yuna: We'll make him hurt. For Taka.
Jin: For everyone.
And with that, you have completed Honor and Ash major quest.
The Next Quest
If you would like to continue with the next major quest, let's proceed with Wolves at the Gates.
