Overview
A Tale of Tsushima in Toyotama, norio tale 6 of 9 — part of a warrior monk arming the temples once prayer proves insufficient.
The Cause of Suffering belongs to Norio’s questline: a warrior monk arming the temples once prayer proves insufficient. It is norio tale 6 of 9, set in Toyotama.
The ally questlines are the game’s best writing and they run in order, so this tale assumes the ones before it. Norio’s arc rewards being followed as a sequence rather than picked at.
In the game’s own framing: The Mongols have taken an ancient statue of the Buddha from Kushi Temple and the monks are ready to give up. Getting it back is the point.
This is tale 6 of 9 in Norio’s arc. The ally questlines run in order and assume the ones before them, so they reward being followed as a sequence rather than picked at.
What to bring
The stances are a counter-table, not a preference: each one is the answer to a specific enemy, and this tale fields the ones below.
- RequiredComplete "The Blood Sutra"This tale does not appear until then.
- RecommendedStone StanceStone breaks swordsmen, who make up most of every Mongol group.
- RecommendedWater StanceWater is the only efficient answer to a raised shield.
- RecommendedMoon StanceMoon staggers Brutes; nothing else in the melee kit reliably does.
Objectives
- Speak with the monk
- Travel with Norio
- Speak with the dying monk
- Speak with Norio
- Find the Mongols
- Defeat them
- Find the statue
Full walkthroughSpoilers
- 01Speak with the monk
Inside the temple, about the stolen statue.
- 02Travel with Norio
Out through the gates, then ride down the road with him.
- 03Speak with the dying monk
On the path, which triggers a cutscene.
- 04Speak with Norio
Automatic afterwards.
- 05Find the Mongols
Leave the main road for an off-road encampment.
- 06Defeat them
Archers, swordsmen, brutes and shield-bearers in blue armour — a stance for each. Switch to Moon Stance for the Brutes: they shrug off ordinary damage and Moon's heavy overheads are what actually stagger them. Their big swings are unblockable, so dodge rather than block and answer in the gap afterwards. Shield-bearers need Water Stance, and specifically its heavy attacks — light attacks chip uselessly at a raised shield. Deal with the archers first. Everything else in the fight is harder while arrows are landing, and archers fold quickly once you are on them — or take them at range before you commit.
TipStone breaks swordsmen, who make up most of every Mongol group.
- 07Find the statue
Down the hill to the coastal cove with the wooden spikes and rowboats. It is on a wooden cart.
Enemies in this tale, and how to fight them
Strengths
- Archers — Deal with them before you commit to the melee, because everything else in the fight becomes harder while arrows are landing. Take them with your own bow, drop them from stealth before the fight opens, or close the distance immediately — archers are poor at close range and fold quickly once you are on them. Where the tale gives you high ground, use it: an elevated position means only one side of the field can answer you.
- Brutes — Moon Stance. Brutes soak an enormous amount of ordinary damage, and Moon's heavy overhead strikes are what actually stagger them. Their big swings are usually unblockable — red marker — so dodge those rather than trying to block, and answer in the window afterwards rather than trading. Some carry explosives. If you have Resolve banked, a Brute is the right place to spend it.
- Shield-bearers — Water Stance, and specifically its heavy attacks — that is what breaks a raised shield. Trying to chip through the front of a shield with light attacks wastes the fight. Stagger them first so the guard comes up and breaks, then go through the opening quickly before it closes.
- Swordsmen — Stone Stance, whose heavy attacks do extra stagger damage to sword-wielders and break their guard. Swordsmen are the backbone of nearly every Mongol group, so Stone is the stance you will spend the most time in. Parry timing matters more here than anywhere else: blue attacks can be parried, red ones cannot and have to be dodged.
Rewards
- Minor Legend IncreaseA smaller step toward the next Legend rank — the size a side tale, a liberated settlement or a cleared encounter gives.
- Minor Utility CharmA silver charm. Minor charms are weaker than major ones and go in the minor slots — you start with two major slots and unlock up to four minor ones by honouring Inari Shrines, for six equipped at once.
- +2 SilkUpgrade material. Silk, linen and leather are what armourers and swordsmiths charge to improve your gear.
What this unlocks
Norio’s tales
Characters in this tale
Sources
- Ghost of Tsushima Walkthrough — PowerPyx
- Ghost of Tsushima Walkthrough — All Tales — PowerPyx