TL;DR
- Unwritten Tales are hidden side quests in Iki Island that offer story content and contribute to the Common Courtesy trophy
- The drowning peasants quest is located at Buddha’s Footprints lake in southern Iki Island
- Prioritize eliminating Mongol archers first using stealth approaches for optimal results
- Complete the encounter quickly to prevent additional civilian casualties and war atrocities
- Success triggers a concluding cutscene and quest completion without additional material rewards
Ghost of Tsushima’s Iki Island expansion introduces players to a series of hidden missions known as Unwritten Tales, which provide additional narrative depth beyond the main storyline. These optional quests aren’t marked on your map, requiring exploration and environmental awareness to discover naturally during your journey across the island.
While completing these side missions isn’t mandatory for progressing through the main campaign, they deliver compelling short story experiences that enrich the game’s world-building. For achievement-focused players, successfully finishing all Unwritten Tales contributes significantly toward unlocking the coveted Common Courtesy trophy. These encounters typically involve rescuing civilians, intervening in Mongol atrocities, or assisting locals with their struggles against the invasion.
If you’re pursuing completion of additional Unwritten Tales, our comprehensive Complete Guide offers detailed walkthroughs for each hidden mission. For broader context about the expansion’s content and quality, consult our detailed Iki Island assessment. Alternatively, explore our complete collection of Iki Island assistance materials and our extensive base game reference guides.
This particular Unwritten Tale unfolds at a serene lake situated within the Buddha’s Footprints region, specifically in the southern territories of Iki Island. The location features distinctive geographical markers including surrounding rock formations and traditional Buddhist statues that help identify the correct area.
Upon reaching the destination, you’ll witness a distressing scene where Mongol archers are systematically attempting to drown a group of defenseless peasants. The Mongols treat this horrific act as target practice, taking shots at the struggling civilians as they fight to stay above water. Environmental audio cues including distant screams and splashing water often help players locate the encounter before visually spotting it.
Players maintain complete tactical freedom regarding how they eliminate the Mongol forces. We strongly recommend employing stealth techniques by approaching from the rear, systematically neutralizing the archers initially, then engaging the remaining melee-equipped soldiers. This prioritized approach minimizes risk to both Jin Sakai and the endangered civilians.
Whatever combat methodology you ultimately select, execute your plan rapidly to prevent these brutal invaders from committing further war crimes against innocent people. The encounter concludes automatically once all hostile forces have been defeated, triggering a resolution cutscene that wraps up this particular Unwritten Tale narrative.
For optimal performance in this encounter, equip charms that enhance stealth capabilities and archery resistance. The Ghost Armor set provides significant advantages for players preferring covert operations, while the Sarugami Armor offers superior counter-attack potential for direct confrontations.
Common errors include alerting enemies prematurely, which causes the Mongols to execute hostages immediately. Another frequent mistake involves engaging melee combatants before eliminating archers, leaving Jin vulnerable to ranged attacks during close-quarters fighting.
The entire rescue operation typically requires 3-5 minutes for completionists, though speedrunners can finish in under two minutes with perfect execution. Unlike main story missions, Unwritten Tales don’t provide tangible gear or weapon rewards, instead focusing on narrative fulfillment and trophy progression.
For additional strategic insights about character development and equipment optimization, consult our comprehensive Weapons Unlock guide and detailed Class Guide for complementary gameplay advice.
Action Checklist
- Navigate to Buddha’s Footprints lake in southern Iki Island
- Approach using stealth and survey the Mongol positions
- Eliminate archers first to reduce ranged threats
- Dispatch remaining melee combatants using preferred combat style
- Watch concluding cutscene to complete the Unwritten Tale
No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » Ghost Of Tsushima Iki Island Unwritten Tale Guide – Save The Drowning Peasants Complete guide to finding and completing the Unwritten Tale: Save The Drowning Peasants in Ghost of Tsushima's Iki Island expansion