This is a guide to “The Tea Ceremony” mission in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, following Naoe’s path to learn The Golden Teppo’s identity. This mission is a part of the larger quest chain related to the Onryo faction and is set in the region of Izumi Settsu, Sakai. It follows the successful completion of previous requirements: Searching Sakai, Dress for Success, and The Perfect Gift. Below is a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the mission successfully.
AC Shadows The Tea Ceremony Walkthrough
Mission Overview
- Area: Izumi Settsu (Sakai)
- Quest Type: The Onryo > The Golden Teppo
- Given By: Picked from Objectives Board
- Prerequisites: Finish Searching Sakai, Dress for Success, and The Perfect Gift
- Suggested Level: 8
- Reward: 1000 EXP
Objective: Naoe visits a tea ceremony at Imai Sokyu’s place to find and possibly face The Golden Teppo, a shady character responsible for her father’s death.
Walkthrough
Step 1: Go back to Imai Sokun
Go to the southern part of Sakai to locate Imai Sokun, who is waiting outside his father’s residence. Use your map or Pathfinder function to find him exactly.
Talk to Sokun later to initiate a cutscene. Naoe, dressed in the kosode you chose at Dress for Success, talks with Imai Sokyu (Sokun’s father) about the tea ceremony.
Throughout your discussion, you’ll encounter a choice between dialogues:
- “The tea ceremony is a spiritual experience.”
-or- - “It’s a place to make contacts.”
- Choice: No matter which choice you pick, this has no major effects on the mission or plot, so choose whichever one suits you better.
Step 2: Greet the Guests
Following the cutscene, you will need to greet the three guests attending the tea ceremony: Otama, Lady Satoko, and Wakasa. One of them could be The Golden Teppo, so pay attention to what they have to say and try to gather clues.
You can share a fake name (e.g., Shizuka, Sanuki, or Shigure) with every guest. Consistency is not necessarily necessary, but keeping the same name can keep Naoe in character.
Otama (outside the door):
- She mocks Naoe’s kosode and demands to know how she got invited.
- Dialogue options:
- “I had a good teacher.”
- “I know the son well.”
- Outcome: Both work, but “I know the son well” lets Naoe retort cleverly. No major consequences.
Lady Satoko (inside):
- She speaks of hunting bandits with a teppo (rifle), which is a nod to her gun expertise.
- Dialogue choices are present, but they do not change the mission much.
Wakasa (deeper in):
- Her answers can differ slightly depending on the color of your kosode (from Dress for Success), but she is still vague.
- Once more, dialogue options are irrelevant except for minor responses.
Step 3: The Tea Ceremony
After you’ve addressed all the guests, the ceremony commences with Imai Sokyu. You’ll have to use what you learned about Sen no Rikyu in The Perfect Gift.
Key actions:
- Bow: When asked, select “Bow halfway” to achieve a respectful balance (not too servile or off-putting).
- Turn the Bowl: Choose “Turn bowl right twice” to show guests the finest side of the bowl, according to Rikyu’s teachings.
Outcome: Choosing the “right” options wins Sokyu’s approval, whereas “incorrect” options (e.g., spinning the bowl left) yield a disapproving expression and suspicion from the guests. Nevertheless, the mission continues on.
Step 4: Identify The Golden Teppo
Following the ceremony, Naoe has to choose who to challenge as The Golden Teppo: Otama or Wakasa. This decision has significant repercussions:
Confront Otama:
- Naoe chases Otama out into the street and murders her.
- A letter in Otama’s body shows that she was not The Golden Teppo but corrupt nonetheless.
- The mission ends, transitioning to Defensive Position at Osaka Castle.
- Consequence: This is the “wrong” choice, as it kills an innocent (relative to the target) and skips a direct confrontation with the real Golden Teppo.
Confront Wakasa:
- Wakasa is the true target (The Golden Teppo). She takes Naoe aside to converse in private, which results in an ambush in Osaka Castle.
- You will need to sneak into the castle, find Wakasa in the scaffolding, and kill her (ideally from above for an ambush kill).
- Consequence: This route carries on the questline more cohesively, ending with Drive the Point Home and wrapping up the Golden Teppo arc itself.
- Clue Analysis: Satoko’s reference to firing a teppo and Wakasa’s defensive attitude are clues towards Wakasa as the rifle-carrying Golden Teppo who killed Naoe earlier in the campaign.
Conclusion
If you selected Wakasa, kill her to finish the mission and gain 1000 EXP. If you selected Otama, the mission concludes, but the real Golden Teppo is still alive for the time being, changing the next steps a bit.
Either way, you’ll move towards killing the Onryo members, with Wakasa’s death being the canon ending.
Tips
- Stealth: When chasing Wakasa, employ Eagle Vision at Osaka Castle to follow her and evade guards.
- Dialogue: Don’t worry about small decisions; only the Otama vs. Wakasa choice is important.
- Preparation: Make sure Naoe’s equipment is upgraded from previous missions for easier combat or stealth.
This guide should walk you through “The Tea Ceremony” effectively, whether you’re looking for the best result or simply want to enjoy the tale! If you require assistance with the subsequent missions, please let me know.
