Observables

Observables are marked locations in the Story Campaign that players can interact with. Interaction will cause the hero to verbally (voiceover) explain a goal, location or nearby object.

Knights Campaign

Warlords and Cowards

1. Hervis Daubeny
   • The moment you take control of the Warden, tilt the camera up. You can see Daubeny atop the tower commanding the troops.
   • "Hervis Daubeny. Blackstone, for a single season. And then, he thought to turn away from us. To take from us. That would prove his undoing."
2. Westhold
   • The moment you take control of The Warden, look to the left. It should be on the tower.
   • "That fort had belonged to ten warlords in ten years. Daubeny was just the most recent. He joined the Blackstone Legion and then tried to leave us. That would not stand unpunished."
3. Holden Cross
   • The moment you take control of The Warden, rush to the edge of the castle wall. You can see Holden Cross standing in front of one of the catapults.
   • "Holden Cross. My second in command, and my most stalwart ally. Holden is a practical man, of limited ambition, but of endless talent. We are fortunate to have him."
4. Ashfeld
   • The moment you take control of The Warden, go to the edge of the castle wall and look left. You can see a castle tower in the distance.
   • "Ashfeld. I was born here, out in the scrublands. Twenty years ago, the Iron Legion had been on the verge of losing it to the Vikings entirely. Now, my Blackstone Legion had taken it back."
5. Warfare
   • Once you complete the tutorial, as you proceed down the stairs the observable should be at the bottom.
   • "So much of warfare is about walls. Gates. Hills. Doors. Every day, battles are won and lost on the choice of battlefield alone."
6. Lay of the Land
   • Once you complete the tutorial, turn around and look up. It should be right where you came in.
   • "Almost every fortress in these lands was first built a millennium ago. We lay new construction on top of old and call it our own. We are children, playing at empire."
7. The Tapestry
   • After you face a few enemies, you will come to the base of a spiral staircase. There will be pottery scattered about. Right as you reach the base of the stairs, look left at the tapestry.
   • "The fall of the last Sanctuary in Ashfeld. A thousand years have passed since then. Our ancestors held out for six years against a hundred thousand desperate, starving warriors. Or, so the story goes."
8. The Iron Legion
   • After you face a few enemies, you will come to the base of a spiral staircase. There will be pottery scattered about. Right as you reach the base of the stairs, look right at the two lion statues.
   • "The Iron Legion is made up of many smaller Legions. The lion was the symbol of the Regal Legion. They were strong once. Now, they have fallen to Blackstone might."
9. Oaths of a Warden
   • Climb up the spiral stair case. You should see Daubeny right as you get to the top. Before going outside, go to the room on the right and look at the coat of arms.
   • "The Iron Legion has a habit of mounting Warden statues in front of doors. But they are hypocrites. The oaths of a Warden reach far beyond what any common Legion warrior can live up to."
10. Rules of Nature
    • Climb up the spiral stair case. Once you reach outside and help Daubeny clear out the Blackstone knights, look to the wall that would be to your right as you exit the building.
    • "When we stop fighting against it, nature will always reassert itself. So it is with stone. So it is with plants, with animals. And so it is with people."

And Stay Out

1. Aftermath of War
   • As you charge into battle, keep an eye on the flaming carts to the right.
   • "Warriors rarely see the people their wars affect. The displaced. The murdered. The starving. I saw all that, when I was younger. I never forgot the lesson."
2. The Viking Horde
   • After you take the first zone on the right, as you cross the bridge, look right across the horizon.
   • "This year's Viking horde. When Mount Rust erupted they lost the sun for months. Crops and animals died. They came south, raiding for supplies. They continue to raid Ashfeld yearly."
3. The Great Empire
   • On the battlefield, look right to the patio. It's right under the bird statue.
   • "The Iron Legion traces its roots to a much older culture. An ancient empire, led by Centurions, believed to be lost in the destruction. They weren't lost. I have met them."
4. Machines of War
   • On the battlefield, look at the gate. It's right on the battering ram
   • "Machines of war. Many of them use plans that we do not fully understand. Techniques handed down through the generation we have lost the theory for. They work just fine, though."
5. Harrowgate
   • Go to the walkway right above the gate. You'll naturally cross it when capturing the zone on the left. Go outside and look to the wall.
   • "The Sanctuary of Harrowgate. The last remnants of the Iron Legion had held it, until the year that Warden came. After the battle they were too weak to hold it. We Blackstones had to take over. Pity."

The Blackstone Legion

1. Capital Punishment
   • The moment you take control of The Warden, look up. It is on a cage hanging from a tree.
   • "In the West, punishments like the cage have been outlawed. In Ashfeld, however, we were less reluctant about using brutality to make a point."
2. Obsidian
   • After you encounter your first group of Vikings, keep on eye out on the right for a lava pool.
   • "When lava cools, it can form a marvel: a black glass than be sharper than the sharpest blade. High in the mountains, there is a block of obsidian that has been cut into a round table. It is there that the Blackstone Legion was first formed."
3. Geysers
   • Right before you cross the bridge into the outpost, there is a geyser on the left.
   • "The geyser fields of Ashfeld were where the Iron Legion had officially bent the knee to the Blackstones, and the Royals, and so many others. We chose that place for its history. Legends tell us that it was there that the ancient Viking lords had yielded Ashfeld to our people."
4. Cattle
   • As you cross the bridge into the outpost, pause and look up at the right tower.
   • "Iron Legionnaires are cattle. They fight when it’s convenient for them, and run away from any challenge. The Blackstone Legion was my solution to that problem."
5. Viking Camp
   • The moment you enter the outpost, look up. It will be on an archway.
   • "When I took over the Blackstone Legion, the Vikings had permanent settlements in Ashfeld. Now those were all gone, and soon we would take the fight to them."
6. Strength
   • As you leave the outpost, head left. It will be on the angel statue.
   • "We seven leaders of the Blackstone Legion took demon names. It is both as a warning to others, and a reminder to ourselves. We are strong, and we must be sure of what we choose to do with that strength."
7. Tomb
   • When you leave the outpost and you get attacked a Peacekeeper, keep an eye on the left side of the path. It will be on a stone tomb.
   • "We all want to be remembered."
8. Warlord
   • Once you face your first band of rogue Knights, keep an eye out on the right for a tomb.
   • "Once, there were fifteen of us in the Blackstone circle. Eight times, one of us claimed the title of “warlord.” Seven times, that warlord proved too weak, too noble, or too blind to lead us. I am the eighth. The others rest now in their tombs."
9. Religion
   • This one will be tough to get. As you approach the encampment to the rogue knights, as you climb the stairs, you can see the observable at the top of the archway. Be careful as if you get too close the cutscene will start. If that happens, once the fighting begins, take a step outside and collect it.
   • "The children of Ashfeld claim to all follow the same God, but I have sat in their services, and listened to their hymns. They do not agree on the laws of their master, and most of them do not follow their own ideals."

Valkenheim in Winter

1. Ancestors
   • As you go through the mountain pass, keep an eye on the right for a giant statue of a Warlord.
   • “The Vikings are ancient, as we are. The difference is they vanished for centuries, we never left. But any who doubt their claim to these lands need only look at the ruins their ancestors built for them.”
2. Demons
   • As you go through the mountain, you will pass under a small bridge while fighting the Vikings. There is a totem on the left side.
   • “So many of my people fear the decorations of our savage foes, but I have never feared the demons of my enemies. I am their demon.”
3. Civilization
   • When you reach the bridge, take and follow the right path to some burned down houses.
   • “Wherever we go, the peaceful life that is called “civilization” scatters. It is a social agreement that is so easily dissolved, fragile.”
4. Knock Knock
   • You will cross a bridge across a lake, which will trigger a cutscene where a catapult separates Cross from his men the cutscene ends, look to the right at the horn.
   • “The Vikings have filled their mountains and valleys with horns and drums and signal fires. We were never going to slip into Valkenheim unnoticed. That is why I chose to enter through the front door.”
5. The Cataclysm
   • As you cross the frozen lake, before you reach land look to the right at the giant stone face.
   • “The Cataclysm was not one event, it was many. Lands rose and fell. The sky rained fire, ash, and worse things. The seas rose and then retreated. It is a miracle that any of us are still here.”
6. Apollyon
   • As you reach the beachhead, keep an eye to the left. Your commander, Apollyon, will be watching the battle as an observable.
   • “I am Apollyon. I was a Warden once, now I have become something greater. I am the eighth warlord of the Blackstone Legion, the only one strong enough to survive, and through me, this land will see a new age.”
7. The Raids
   • As you reach the beachhead, keep an eye to the right for a broken ballista.
   • “The Vikings have raided every year for as long as I can remember. They sack, loot, burn. My village was destroyed by them, mine and hundreds of others. Now, we would turn the tables.”
8. Technology
   • Once you're at the beachhead, go to the bridge on the far left. You can't cross it but there is an observable in the center of it.
   • “Our technology is what separates us from the Vikings, and with these, we would make the so-called ‘impassable defense’ of the gates of Valkenheim meaningless.”
9. Gates of Valkenheim
   • Once you're at the beachhead, head to the front and look at the drawbridge.
   • “Valkenheim, home of the invaders who call themselves Vikings. It had been forty years ago that Knights last crossed the threshold into that great valley. Whatever happened in there, we would certainly be remembered.”
10. The Vikings
    • As you cross the bridges into the fortress, look at the Viking statue to the left, more specifically the fire.
    • “The ancient kings of the Vikings were mighty. They sailed across the ocean, and when the seas froze, they were lost to history, and then, they came back.”

Sabotage

1. Offerings
   • Progress through from the starting area until you reach the campfire, then look behind you to check out another big statue of a viking.
   • “The Viking tribes all had different customs. These looked to be Warborn offerings, probably for strength in war.”
2. Fate of the Scouting Party
   • Move on from the statue a little bit and you’ll find a dead body ahead, sat next to a tree just before the path turns leftward.
   • “Holden should have never sent those scouts ahead. He should have sent me first. Why didn’t I say anything?”
3. Docks
   • Continue down the path, staying on the left side up till you find the ocean; look at the two beached rowing boats for your third Observable.
   • “They docked their boats there, so there was a path to the top. I was sure of it.”
4. Hangings
   • Just above the rowing boats, a little to the left, is a man hanging from a tree.
   • “Soldiers cry and cringe and rage when they see their friends hang. Sometimes, I pretend to share in their grief. Other times, I just wish that I did.”
5. Disaster
   • Be sure not to miss the destroyed warship on the other side of the sloped path from the hanged man. Look to the dragon head on the front end to get the Observable.
   • “The volcano in Ashfeld gave Valkenheim two years of frozen rivers. We were there to take advantage of their disaster.”
6. History Mystery
   • Keep following this trail till the next ladder. Climb up, and sprint up the slope where, near the top end directly ahead, there’ll be yet another giant head statue carved into the rock.
   • “Like us, most of the Vikings don’t even know their own history. These are their ancestral lands, lost a millennium ago. They returned from across the sea and reclaimed them.”
7. Knock Knock
   • After checking off the head, turn around and take the slightly hidden path to the left just as you’re walking down the trail. You’ll come across a closed gate on your right, which is an Observable.
   • “There had to be a better way inside than the front door. I had my pride to consider.”
8. Meal to Die For
   • Head to the objective marker, and get yourself into the village. Look at the entrance to the main building, and that’s your eighth Observable.
   • “Vikings love to feast. Maybe I could find a way to shut them in.”
9. Ingenuity
   • Go inside the main building. You’ll find this Observable is also one of the main objectives itself; the machinery that you character is about to break.
   • “Their machinery was far beyond what I had expected to find. Since the last time I’d been through, they had uncovered a new source of lore, or perhaps just a very clever engineer.”
10. Job to do
    • Finally, move into the middle of this corridor and peek into the gap where a wall should normally be for the Observable.
    • “The machinery was well made, but I had a job to do. Too bad really.”

Wolves Among Sheep

1. Trilithon
   • Forget about the ram for now. Get over to the far east side of the battlefield as soon as the level begins, and make your way to the first Observable; a giant rock covered in inscriptions.
   • “The ancient name for these structures is ‘trilithon.’ I asked a Viking once what she thought they were for. She didn’t know, she said they’d just always been there.”
2. Human Nature
   • Continue past the rock, staying slightly left until you reach a run-down tower, which can be ticked off as the second Observable.
   • “The Vikings have always warred with themselves much more than with us. It is in their nature to feast on each other. That nature has been stolen from them.”
3. Svengard
   • From here, you can simply look over towards the front entrance (focus near the top) of the vikings village for another Observable.
   • “Svengard. The Vikings are so very careful to equitably distribute their food supplies. It all passes through Svengard, and in winter, most of it is stored there.”
4. Reinforcements
   • Move back onto the west side of the battlefield, as you head towards the village to the area where new enemies are jumping into the combat zone. Check out this particular spawn point to nab the fourth Observable.
   • “We knew at Svengard that within a day Viking ships would fill the harbor and their army would destroy us, but I intended to be long gone before that could happen.”
5. The Ram
   • Once the ram has made it to the front gate, you can successfully observe its left side.
   • “We dragged our ram’s machinery across Valkenheim. We had to had to hack down half a forest in a fortnight to build it, but without it, we would’ve come all that way just to be slain at the front gate.”
6. Planning ahead
   • After fighting the boss for the first time, you’ll find yourself inside the village. Immediately look behind you at the battered door.
   • “We could have broken open that gate with a much smaller ram, but that would have taken time, time that the Vikings would have used to reinforce.”
7. End of an era
   • Opposite this door, in the centre, will once again be Appollyon herself, who can be ticked off as an Observable.
   • “I am Apollyon. I have come to instruct. For too long, the fearful prey among the Vikings have whispered their lies of peace. Now, that era ends.”
8. The Harder they Fall
   • Head forward on the left side and check out the large door
   • “The fortress of Svengard was home to many of the wealthiest Viking clans. The merchant trades always produce such people. Now, they would have to fight for their food.”
9. Fall of Legends
   • Head towards the objective but, just before you enter the fighting arena, look towards the gate.
   • “The legendary Jarl, Gudmundr. In another time, he would’ve been a king, beloved by his people, the fiercest of warriors. Whoever faced him would either become another notch in that belt of his, or become legend.”
10. Survivors
    • The final Observable will be the big house on fire, just a little up the path from the previous Breakable.
    • “We would leave survivors to tell the tale of what had been lost at Svengard, and when they heard, they would come looking for what was left.”

Viking Campaign

Raiding the Raiders

1. Boats
   • Once you start the mission, take the first left. You'll see it above the boats..
   • “The Vikings were long thought to be just a legend, a story we told ourselves. An ancient threat that once ruled the North. Then, a century ago, they returned from across the sea.”
2. Forest In the Winter
   • Continue the mission. After you burn the gate down, continue down the path and take the a right at the second guard tower.
   • “In the wild, the strong feed on the weak. Yet, in our civilized world, it is the other way around. I will not allow that to continue.”
3. Woodcutter
   • After you burn the first gate down, make a left after the guard tower.
   • “A vast forest once covered the valley of Valkenheim. We Knights cleared that land before the Vikings returned, and when we did, we revealed the ancient ruins of the Warborn clans. Imagine our surprise.”
4. Blacksmith
   • After you burn the first gate, keep to the left side of the village and continue up the path. You should reach a small flight of stairs. Turn left. Behind the laundry.
   • “Even if their mastery of steel is not as complete as ours, they are nevertheless an endlessly inventive people. We underestimate their creativity at our peril.”
5. Crane
   • After you burn the first gate, keep to the left side of the village and continue up the path. You will reach a small flight of stairs. Once you get up them, immediately turn left and away from the village. It will be on the crane above you.
   • “For a full year, the cranes and scaffolds and lumber mills of the Vikings stood silent. No time for building while contemplating my lesson. They had wolves to feed.”
6. Rune Stone
   • After you burn the first gate, keep to the left side of the village and continue up the path. You will reach a small flight of stairs. Once you get up them, immediately turn right. Look for a stone with inscriptions.
   • “Vikings record the exploits of their greatest heroes in stone. The markers remind them of the debt of glory that must be paid to enter Valhalla. To die in battle is one things, to die a legend is another.”
7. Windmill
   • After burning the gate, keep to the right side of village and follow the main path. Keep an eye on the right side. It will be high up on a windmill.
   • “The Vikings suffered in the year after we struck them. No seed grain, no summer harvest. No harvest, no food for the winter. So, like all the other clans, the Warborn were starving.”
8. Ragnar
   • This is at the very end of the mission, the great hall at the far end of the village. The easiest way to get this is to go here before you complete all your objectives. But it is still possible to get it without completing the objective. Just make sure you do not get too close to the great hall or it will trigger the cutscene.
   • “It takes a special kind of madness to eat and drink and make merry while your warriors fight and burn and die outside. Ragnar was that kind of wolf.”

Viking Diplomacy

1. Beneath
   • The easiest way to do this is to go around the map and collect all of them before completing the objectives. Once you start the mission, look at the half buried head of a statue in front of you.
   • “A millennium ago, Valkenheim was the site of a vast Nordic empire. The earth swallowed them whole. Now, in places, the rains slowly reveal that past. What else lurks beneath the soil, I wonder?”
2. Bear Claw Clan
   • Once you start the mission, turn around and looked at the impaled heads.
   • “The Bear Claw clan crushed all resistance. They forced the other clans to serve them. Their Warlord, Siv, was ruthless in her pursuit of power. I liked her.”
3. The Past
   • Once you start the mission, turn around and look at the entrance of the observation tower.
   • “We build new structures on top of the sanctuaries left by our ancestors, but they never match the glory of our past. They were great, we have much to learn from them.”
4. Glory
   • Out near the center of the map, keep a look out for an engraved stone.
   • “The more glory a Viking earns, the greater their legend when they are gone. But unlike us, their gods require them to share that glory with the weakest among them.”
5. Siege Engines
   • If you found the previous observable, then this one is nearby. It is the demolished cart at the base of the rock.
   • “Through example, we Knights accidentally taught the Vikings the art of siege warfare. I like to think, in turn, they showed us how to live free.”
6. Gods
   • On the right side of the map, on the little strip of land connected by bridges, look for the tree. Then look for the face in the tree.
   • “The Vikings worship gods of wood, of storms and of stone. The Samurai gods are of fire, of wind, and of thought. The gods of the Knights, are iron, steel, and gold. But power, that we agree on.”

Wood, Iron, Steel

1. Sawmill
   • Once you enter Odinsgard, head to the sawmill, the building closest to you. The observable is right above the saw.
   • “Once the Blackstones were pushed out of Valkenheim, the Vikings put their shipwrights and their lumber mills back to work. And then, they would need a target.”
2. Dragon Bow
   • There is a ship at the center of the shipyard. The observable is at the tip of the figurehead.
   • “The Vikings like to tell stories about why their decorate their ships with monsters, but the simplest explanation is the best one. They do it to frighten their enemies.”
3. Shipyards
   • At the far end of the shipyard is the broken down gate to the sea. The observable sits above the water between the gate and the bridge connected to the building.
   • “The Vikings had built up their settlements and shipyards over decades, centuries. It took a little more than a year for it all to fall into disrepair.”
4. Runes
   • At the side of the map, near the wall where the gate into Odinsgard is. It will be closer to the building on the far side.
   • “The runes of the Vikings and our own letters must have a common ancestor. The difference is that our letters can be drawn with a quill, whereas theirs only require a chisel.”
5. Alliances
   • The tower directly across from the gate, between the two long bridges. Go inside and look up at the door.
   • “Viking clans do not truly join one another. Alliances are common, but are just as commonly broken. The ‘Warborn clans’ are just a way of saying ‘all the clans who cannot defeat the Warborn in combat.’”

Up the Beach

1. War Machines
   • The first observable is found after climbing the wall of the fortress. Once you're at the top, head to the far end. Before going down the small flight of stairs, look at the broken ballista near them.
   • “The war machines of the Samurai often make ours look like toys. They learned much during their exodus, and from many different peoples. If they hadn’t, they wouldn't be such a threat.”
2. Sea Fort
   • After you break the gate controls, an orochi will come to challenge you. Once you go inside you will cross a bridge. The objective wants you to turn left at the end of it. Turn right. The observable is above the door.
   • “The sea fort of the Samurai guarded one of the few places in the Myre where a fleet could safely come to shore. And it was an ancient place.”
3. Faraway Land
   • You have just ziplined down a chain and climbed down the ladder to join your forces. Look at the gate where they are pouring out.
   • “The Samurai had no ancient ancestors in these lands. They came after The Fall, from another land far to the east. But they had been...enthusiastic in their rebuilding.”
4. The Myre
   • Instead of fighting with your troops, take the ladder at the right. Climb to the top of the wall and clear the bridge of archers. Once that's done, look out into the swamps.
   • “Beyond that fortress lay the Myre. Acres of unforgiving swampland, and a natural defense for the Samurai city beyond. That city was what the Vikings had come for.”
5. Ancient Canal
   • Join your forces clearing out the Samurai. One of the positions that needs to be taken is a bridge. Once your on the bridge, look to the left at the drawbridge.
   • “Before the waters receded, that entrance was a canal. Imagine, ships sailing through, into waters that are now only swamp. The world has changed.”
6. Fujikiyo
   • This is at the very end. Don't rush toward the final boss fight. You'll find it near Fujikiyo.
   • “The fort’s commander was Fujikiyo, the Samurai champion. His name had reached across the sea. Even the Vikings knew of his legend. There, the Warborn Raider would face him.”

Reconnaissance

1. The Swamps
   • There are 6 observable in the first part of the mission and 6 in the second. The first is easily found just by walking forward. The arch will have some hanging corpses.
   • "Taking the beach was one thing, crossing the Myre was another. But there was no plunder to be gained along the shore, the wealth of the Samurai lay beyond the swamp.”
2. Vikings Scouts
   • After the archway, head to the left. There will be some Samurai by a demolished boat.
   • “The first scout group the Viking sent out into the Myre never returned, nor the second, nor the third.”
3. Defense of The Myre
   • If you head through the map, you will inevitably come across a guard tower. There is an observable on a shield near its base.
   • Control and defense of the Myre is split among the many houses of the daimyō. Their defenses vary in quality, but none of their defenders lack in skill.”
4. Newcomers
   • After you pass the guard tower, keep to the left and keep an eye on the left. You should find a statue of a face.
   • “Five hundred years the Samurai have been here. Long enough to call this place their home. Long enough for their work to fall into ruin. Still, we treat them like newcomers.”
5. Danger of The Myre
   • You will pass by the entrance of a fort and a large bell. You can't miss either. Once you pass those, keep to the right and keep an eye on the right. There will be an abandoned rowboat on the water.
   • “The Myre is a dreadful place for an army. It can swallow up an entire force without a trace. Its paths shift and change, but boats are no safer when your enemy has hidden catapults and fire.”
6. Safe Passage
   • After you pass the guard tower, keep to the left wall and an eye on the left side. It will be a length run. There will be a viking corpse on the ground.
   • “The Myre would claim many Viking lives if their scouts could not find a safe way through to the city. Or, even if they could.”
7. Blackstone Spy
   • From this point on, the remaining 6 observable are in the second half of the mission. Once the second half starts, cross the small bridge and keep an eye for a knight corpse on the right side.
   • “Whoever the lone scout was who found that monastery must’ve wondered what a Blackstone knight’s body was doing there, so far from home. They would find out, soon enough.”
8. The True Emperor
   • Once you are inside the monastery, look for a fountain at ground level. The observable is on the head of the statue at the center.
   • “He failed to escape their homeland during their exodus. I have not heard any tales that describe his fate, but I do know that the emperor who rules their city now is false.”
9. It's A Jungle Out There
   • Inside the monastery, look for a fountain at ground level. Its statue is facing toward the observable. Head to the wooden balcony in the direction the statue is facing and look out across the Myre.
   • “A thousand years ago, this place was underwater, a sea. Our people made cities on its shoreline. Now, it is a jungle, claimed by anyone who passes through it. I think I prefer it this way.”
10. The Failed Raid
    • Once you find the previous two observables, follow the balcony up the stairs. you'll find a gong.
    • “Vikings came into the Myre once before, decades ago. They came through the waterways with their ships. The sounding of the gongs filled the air. By nightfall, no Viking stood in Samurai lands. It was a lesson they would not forget.
11. People At Peace
    • In relation to the previous three observables, these are on the opposite side of the monastery. Look for the shattered door near the tower.
    • “The daimyō in the Myre claim to be at peace. But it is strange for a people who are at peace to fight so many battles with each other each year.”
12. Mercy and Honor
    • The two sides of the monastery are connected by three pathways: through the building, across the docks, and through the dungeon. The observable is in the dungeon on one of the doors.
    • “To the Samurai, taking someone prisoner dishonors them, but to a Knight, it is an act of mercy, and to the Vikings it means they become your slave. How much of our hatred comes from this...misunderstanding?”

The Great Raid

1. Battering Ram
   • Charge across the bridge. But, keep an eye out on the right side for a battering ram.
   • “The Vikings built flimsy war machines to break down rotten gates. That bridge was once unassailed. Now it is simply an open walkway.”
2. Bells
   • Once you're on the bridge, take the first left up into the tower. The observable is on the bell.
   • “On days of peace, the Samurai bells filled the sky with song. After that day, the song of peace would not ring for a long, long time.”
3. Art
   • Halfway across the bridge there is a lion statue. The observable is on that statue.
   • “When my people see these statues, they often believe them to be gods, or spirits, holy to the Samurai. Why is it so hard to imagine that they are simply art?”
4. Blossom Tree
   • As you reach the other side, go up the tower. The observable is on the tree.
   • “When the Samurai came into these lands, new plants and animals came with them. They had brought them in caravans. They knew their home was failing. They sought to remake it here.”
5. Fear of Freedom
   • As you reach the end of the bridge, the observable is at the top of the gate.
   • “Within that city, the false emperor ruled from his palace. All Samurai swore allegiance to him and to his family. They believe they revere unity and honor. In fact they are simply afraid to be free.”

Samurai Campaign

Duty

1. The Aftermath
   • When you start the mission, look out across the burning city.
   • "Once the bridge gate fell to the Warborn Raider, the Vikings swarmed into the city. Fortunately for the outnumbered Samurai, the Vikings were only seeking plunder."
2. Jail
   • When you start the mission, turn around and look at the gate of the prison (not the gate you leave through)
   • "The Orochi that Ayu freed was no ordinary duelist or scout. Had that jail been broken open sooner, the Vikings perhaps would have stayed on that bridge."
3. Sentiment
   • After you burn down the gate, stick to the left across the rooftops. Once you reach the end, there should be a tree visible. It's on an obelisk in front of the tree.
   • "Some of the Samurai wear sentiment as a shield. Poems and proverbs to reassure and calm such sheep. Yet, true warriors walk among them. They are desperate to be freed."
4. Lost to time
   • Follow the instructions for the observable above. When you reach the end, drop down and turn left again. You'll be on a path to the palace. There should be a statue on you right.
   • "How many layers of civilization lie within that city? We ruled it for a time, but those first builders were not our ancestors, nor were they Samurai, or any other living people. Lost to time, those first architects."
5. The Imperial Palace
   • After you exit the gate, head left like the previous observables. You should see the walls of the imperial palace. The observable is on a tower in the wall.
   • "The Imperial Palace, added atop the city by the second of the new Emperors to celebrate his own glory. A scar of indulgence on an otherwise honorable people."
6. Water
   • Keep to the right side of the map. As you approach the burning bridge, look down at the waterfall below.
   • "The seventh new Emperor had a river diverted to pass through the palace. They harnessed its power to automate machinery, carry away waste, and to irrigate their cliff gardens. Ingenious."
7. Mushroom Tree
   • The only way to get the following observables are to cross the bridge. Unfortunately, said bridge will burn down during a cutscene after you cross it so make sure you have all the observables before this. After the cutscene, go straight. You'll find Momiji at the poison tree. Look up at the tree.
   • "Long ago, the Samurai arrived in a land already inhabited. They were forced to live where others would not, in the fens and wastelands and crags, and along the way, they learned to tame the dangers that we were afraid to touch."
8. True Peace
   • You'll inevitably find yourself at the front gate of the city. On the right hand side you'll find a statue of a monk and the observable on its forehead.
   • "A monk once told me that true peace is the product of one's mind and body working in perfect harmony. A battlefield, then, is one of the most peaceful places you can be."

Thinning the Herd

1. Myre Massacre
   • The map can be divided into two parts: inside and outside the compound. You start inside the compound. Look around (slightly to the right) the moment you start the level. There should be a gazebo with dead soldiers a and a kneeling captain to kill.
   • "We left four daimyō in the swamp. Had they been other than those four, they would have joined forces and solved their problems, but I had chosen well."
2. Perpetual War
   • At the start of the level, go to the nearby gazebo. Then look around. There are three things in sight: the docks, a path with a bunch of archways, and a tall wooden structure on the side of a massive tree. Head to that wood structure and take the path going under the tree. You'll find yourself at the closed gates of an outpost. It's on the door.
   • "What the Samurai could not admit to themselves was that they were already at war with each other. All I did was show them that fact."
3. Demon Names
   • After you kill Ranja, turn and look at the statue at the side.
   • "Apollyon is a demon name. I chose it when I took command of the Blackstones. It means 'destroyer.' Holden's demon name is 'Asmodai.' Recently, he has preferred his given name. Strange."
4. Sunken Fortresses
   • The last two observables are on the outside of the compound. You might recognize the level from the Reconnaissance mission. After you exit the gate, go straight. It's at the giant bell.
   • "Our world is filled with buried cities, sunken fortresses and lost ruins. But in the Myre, those crumbled remains are only a few centuries old. Time moves much more quickly there."
5. Shifting Landscape
   • After you exit the gate, make a left. To put things in perspective, Dokuja is to the right. Left is where the Reconnaissance mission starts. You're looking for the guard tower. Climb the tower. It's at the top.
   • "The waters of the Myre rise and fall. Solid ground shifts and moves. Every attempt to build permanent structures there has resulted in disaster."

Picking Up the Pieces

1. Ayu's Ambition
   • The first observable is easy to find. You start the mission of Kizan's corpse. Look at Kizan's corpse.
   • "What impressed me most about the daimyō Ayu was her ruthlessness. Yet, she lies to herself about her reasons for what she did. I believe it was unimaginable to her that she simply wanted power."
2. Liars and Cowards
   • This is the exact same map as before. This one is above Ranja's corpse.
   • "I offered the Emperor's throne to twenty daimyō. Five proved willing to say they would take it, to an enemy they knew was untrustworthy. Five liars. Five cowards. I had been hoping for more."
3. Death and Duty
   • Head to the starting location of the previous mission. More specifically, go out the gates where you have to pass to find Ayu. Go straight until you see the gazebo. Past the gazebo are the docks. There is an arch right above the docks. The observable is at the top.
   • "Death waits for us at the end of every road. Somewhere out there, each person has an enemy who will bring about their end. A warrior does not let that knowledge interfere with their duty."
4. Persistence
   • Go to the gazebo. From there, you should see a massive tree with a wooden structure built on the side of it like a tree house. As you pass under it, the observable is at the top of the arch.
   • "The Dawn Empire is vast. Any untamed lands the Knights abandoned, any secluded regions the Vikings could not reach, there you will find Samurai. They are persistent."
5. Brink of Destruction
   • Right before you first reach Ayu, you have to pass through a gate. The observable is at the top of the gate.
   • "The Samurai are so few. They live under the constant threat of extinction. Each warrior has to be the equivalent of ten of ours, or more, if they intend to survive."
6. War
   • Right as you enter the compound where you find Ayu and the others fighting, there is a massive tree to the right as you walk in. It is on the tree.
   • "The trees of the Myre had witness seven wars among the Samurai fought just in the twenty years I had been rising among the Blackstones. So much for unity."

Unity

1. Art of Siege
   • The mission is rather linear so each observable should be relatively easy to find. The moment you start, turn around and look at the building you just came out of.
   • "There are several ways to break a siege: by shattering the gate, by storming the walls, by starving them out, or by knowing a secret way in, and having the right kind of warrior to use it."
2. Seijuro's Stand
   • When you start the mission, go toward the gate that stands between you and the samurai.
   • "Seijuro accepted my offer, the palace was his, and at least fifty of the greatest warriors the Samurai chose to fight beside him. They were few, but they were mighty.
3. Price of Unity
   • As you continue the level, you'll pass by a platoon of captains practicing in the courtyard. There is an observable above their heads. Don't worry, you don't have to fight them to get it.
   • "Only the most devoted warriors had answered Seijuro's call. At a word, they were prepared to die for their warlord. There it is, the price of unity:"
4. Seijuro
   • So that courtyard. You didn't have to kill the captains to get the previous observable. You'll have to for this one. Don't worry, it's only a problem on realistic. Look above the status and at Seijuro.
   • "I had looked into Seijuro's eyes. He was unapologetic in his desire for power. Other daimyō saw this as a flaw. Other daimyō are rotting corpses."
5. Unbreakable Fortress
   • As you continue past the courtyard, you'll enter a small shack. It should be on the right side of that shack.
   • "The city of the Samurai stands on a high mesa, surrounded by forest. It is one of the most secure fortresses in the land. It had been twice destroyed by fire, and at least six times by civil war, but never by invaders."
6. The Siege
   • As you continue, you'll run into a Shugoki standing by the window. Once you kill the Shugoki, look out the window and at the screaming Samurai outside.
   • "I wish that I had been there that day to see the daimyō Ayu and her army lay siege to their own palace. I only wish it had taken longer."
7. The Capital
   • After you kill the Shugoki, you'll eventually come to a ledge to drop into the courtyard. Before you drop, look out at the statue of the emperor by the stairs.
   • "The Dawn Empire stretches far to the east. Their capital is here, yet it was not always. For many generations, their Emperor lived elsewhere. He was driven here, I think. I would like to know by what."
8. The Tenth Emperor
   • Ayu and her army has breached the palace. Before you run up the stairs, look at the statue at the center.
   • "The tenth Emperor. A brutal warlord, one of the few worthy of respect."
9. Imperial Fortress
   • Ayu and her army have invaded. There are two small flights of stairs before the paths split into to large paths up into the palace. Go up the first flight and look left. Recognize the paper wall? Slice through the paper wall and go through the shack. You'll find another paper wall. Slice through that as well to find the observable.
   • "Few fortresses are better prepared to withstand a siege than that place. My own Blackstone Fortress could not hope to endure for a tenth of the time."

Honor

1. Blasts from the Past
   • When you start the mission, stick to the right side. You'll find yourself going up a small hill before reaching a ledge. From that ledge, you should see a lava pit.
   • "Ashfeld liked to remind us of her catastrophic past. Occasionally, the ground would shake, an and a new fire pit would appear, a warning that what could happen once could happen again."
2. Impending Invasion
   • Stick to the right side of the map. You will eventually come across some wooden barriers.
   • "The Samurai were coming. The citizens of Ashfeld had long left the wilderness for the safety of my walls, for we are their protectors, are we not?"
3. Stability
   • The next three observables are all gathered around the same location. Locate the gate on the far side of the map, across a bridge. As you approach the bridge, keep an eye to the right for a geyser.
   • "The Iron Legion lands to the south were more stable than ours. Peaceful. Ashfeld itself fought against stability, and we are all reflections of our homes."
4. Martial Law
   • As you approach the bridge, keep an eye on the left for a broken catapult.
   • "Since the war with the Vikings, the Blackstone Legions had put down seven rebellions. Martial law was the only law our people understood."
5. Fertile Soil
   • Now approach the gate and look up at its top.
   • "The ruins outside the Blackstone Fortress were fought over again and again. Gangs of thugs, highwaymen, toughs, fighting for every last scrap. Fertile soil for my Legion."
6. The One Legion
   • Stick to the left side of the map and you'll come across a wooden gate.
   • "By the time the Samurai came to Ashfeld, the other Legions were gone, yet the Iron commanders continued to send us reinforcements and materials. We were grateful, even if they are misguided."
7. Ruin
   • From here on out, all observables will be in the second half of the mission. First, when you start, the observable is on the giant statue in the center of the cathedral. Just go to the left a little and you can see it from the walkway.
   • "Many of the structures in Ashfeld had long ago collapsed, but there are still places where you can see the grandness of the ancients almost intact, places that have stood for over a thousand years."
8. Acid Lakes
   • After the second half starts, go left and take the ladder down. Then look out over the cliff and across the land.
   • "Lakes of acid still linger in Ashfeld. Once, this whole place was nothing more than a scar. We all know now which rivers are clean, and which can kill."
9. Life Finds a Way
   • Head to the geyser fields behind the Cathedral. You can find a path through the hole in the wall on the far side. The observable is on a tree.
   • "Even after fire rained from the sky, even after the rivers turned to acid, even after the earth broke open and the seas churned, even after all that, life persists. Existence is battle. To breathe is to fight."
10. The Cathedral
    • Exit the Cathedral through the front door then turn around.
    • "The old cathedral in the plains outside the Blackstone Fortress was once a part of a larger city. Everything else is gone now, sunken into the earth. Only one building, a bridge, and bits and pieces remain."
11. Inevitability
    • Escort Momiji to the bridge. The observable is right across the bridge. You can find it by standing in the left corer.
    • "The ancient bridge at the old cathedral is tattered. One day soon, I think it will fall, join so many structures like it."

Apollyon

1. Iron Legion
   • The moment you begin the mission, head to your right side till you see the Iron Legion outside the walls of The Blackstone Fortress.
   • “I pit the Vikings against each other. And the Samurai. Of course, I did the same for my own people. Ashfeld has become a place where no dishonesty can endure. All here know their place. All here understand their nature. Predator... or prey.”
2. Tower On Fire
   • Turn around and look up at the broad tower behind you.
   • “The Samurai have struck at my home for weeks. Now they have cracked open the gate. I hope they burn in the very fires that they have lit.”
3. Old Statue
   • Head into the battlements and look at the side of the bridge that you cross to the catapults.
   • “The Blackstone Fortress. I took it from a petty Lord, one of the last leaders in Ashfeld who dared call himself “noble”. Now, only warriors rule here.”
4. Destroyed Balcony
   • Go over to the middle of the balcony where a large gap lies in the wall and observe the roof below.
   • “My war has come home, at last. I will not flee from it. I will win.”
5. Apollyon‘s Sanctuary
   • Turn around to see the large front of the fortress.
   • “I have defended the lower tiers. Now, I have been forced back into the upper level. The escape passages are all blocked. I had them sealed long ago. We will win or die.”
6. Residences
   • Run to the catapult on the left and look at the corridor within the fortress.
   • “I do not envy the meek and helpless common folk. They live a life of fear. They cannot defend themselves. They cannot be blamed for being what they are. But neither should they be allowed to deny it.”
7. The Shard
   • When you’re following your army into the citadel, look up at the tower in front of you when you exit the battlements.
   • “This place is called The Shard. It appears to be a castle up on a hill—but I have been in its depths. It is a castle built on a castle, built on a castle. I have yet to find its bottom.”
8. Lions
   • Before you enter the tower, look to your right and spot a door.
   • “My castle is vast. It has had many owners. Each Legion in turn re-decorated to suit their own fashion. I prefer to leave their decorations intact. After all, they are no more. Their symbols are now trophies, of my kills.”
9. Crests
   • On the floor of the tower where the Peacekeeper is located, look on the wall to your left to find a green gryphon shield.
   • “Each legion falls beneath me, each house that we vanquish, each people that we destroy—I keep mementos. I have... hundreds.”

Notes

• The religion that is hinted at the observable during The Blackstone Legion at the ruined church observable is likely Christianity. However, other observables have mentioned that the Knights believe in gods based off materials.
  • Former game director Roman Campos-Oriola has stated on Twitter that the Knights are polytheistic, but only in the sense that their beliefs are a mix of things from before and after the Cataclysm, and that there are multiple factions within the Knights with differing beliefs. Meaning it is likely that some Knights are monotheistic while others are polytheistic.
• Apollyon mentioned that the Iron commanders helped her, which contradicts the canon lore.