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"The Tale of Lady Masako" is one of several missions that make up Ghost of Tsushima's first act. Once Sensei Ishikawa has agreed to assist Jin with his mission, he will suggest that Lady Masako Adachi be his next stop. Like many of Ghost of Tsushima's missions, Jin does not have to begin "The Tale of Lady Masako" in any specific order, but he will not be able to complete Act 1 without bringing the formidable warrior into the fold.
"The Tale of Lady Masako" acts as an introduction to the character of Lady Masako Adachi. Players who have paid close attention to detail will notice that Lady Masako is the wife of the samurai who confronted Khotun Khan before the battle on Komoda beach, which didn't end well for the samurai. While that battle raged on, Masako and her family were attacked by assassins, killing anyone they could get their hands on. When Jin catches up to her, Masako's mind is consumed with vengeance.
How to Start The Tale of Lady Masako in Ghost of Tsushima
Head to the mission marker found east of the Golden Temple to begin "The Tale of Lady Masako." Her face is clearly visible on the golden icon. As long as Jin has visited the Golden Temple previously, he can use it as a fast-travel destination. From there, the mission marker is very close.
Adachi Estate Mission Objectives:
- Search the main house
- Search the guest house
Upon arriving at the destination, Jin cannot find Lady Masako. He is prompted to search the estate.
The main house shows clear indications that a fight has recently taken place, with a bloody naginata stuck in the tatami mat. Jin knows that this weapon is used by the women warriors of Clan Adachi. He sees signs that a baby was passed through the window as the inhabitants of the main house tried to escape. The bedroom has been completely ransacked.
As Jin heads towards the guest house, several men burst through the entrance. After killing them, Jin will note that they are not bandits, and they are not Mongols, Ghost of Tsushima's main enemies. Jin decides a search of the guest house is no longer necessary, and heads to the stables to check if anyone successfully fled the scene.
- Search the stables
There seem to be no horses at the stables, but there are several areas to investigate. Jin finds dried blood on the dirt before discovering that someone has fled the estate. He must further investigate the tracks.
- Follow the footprints
Jin observes that whoever fled was being chased on horseback and taking arrow fire. He eventually comes across a dead horse lying in the middle of the path.
- Investigate the fallen horse
As Jin kneels down to examine the horse, arrows begin to fly, missing him by mere inches. The culprit is revealed to be Lady Masako. After a brief moment she recognizes Jin and tells him that the killers that attacked her family were not bandits, but commoners who had served Clan Adachi. This revelation deeply troubles Lord Sakai. Though she initially refuses his help, Jin convinces Masako to let him help avenge those that died.
Jin Rides With Lady Masako
Ride to the Burial Site:
- Follow Masako
Follow Masako to the site where she buried her family.
- Honor the dead
Lady Masako reveals that her sister, her children, and her grandchildren were killed, even her newborn granddaughter.
- Follow Masako
Ride to the Golden Temple:
Masako and Jin head to the Golden Temple to interrogate a priest named Sogen. When they arrive, Masako asks Jin to speak with him alone, and to retrieve something from the armorer when he is finished.
- Look for Sogen
- Speak with the armorer
As soon as Jin enters the temple grounds, the senior priest, a man named Junshin, points Jin in Sogen's direction.
- Speak with the sweeping monk
- Speak with the armorer
Sogen can be found sweeping the deck of the large temple near the center of the grounds. He will have a clear mission marker over his head. As Jin speaks with him, it appears that he has genuine concern for Lady Masako. Head to the armorer next.
The armorer is outside the northernmost pagoda. Look for a visible mission marker on approach. She will give Jin the Samurai Clan Armor, likely the first set of substantial armor the player will acquire.
Jin and Masako Follow Sogen
When Jin meets back up with Masako, it becomes clear that she thinks Sogen has something to do with the massacre, and can hopefully lead her to his coconspirators. Head to the vantage point overlooking the temple grounds to see how Sogen reacts.
Head to Vantage Point:
- Follow Masako
- Look for Sogen
Jin and Masako see Sogen preparing to leave the temple, just and she suspected. Use stealth to trail the priest.
Follow Sogen to the Hideout
- Trail Sogen
Jin must keep Sogen in his line of sight to keep the mission active. If a clear line is broken, a fifteen-second countdown will begin that will end with mission failure.
Small patches of Pampas grass line the path, which comes in handy when Sogen stops to check his surroundings.
It won't take long to reach Sogen's destination, an old inn on the side of the road.
Defeat the Assassins With Lady Masako
As soon as Lady Masako sees Sogen join his buddies at the inn, and hears them do everything but confess, she doesn't leave much room for the stealth approach. She will go in sword drawn, her only aim, revenge. Jin gets to have his standoff with one enemy, but he is forced to fight the rest in open combat.
This fight will be an early test of Jin's combat skills, as multiple enemies will confront him at once. Jin will not have much besides his sword at this point of the game, so try not to let him get completely surrounded. Masako should take the heat off of Jin, at least somewhat. If Jin has unlocked the kunai, the first of Ghost of Tsushima's powerful Ghost Weapons, this will be an excellent chance to use it. The safest strategy is to stay mobile, try to stop the enemy from forming groups by moving around the battle area.
Confront Sogen with Lady Masako
Once all Sogen's thugs are defeated, Masako will urge Jin to hurry and join her as she moves to confront the priest Sogen.
- Confront Sogen
Follow Masako into the building and up the ladder. They will discover Sogen cowering in a corner, clearly afraid of what's about to happen. Approach him to initiate a cutscene. Sogen will offer very little in terms of hard evidence, but it is clear that he is not the one calling the shots. Just after Jin insists that they need Sogen alive, Lady Masako cuts him down in an explosion of raw vengeance.
- Search the inn
After Masako's violent attack, she leaves Jin to search the inn without her. The game clearly leads Jin to the right location.
He will notice that the assassins who had been staying at the inn were running dangerously short on food. He also discovers a clay pot filled with money, presumably given as payment for the gruesome deed performed by the group of traitors. But most importantly, he finds a list of the names of all the conspirators.
- Speak with Lady Masako
Head outside to speak to Masako. Jin is able to convince Masako to join his cause and help release Lord Shimura, and Jin assures her that Shimura will assist with bringing the traitors to justice.
Lady Masako's tale will now split off into a separate chain of side-quests. The next mission will be "The Headman," which can be started at the Golden Temple. Jin can now complete any available Jin's Journey mission on the map to continue Ghost of Tsushima's main story.
Ghost of Tsushima is available now for the PS4 and PS5.