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Duress

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The wayfinder is called back into action by Peitha and the Wizard's Court.

— Story journal

Duress is the eleventh chapter of the Secrets of the Obscure story.

Objectives[edit]

Check in with your allies at the Wizard's Tower.
  • Enter the Wizard's Tower.
  • Check in with Frode.
  • Join your allies.
  • Talk to Isgarren before joining the others.
  • Speak with Zojja.
  • Find your friends.
  • Make final preparations with your allies.
  • Withstand the Kryptis Attack
  • Event bar empty green.jpg Event swords (tango icon).png
  • Attempt to close the rift.
Take care of the rift.
  • Enter the rift.
  • Fly down and group with your allies.
  • Defeat Kryptis and gather their essence.
  • Return collected essence to Zojja.
  • Defeat Sorrow.
  • Return to Zojja.
Explore Nayos with Peitha.
  • Follow Peitha deeper into Nayos.
  • Take a moment to gather yourself.
  • Speak to Peitha when you're ready to move.
  • Follow Peitha to the nearby camp.
  • Clear Eparch's Loyalists from the Camp
  • Event bar empty green.jpg Event swords (tango icon).png
  • Find Arina in the camp.
  • Defend the Camp from the Assault
  • Event bar empty green.jpg Event swords (tango icon).png
  • Regroup with Peitha, Arina, and Ramses.
  • Speak with Peitha about the next part of her plan.
  • Complete!

Rewards[edit]

Walkthrough[edit]

After entering the instance Frode will be standing right in front of you. After this short talk, follow him to the Hall of Gallantry and meet up with Isgarren and Peitha. After finishing your talks with Isgarren, head back to the center of the tower before rerouting to Zojja. Return to the central chamber but be ready for combat against the soon to be spawned waves of Kryptis and then head through the portal (if the prompt to use the portal doesn't appear when close to it, try to back away a bit to get outside of its range and then walk up to it again).

Use your skyscale to cross the gap to the big rift. Kill the spawning Kryptis and then pick up their dropped essences and hand them over to Zojja before they disappear. Continue with this until Sorrow spawns and then reduce it to 25% health to defeat it. Talk a bit more with Zojja and head through the portal for the third and final part.

Talk to Peitha and follow her to the Astral Ward Camp, killing a small group of Kryptis (including a veteran) along the way. Have a quick chat with Arina before defending the camp against 3 waves of Kryptis, coming from two directions at the same time. Talk a bit more with everyone in the camp (and Peitha) to finish the mission.

Replay checkpoints

When replaying the episode, the following checkpoints are available:

  • Duress - beginning of the story step
  • Duress: Nayos (Take care of the rift.) - the encounter with Sorrow
  • Duress: Heitor's Territory (Explore Nayos with Peitha.) - entering Inner Nayos

Achievements[edit]

This achievement rewards items. At All Costs Through the Veil 3Achievement points
Fend off the large Kryptis foe in the given time limit.Journal: Duress
Reward: Relic of Karakosa.pngRelic of Karakosa
Fended Off the Kryptis Foe 3Achievement points
  • Sorrow is defeated when their health is reduced to 25%, so the fight is a bit shorter than what may be expected.
  • Defeat the Sorrow within 3 minutes while not being downed at any point during the fight.
  • Logging out during the fight will put you back into Nayos during the essence collection section (Just before the fight).
  • Achievement qualification may be tracked via the Achievement effect.png Achievement Eligibility: At All Costs effect.
Duress Through the Veil Secrets of the Obscure mastery point 1Achievement points
Catch up with the Wizard's Court and journey through the rifts.Journal: Duress Completed Duress 1Achievement points
  • Complete the story mission.
Heavy Air Through the Veil 1Achievement points
Take a seat after your tiring travels.Journal: Duress Took a Seat after Arriving in Inner Nayos 1Achievement points
  • Take the rift to follow Peitha after defeating the Sorrow to continue the mission.
  • After loading in, type /sit.
  • Can be completed anytime before leaving the instance.
Through the Grapevine Through the Veil 1Achievement points
Check in with the Astral Ward members throughout the Wizard's Tower.Journal: Duress Spoke with All Astral Ward in the Tower 1Achievement points

NPCs[edit]

Nayos[edit]

Allies[edit]

Asura
Demons
Norn
Phantasm
Seers
Various

Foes[edit]

Demons
Kryptis

The Wizard's Tower[edit]

Allies[edit]

Asura
Demons
Norn
Seers

Foes[edit]

Kryptis

Objects[edit]

Dialogue[edit]

Peitha: Have you missed me?
<Character name>: Peitha.
Peitha: The situation in Nayos darkens... Eparch's atrocities only escalate. Your...gravitas is necessary.
Peitha: I'll meet you at the tower. But don't rush—Isgarren delights in my company.
<Character name>: I'd...better hurry.

Duress: Wizard's Tower instance[edit]

Approaching Frode
Frode: Wayfinder!
<Character name>: Frode! How's the Astral Ward?
Frode: Recovering. Still got the odd Kryptis or two coming in from Nayos. Nothing we can't solve with a hammer to the skull.
<Character name>: That's good to hear. These past few months...I've been recovering in my own way. It's still a shock, knowing what I do.
Frode: Isgarren and Peitha are waiting for you, follow me. They're...getting along, at least.
<Character name>: Oh? Consider me...curious. And anxious.
Approaching Isgarren and Peitha
Frode: They're here.
Isgarren: Good. Her presence is not kind to one's sense of inner calm.
Peitha: Darling of you, Garren.
<Character name>: So this is what you meant by "getting along."
Isgarren: Peitha informs us that the situation in Nayos is escalating. I didn't intend to join that fight, but...
Isgarren: Better to stop a growing threat than ignore it. I cannot spare the ward yet, but we should take action.
Frode: We've been seeing a spike in rift attacks here, too. Four in the Shiverpeaks yesterday. One in Kryta this morning.
Peitha: At last our thoughts are in unison. Any help we receive, I will use.
Peitha: I worry about overwhelming the Kryptis with visitors too quickly. But the wayfinder, maybe, and a few strong-stomached allies...
Peitha: We've been pushed to the outer reaches of Nayos, into Nourys's path.
Isgarren: The beast that attacked the spire?
Peitha: It's weaker now, thanks to your efforts, but it has risen the stakes. It consumes.
Peitha: We've a small outpost right on the edge of the abyss. Nourys nor Eparch have been able to see it through the fog.
Peitha: The wayfinder joins me first. We acclimate the Kryptis, and then we bring more.
Isgarren: She loves to assume my benevolence...
<Character name>: Doesn't sound like we have much time to prepare.
Peitha: We do not. Hopefully we can call on the wizards' aid soon as well.
Isgarren: We've incursions to quell in Tyria before I can send any meaningful numbers. But I can be convinced.
Isgarren: Wayfinder, can we speak for a moment? Just you and I.
Peitha: Don't let me ruffle your sumptuous garb, Isgarren. Talk. I'll be near.
Following Isgarren
Isgarren: If you go with her, I might not be able to help you. You'll be on your own.
Isgarren: There are many terrors in the demon realm. It's a...very different world than ours. Mabon knew more than I...
<Character name>: I made Peitha a promise, and I plan on keeping it.
Isgarren: Then you've already chosen.
<Character name>: I have. This is about Tyria.
<Character name>: We barely escaped the dragon cycle. We don't need another oppressor.
Isgarren: I'll light a portal, if that's what you want.
Isgarren: But before we return to within earshot of others... There's one other piece of intel that requires discretion.
Isgarren: Peitha has secured our missing Astral Ward in Nayos—those who were lost when you first traveled to their realm of rot.
<Character name>: You mean... Arina? Frode's daughter? Does he know?
Isgarren: She lives, according to Peitha. I've not permitted Frode to join them until we've established an operational Mists gate.
Isgarren: Keep them safe. And if you've any other questions, now is the time.
Talking to Isgarren
More questions, Wayfinder?
Talk quest option tango.png When will you send more aid?
<Character name>: You seem hesitant to send aid.
Isgarren: Subtle, am I?
Isgarren: Until I see our dear Peitha in action, I'm still unsure if this whole ordeal will be worth it.
Isgarren: I'm not certain the ward would want to go, either. They joined to protect Tyria, not crawl through the depths of Nayos.
Isgarren: But...some are admittedly eager for Kryptis blood. They lost their friends, their allies. And they trust you.
Isgarren: Peitha? Hm, perhaps not. They linger on the line of curiosity and fear, as do I. But they trust their wayfinder.
Isgarren: I will be allowing volunteers to cross through as soon as we establish a gateway between here and Peitha's outpost.
Isgarren: Just...do keep the ward in Nayos secure while we connect those threads.
<Character name>: I'll do my part.
Talk end option tango.png I think that's all I needed.
Talking to Isgarren again
More questions, Wayfinder?
Talk quest option tango.png Do you trust Peitha?
Isgarren: Do I trust Peitha? The better question is: Do you?
<Character name>: I do.
Isgarren: With an ounce of hesitance, I hope. She lingered in your mind for so long. Do you know the detriments she could have inflicted?
<Character name>: And yet she didn't. If anything, she saved me multiple times.
<Character name>: Does that not demonstrate the severity of the situation?
Isgarren: I suppose it does.
Isgarren: Be relentless if you need to be. It would not be a kind place to die in.
Talk end option tango.png I think that's all I needed.
Walking back to the others
Rift Hunter Warrior: Wayfinder.
Approaching Rift Hunters to the west
Rift Hunter Warrior (1): How's that going? Any luck?
Rift Hunter Warrior (2): I don't know how many realms of existence rest between us and Nayos, but trying to maintain a connection is proving...a challenge.
Rift Hunter Warrior (1): I've got faith in you. Once we make that connection, travel between Nayos and Tyria will be much less taxing on the wizards.
Approaching Peitha and Frode
Peitha: Are we ready to depart, then?
<Character name>: I'm with you, Peitha.
Isgarren: My strength is returning, but slowly. It will take a few moments.
Frode: While you two prepare, Wayfinder, with me?
Following Frode
Frode: Someone would like to speak with you.
Frode: She might be a little...
<Character name>: She...went through with it?
Frode: She has. A few weeks back. She's been taking some time to herself, mostly. Adjusting.
<Character name>: How is she taking it?
Frode: Everything is a bit fuzzy. Memories of the ward came back.
Frode: She knows your name. Might take her a moment to connect it to a face.
<Character name>: I... Okay. I'm ready to see her.
Approaching Zojja
Frode: Zojja, you have a visitor.
Zojja: Ear-deep in documentation about the Obscure. Mabon's notes are...extensive.
<Character name>: Hey, Zojja.
Zojja: Uh-huh.
Frode: The wayfinder.
Zojja: Yes—yes, of course. Hello.
Frode: I'll give you two a moment. See me when you're ready.
Zojja: I'm sorry, I... Little overwhelmed. I didn't realize you were coming today.
<Character name>: Peitha and I are about to head into Nayos.
Zojja: Peitha, Peitha... Oh, the giant Kryptis lady. I like her. I think. Isgarren finds her annoying.
Zojja: Wait, you're going with her...?
<Character name>: Yeah, I am. Pretty nervous about it, to be honest.
Zojja: Be safe. I've been a few times, helping seal rifts. It's...something.
<Character name>: I will. Thanks...Zojja.
Zojja: Sorry, I... This must be a bit awkward for you. I'm trying so hard to...
<Character name>: Hey, don't worry about it. One step at a time, right?
Zojja: Yeah, Dagda keeps telling me that, too.
Zojja: Be safe, Commander... No, Wayfinder. Are you a commander?
<Character name>: I was.
Returning to the others
Frode: How'd it go?
<Character name>: Good, I think. She seems like she's doing well. I wish she... I'm just glad she found her home.
<Character name>: (sigh) That was harder than I thought it would be.
Frode: I know it hurts, but keep your bond close. She'll see through the fog if you shine that light bright enough.
Isgarren: Are you ready? Wayfinder?
Rift Hunter Warrior: Warden, Curator! Kryptis in the courtyard! A rift has opened!
Isgarren: Within the bounds of the Wizard's Tower? With the speed of a storm, go.
Rift Hunter Warrior: K-Kryptis? Inside the tower?
Rift Hunter Warrior: We stick together and remain calm.
Peitha: Kryptis, here...?
Peitha: (snarls) Eparch.
<Character name>: Cut them down. Now.
When Veteran Unstoppable Ligaeus spawns at around 60% progress
Veteran Unstoppable Ligaeus: More blood for the Midnight King—it worked!
Veteran Unstoppable Ligaeus: Peitha, you hide with the fodder?
After defeating the Kryptis
Frode: Astral Ward, hold your ground!
Zojja: What's going on?
Isgarren: Peitha, who are they?
Peitha: Followers of Eparch. This rift is...different. It's stronger than even I'm familiar.
Isgarren: Try sealing it with the Heart, Wayfinder.
<Character name>: Way ahead of you.
Sealing the rift
<Character name>: (groans)
<Character name>: It's not working!
Isgarren: Then we try from the other side. Peitha, you lead. We will follow.
Peitha: Take a breath of that lush Tyrian air...and go!
Talking to Frode
Frode: You should go with them.
Talk more option tango.png You're not coming?
Frode: I'll stay here with the ward. Someone needs to keep the tower secure in case there's another attack.
Talk end option tango.png Watch yourself.
Talk end option tango.png I'll go with Isgarren and Zojja.

Duress: Nayos instance[edit]

Entering Nayos
<Character name>: What...is this place? N-Nayos?
After flying down to group with allies
Zojja: Welcome back to Nayos, Wayfinder.
<Character name>: It looks so different.
Peitha: Acclimate yourselves. This isn't Eparch's territory, but we're exposed.
Zojja: No time; it looks like the welcoming committee is right on schedule. Get ready, everyone.
Isgarren: I haven't seen this realm of existence in...
Peitha: Fight, Isgarren. Focus.
Isgarren: I intend to.
Defeat Kryptis and gather their essence
Zojja: The Heart of the Obscure should allow you to extract demonic essence from the Kryptis you slay.
Zojja: The rifts will only respond to their particular flavor of magic, so we'll need to gather enough to complete the spell.
<Character name>: I'm on it.
Isgarren: Your own kind... Lashing out against you. Is this what millennia of appetence have distilled him to...?
Peitha: You see it now. You feel it.
Zojja: We need to take more of them down! And the bigger the Kryptis, the more essence.
Zojja: Though...it seems that the essence degrades pretty fast. Bring it back to me as quickly as possible.
Zojja: But be careful now. The more you carry, the more it will drain your life force. Don't push yourself too hard!
<Character name>: Trying my best!
Peitha: Yes, I'd like to keep the wayfinder in one piece.
After defeating enough Kryptis
Zojja: That should be enough! Bring it back to me.
Peitha: Unshakable, they are. Traitors.
After returning collected essence to Zojja
Zojja: I need to focus. Keep the big one off me, and I'll finish the spell.
Isgarren: Can you handle this, Zojja?
Zojja: Y-yeah.
<Character name>: We're with you. We're right here.
Talking to Zojja after defeating Sorrow
Zojja: All right! That should do it! Quickly, everyone, back through that rift before it collapses on us!
Peitha: The wayfinder and I will venture farther into the realm.
Peitha: Follow. We'll make toward refuge.
Isgarren: Wayfinder. Keep your eyes up and your mind sharp as obsidian.
Isgarren: Our paths part. For now.
<Character name>: Be safe.

Duress: Heitor's Territory instance[edit]

Upon entering the instance
<Character name>: (steadying breath)
Peitha: Take a deep breath. Our air is heavy, but you can breathe it. You have before.
Peitha: We're not far from camp. Rest a moment. We've been met with excitement after excitement. Even I tire.
<Character name>: Thanks...
Peitha: Take it in, then we'll start moving. Don't rush yourself.
Talking to Peitha
Nayos is...unlike anything in Tyria. Take the time you need to adapt to your surroundings. Let me know when you're ready to go.
Talk quest option tango.png I'm good to go.
Talk end option tango.png I need a minute.
Following Peitha to the nearby camp
<Character name>: I wasn't expecting Nayos to be so...serene.
Peitha: What did you expect...? I am curious.
<Character name>: More blood, I think. Less of this.
Peitha: Your shock is not too surprising. Your first impressions of my world were birthed in the Temple of Febe.
Peitha: That...cursed place.
<Character name>: Cerus said that Febe was...killed?
Peitha: Yes. He was...my teacher. A guide. He felt the things about Eparch that I do now. I couldn't save him then...
Peitha: Had Febe not fallen, maybe we'd have put Eparch down sooner.
<Character name>: I've had those thoughts. They're not worth it.
<Character name>: You're fighting back against Eparch NOW. That's what we need to focus on.
Peitha: Ramses should be on guard right now...
Peitha: Quickly.
Veteran Spitemaw: Traitorous snake you are, little Peitha.
Peitha: Crawl back and kiss the fangs of your "king."
After defeating Eparch's loyalists
<Character name>: Starting to see the bigger picture...
Peitha: We must find Arina and the others.
<Character name>: So she is alive.
Peitha: And thriving, last I saw her.
Peitha: We located her and her...fierce entourage of Astral Ward not long ago. I'm still in awe as to how they survived at all.
Peitha: But if Eparch has us sniffed out...
<Character name>: Let's keep moving.
Approaching the camp
Arina: Any sign of Peitha?
Rift Hunter Warrior: Not yet.
Arina: Damn.
Rift Hunter Warrior: (groans)
After approaching Arina
Arina: About time.
Ramses: I smell...excitement? Maybe I'm confusing fear...? Were you back in Tyria again?
Peitha: And I brought a friend.
Arina: The Pact commander! Interesting choice.
<Character name>: Arina, I...
<Character name>: It's good to see you alive. What happened in Gendarran
Arina: Eh, surprise to us both. Now, eyes on the threat.
After successfully defending the camp
<Character name>: Looks like the last of them.
Peitha: What happened?
Ramses: Heitor happened.
Peitha: Was she here?
Arina: Only scouts, from what we can tell. But I'm sure their eventual absence will be noticed.
Peitha: The barrier will keep our location shielded, for now. We can't breach the interior, but they're also barred from us.
Peitha: Wayfinder, you've met Arina.
Arina: They were "secretly" snooping through my camp.
Peitha: And Ramses. Well, Ramses speaks for himself.
Ramses: Curious, the way you smell.
<Character name>: And who is this "Heitor"?
Peitha: Oh, what would be the appropriate Tyrian familial connection... My cousin?
Ramses: And one of Eparch's prized fang-suckers.
Arina: A bit pissy that you offed her mate, based on how many she sent. Managed to take down most of 'em before you got back.
<Character name>: Cerus, I assume?
Peitha: We've no shortage of family drama. Now that Heitor knows of this place, we'd better stop her from sharing the news.
Arina: I'll check on the Astral Ward and others.
Talking to Peitha
<Character name>: I imagine Frode is relieved about Arina but disappointed he can't be here... I didn't have the chance to ask him.
Peitha: The huntress would rather cope with her progenitor on her own. When Isgarren's little gate is open, they will meet.
Peitha: When her contingent first arrived with you... Thanks whatever dubious entity you pray to that they found a place to hide.
Peitha: They managed to survive while Kryptis eyes were pointed at Tyria. Only a few lives were lost to the hostility of our world.
<Character name>: I'm glad you found them before things started escalating.
Peitha: So am I. Ramses has remained at Arina's side, helping the Tyrians acclimate. I think they've taken to our realm of barbarity.
Peitha: Arina is a force of nature, and I'm sure she'd be fine on her own.
Peitha: Now, rest. Adjust. The ward has crops that are at least tolerable for your consumption.
Talking to Arina
Yes?
Talk quest option tango.png I wanted to talk to you about...
Arina: Before you try to apologize again: it's fine.
Arina: When we were pulled into that portal in Gendarran Fields... I was uneasy, at first. I gathered what Astral Ward I could find.
Arina: We...lost a few along the way. Managed to find an alcove just out of sight. Astral Ward survival tactics.
Arina: And then Peitha and Ramses tracked us down. Just a few days ago. Good timing too, as our rations were growing dangerously low.
<Character name>: Well, I'm glad you made it in one piece then. Your dad was worried.
Arina: It's a relief to hear that "Old Frode" didn't throw himself into a fight he couldn't crawl out of. He's protective. And stubborn.
<Character name>: I'll leave Frode to you, then.
Arina: Thanks. Now, I need to attend to the ward. Come find me later–I'm sure we've got plenty for you to do.
Talk end option tango.png I think that's all I needed.
Talking to Ramses
Yes?
Talk quest option tango.png Can I ask you more about dreams?
Ramses: You are the subject of many a dream... I see why Peitha was so fascinated by you.
<Character name>: Dreams, as in...?
Ramses: Ah, yes. You've so little exposure to our world. Let me be your guide.
Ramses: Dreams flutter through our air, bleeding in from other worlds. Visions of cities and wars... Great beasts and lovers.
Ramses: We Kryptis–and all "demons"–are born with a flicker of curiosity. Your dreams inspire us. For better or worse.
If sylvari:
<Character name>: That's not too dissimilar from my people. We are born of a dream; it gives us a path, a purpose.
If not sylvari:
<Character name>: I think I understand. That sounds an awful lot like the sylvari from our world.
Ramses: Yes! That is right. The people of the Pale Tree have especially poignant dreams. Exciting and feverish.
Ramses: Eparch has...stifled our ability to dream, however. As of late, the youngest of our kind have yet to experience any.
Ramses: It is quite suffocating, the way he keeps them all to himself.
<Character name>: Do you have faith in Peitha?
Ramses: With all of my flesh.
Ramses: It is...comforting to be in the presence of your...ah, resolve. I have faith in Peitha's as well.
Talk end option tango.png I think that's all I needed.

My story[edit]

Eye of the North loading screen.jpg

As I recovered from the battle with Cerus in Nayos, Peitha's familiar voice rang in my head, calling me back to the Wizard's Tower. When I arrived, I found her and Isgarren discussing a recent spike in Kryptis activity—it was time for me to join her in that fight. Isgarren expressed some reservations about the Astral Ward delving deep into Nayos, but Peitha proposed that a small force would be preferable to acclimate the Kryptis to our presence. I'm still not certain of Peitha's ultimate goals, but taking down Eparch seems like a worthy enough cause.

As Peitha and Isgarren made a few last preparations, Frode pulled me aside to give me a chance to be reacquainted with an old friend. Zojja, having fully ascended into wizardhood, had lost most of her memory, as predicted. She...had hardly any idea who I was. Knowing she made this sacrifice willingly didn't make it any easier. We'd only just reconnected after all this time apart, and just a short time later I'd lost her again. I'm barely more than an acquaintance now. But this is what she wanted, and I need to support that choice.

For better or worse, I had little time to dwell on my friend—as Isgarren readied to open a portal, a rift tore into the courtyard, spilling Kryptis into the Wizard's Tower. Unable to seal it from the outside with the Heart of the Obscure, we were left with no choice but to jump through and attempt to seal it from the source—inside Nayos.

***

Between pained gasps, I once again found myself breathing the thick air of the demon realm. I had only seconds to wonder at the strangely beautiful surroundings—nothing like the horrors I'd seen fighting Cerus—before we plunged into battle. Zojja instructed me to collect the essence of the Kryptis we defeated, using it to enhance the power of the Heart of the Obscure and seal the rift.

***

Isgarren and Zojja rushed back through the closing rift to the Wizard's Tower while Peitha opened her own portal. She ushered me to yet another location deeper in Nayos, near a fledgling Astral Ward camp in an area shrouded by a kind of magical fog. Kept secret and safe by Peitha following their rescue, they still lived after all this time. We approached to find the camp under assault by Eparch's loyalist Kryptis. Leading the defense, Arina fought alongside a hardened crew of ward survivors, as well as Peitha's dedicated Kryptis ally, Ramses. We joined the effort and swept the camp clear of enemies.

After our brief introduction when I was first pulled into Nayos by Cerus, I was relieved to find Arina alive—both for her sake and Frode's. It turns out that Arina and her ward had crawled out of that chaos before Cerus could sniff them out, and they'd worked together to survive and build out a small camp not far from what would turn out to be our next objective: Heitor's Gate. Peitha and Ramses had located Arina and her crew just days ago and called on me to begin the push forward.

Although I've yet to paint a full picture of Peitha's motivations, her story continues to prove...earnest. Arina trusts her. Ramses would likely die for her. Whatever fight lies ahead, I think we might be on the right side.

My story