Forced Hand

Forced Hand

Year

1337 AE

Storyline

Secrets of the Obscure

Chapter

Forced Hand

Location

Nyedra, Dreamer's Sanctum
(Inner Nayos)

Level

80

Preceded by

The War Council

Followed by

Eventide's March

API

704

Forced Hand is the fifteenth chapter of the Secrets of the Obscure story.

Objectives

Convince General Nephus to join Peitha's cause.

• Meet with Ramses at the outskirts of Nyedra.
• Look for Peitha in Nyedra.
• Deal with the guards loyal to Eparch.
  
• Follow Peitha and find Nephus.
• Listen to what the general has to say.
• Hold off Labris and her royal guard!
  
• Listen to the parley.
• Defeat the attacking royal guard.
  
• Speak to Peitha.
• Complete!

Rewards

• Bag of Loot (3)
• Deluxe Gear Box
• Tale of Adventure

Walkthrough

Starting from right next to the Temple of Charybda, head down the stairs to the southwest and talk to Peitha. Thereafter, there are 3 small groups of enemies blocking your progress south to the stairs leading up to Archway of the Fallen Heroes.

Up there and following a discussion with Nephus, a contingent of Queen Labris's guards will attack, followed by a discussion with her, and, finally, another attack.

Achievements

Forced Hand	The Realm of Dreams	1  1
Meet and negotiate with Nephus.Journal: Forced Hand	Completed Forced Hand	1

• Complete the story instance.

Double-Time	The Realm of Dreams	1
Overcome Labris's royal guard in less than 1 minute.Journal: Forced Hand	Overcame Labris's royal guard in less than 1 minute	1

• The guard is a small group of 4-5 regular enemies. The primary concern in getting the achievement will be realizing it has started and aggroing the group as it sits atop the stairs.
• This achievement is done as part of the "Hold off Labris and her royal guard!" step.
• Fails if you get downed.

Kryptis Souvenirs	The Realm of Dreams	3
Collect the Kryptis weapons left behind.Journal: Forced Hand Objectives: 5 objectives in total First weapon found. Second weapon found. Third weapon found. Fourth weapon found. Fifth weapon found.	Collected the Kryptis weapons left behind	3

• Find 5 Lost Kryptis Weapons.
• The first weapon is west from where you start the mission.
• Descend down the path and on the rocks near the flowing water to collect the 3rd weapon.
• On the cliff ledge above the 3rd weapon next to a flesh tree, is the 5th weapon. (Be careful on obtaining this one early, as it near the mission barrier at the start)
  • You also have the opportunity to collect this after fighting the last set of guards. It is west of a set of pillars as you go towards a waterfall.
• After encountering the second set of guards (Avatar of Envy), keep moving forward and the 2nd weapon will be on the right side on a small set of stairs.
• After encountering the third set of guards (Avatar of Gluttony), the 4th weapon is high up on the east cliff ledge past the gate.
  • You can also retrieve this during the conversation between Peitha & General Nephus. It is on the opposite side of the cliff from the stairs.

Your Majesty	The Realm of Dreams	1
Kneel with Nephus to show your loyalty.Journal: Forced Hand	Knelt with Nephus to Show Your Loyalty	1

• Use /kneel emote in front of Peitha while Nephus is also kneeling.
• Nephus does this just before the final fight, after Labris takes a few steps down the stairs (closer to Nephus and Peitha). After a few lines he then says that neither is Eparch his king nor Labris his queen. He kneels just after the line "Labris is not my queen.", facing Peitha.

NPCs

Allies

Demons

• Ramses
• Peitha

Objects

• Lost Kryptis Weapon

Dialogue

Meeting with Ramses

Ramses: Masterfully done, Wayfinder. You've reduced the local loyalists from a horde to a swarm.

Ramses: That should afford us the few minutes we'll require.

<Character name>: Lowering that barrier really kicked the beehive. Are you sure we'll have enough time?

Ramses: It's only going to get worse, I'm afraid. Besides, the chance we'll even be allowed to speak to the general is slim at best.

Ramses: Should that happen, then yes, I believe we will have more than enough time for Peitha's proposal to be summarily rejected.

Ramses: Possibly even enough to retreat before this place is teeming with loyalists.

<Character name>: Pessimism doesn't suit you, Ramses.

Ramses: Once you meet Nephus, I think you'll discover my pessimism to be realism. Come, Peitha waits ahead. Be on your guard.

Talking to Peitha

Peitha: Ah, there you are. Shall we?

<Character name>: Lead the way. What's your plan?

<Character name>: Ramses didn't seem too optimistic about Nephus hearing your argument, let alone agreeing with it.

Ramses: I... I assure you, that is a gross oversimplification. My lady.

Peitha: You are right to be concerned. Nephus will not be charmed or deceived.

Peitha: I aim to speak to him general to general. Away from the influence of onlookers.

As Peitha walks up the path, encountering guards

Ramses: Guards ahead. Loyalists, step aside, and we will allow you to live! Join the Lady Peitha's cause, and—

Avatar of Gluttony: You are Peitha's army? (laughs) Take this pretty one alive. Kill that ugly creature at his side.

At the second encounter with guards

Avatar of Envy: Hold them off. The Royal Guard cannot be long in arriving.

At the third encounter with guards

Avatar of Gluttony: What is your business here?

Ramses: Starting a war, I imagine.

Avatar of Gluttony: Die then, traitor!

At the fourth encounter at The Queen's Procession

Avatar of Envy: Rebels. We will deliver your corpses to Eparch himself.

As Peitha begins traversing the stairs to meet Nephus

Peitha: I do not come to offer honeyed words. The truth is all he will hear and all I will offer.

Avatar of Gluttony: Move no further. And tell us, "great lady": What truth is that?

Peitha: That you all with join us in battle now or join us in death.

Incarnation of Judgement: If joining us in death is what you seek, step forward.

Peitha: Hold, sister. We share the same house, as I hope we will share enemies on the battlefield.

General Nephus: Hope is worth little in these times, Peitha. Of House Nephus.

Incarnation of Judgement: General!

Avatar of Gluttony: General Nephus! You're in danger—

General Nephus: It is the "great lady" who is in danger. I'm surprised you show your horns here.

General Nephus: Speak quickly, before Labris takes them as her trophy. I will not have yet another needless death on my conscience.

Peitha: Your concern is appreciated, General, as always. But I cannot leave until you hear my proposal.

General Nephus: Cannot? Or will not?

General Nephus: No matter, they're your horns, whether attached to your pretty head or crushed to powder under Eparch's heel.

General Nephus: Well, speak, child.

General Nephus: Did you expect a private audience in my palace? This is not your uncle's great hall. We have no such comforts here.

Peitha: No. No, you do not. You have little more than crumbling walls and the weapons in your hands.

Peitha: Walls that keep your enemies out? No. Walls that keep you cowering within. Waiting in fear.

Peitha: Until the day Eparch calls your name. Drags you from your pitiful home. Hauls you to his citadel, bleating like cattle.

Peitha: Spits your bones onto the piled corpses of our brothers and sisters!

Incarnation of Judgement: (grumbles)

Avatar of Gluttony: (grumbles)

When ambushed by Royal Guards

Incarnation of Judgement: General! The loyalists! To arms!

Peitha: Stand and fight!

Peitha: Wayfinder! Ramses! Push them back.

General Nephus: Stand down!

General Nephus: Do not engage. We will not draw the ire of Eparch.

After dealing with the Royal Guards

Queen Labris: Stand down, Royal Guard!

Queen Labris: General! We appear to be at an impasse, and I see you hesitate to press us. Shall we parley?

General Nephus: I have no wish for wanton bloodshed. Majesty.

Queen Labris: The barrior breaks, and we arrive to find you already harboring traitors.

Queen Labris: What is this if not a provocation to spill blood? General.

Peitha: Eparch needs no provocation to spill blood. Only thirst.

General Nephus: My lady. Let's maintain some decorum. Your Majesty, Lady Peitha is an uninvited guest.

Queen Labris: Nephus. Your king and queen know you—and our loyal subjects—do not seek to upset our...delicate truce.

Queen Labris: We have spared you when we could have done otherwise.

Queen Labris: We recognize you have stayed your hand today. So we offer you a deal.

Queen Labris: Turn the traitor and her creatures over to us, and we leave you to your own devices.

Queen Labris: Obstruct us in any way... I'm sure you're well aware of the consequences of disappointing your king.

General Nephus: Peitha's presence here is unwanted. Even feared.

Queen Labris: I'm pleased we agree.

General Nephus: Feared, because we all live in terror. At the mercy of the king's whims.

General Nephus: Will he punish us, even for happenings out of our control?

Queen Labris: Nephus... You overstep.

General Nephus: Uninvited she may be, but Peitha is a guest nonetheless. Labris, it is you who oversteps.

General Nephus: I will live in fear no longer. Eparch is not my king. Labris is not my queen.

General Nephus: Majesty.

General Nephus kneels to Peitha

Queen Labris: Circle, with me.

Queen Labris: Royal Guard, forward.

Queen Labris: Nephus dies. Anyone who stands with Nephus dies. Spare the rest.

Speaking to Peitha after the attack

Peitha: Thank you, General.

General Nephus: For decades I have protected these people. Your people. Now their blood is on our hands.

General Nephus: You left me no choice. And you knew it. Just like your brother. Your uncle. Their plotting. Scheming.

General Nephus: Always ending in misery.

General Nephus: You owe our people. Your family owes us. Bring us something other than death.

Peitha: He will calm quickly, if for no other reason than he sees that we must press our advantage while it still lingers.

Peitha: Soon we move. Be ready, Wayfinder; Labris burns with belief—her flame will not be easily snuffed.

My story

“ I met Ramses on the outskirts of Nyedra. We made our way past Kryptis dwellings and temples and engaged loyalist guards in the streets. Eventually we met up with Peitha and followed her toward the general's last known location, whispers of the people of Nyedra trailing us. Deeper in town, more guards confronted us—but these soldiers were loyal to Nephus. Just as it seemed a battle would ensue, our elusive target emerged from the shadows. While Nephus's guards worried for his safety, the general himself exuded calm authority. He posited that it was Peitha who was in danger, not himself. But Peitha refused to leave without the general hearing her proposal. Rather than finding a safe, quiet place to talk, General Nephus ordered Peitha to speak right there in the Nyedra streets, in front of a full Kryptis audience. Peitha used the audience to her advantage. Her speech gained momentum as she addressed the crowd directly. She might well have convinced the people of Nyedra to join her then and there, but one of Nephus's guards cried out an alarm: Queen Labris and her royal guard had arrived. Tension was high. Peitha urged the onlookers to join with them and fight, but General Nephus, in an attempt to remain neutral and protect his people from slaughter, ordered them not to take up arms against the queen's forces. Left with no choice but to defend ourselves, Peitha, Ramses, and I held off Queen Labris's initial attack, battling the royal guard to a stalemate. Labris called for her forces to stand down and proposed a parley with General Nephus, which he accepted. The Kryptis queen, stately yet menacing, made her proposal: in exchange for turning Peitha, Ramses, and me over into her custody, Nephus and his people would be granted clemency and left in peace in Nyedra with her blessing and that of King Eparch. Nephus seemed initially receptive to the proposal. But slowly, we watched as his anger toward his queen built. He swore fealty to Peitha and renounced Labris and Eparch. With this one swift decision, war was truly declared, and Nayos was thrown into chaos. Queen Labris ordered the royal guard forward, sparking an all-out Kryptis-on-Kryptis clash. The people of Nyedra rallied to General Nephus, and with our combined forces we beat back the opposing force and eventually destroyed Labris's royal guard entourage. Labris then retreated under the protection of her elite Queen's Circle. Peitha thanked General Nephus. He answered in tightly controlled fury that his hand had been forced. He challenged Peitha to make up for the violence and misery that her brother and uncle had inflicted upon the Kryptis. "You owe our people. Your family owes us," he said as he walked away. "Bring us something other than death." Unfortunately, that request would have to wait; both he and Peitha knew that Labris had to be dealt with. More bloodshed was on the horizon. But I am prepared for the coming battle against the queen. — My story

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Secrets of the Obscure storyline

Act 1	Prologue: Uncertain Times → Commander without a Cause → Hell Breaks Loose → Mother of Stars
Act 2	Voices beyond the Veil → The Missing Facet → Tower of Secrets → Mabon's Fate
Act 3	Into the Obscure → The World Spire → Treachery
Through the Veil	Duress → The Survivors → Heitor's Gate
The Realm of Dreams	The War Council → Forced Hand → Eventide's March
The Midnight King	Desperate Measures → The Eleventh Hour → Sovereign of Nayos
← Previous: End of Dragons Next: Janthir Wilds →