The observatory’s lantern dies to a single arrow and the world goes sideways. You land on a ledge, blood on your hands, and realize the keystone is already gone. I knew then this chase would be less about finesse and more about patience.
You can spot the observatory from miles away, perched like a broken compass; here’s how to move through it without dying
I picked Naoe at the start, and Yasuke takes a hit in the cutscene — meaning you arrive with urgency and a taste for retribution. You, Rufino, and the map marker funnel toward the observatory on Mount Hei. Ubisoft set the stage: Nirmala and Eamon already hold the Kassandra keystone and have the arrogance of people who think the chase is over.
Two things matter more than sprinting: timing your jumps and bringing the right partner. Rufino follows because several switches need two people to hold them. If you rush without him, you’ll meet a locked door and the kind of frustration that costs momentum.
Glowing glyphs are your roadmap. Stand on them and yellow bridges form — pretty, but some tiles trigger arrow volleys. Treat those tiles like hot coals: you can cross them, but you only touch when you must. Use Rufino to hold glyphs that require two people; without him you will not pass certain doors.
Take the left ledges after the first glyph pair. Jump to the opposite ledges, drop down, and locate the glyph that lets Rufino into the next room. Small, deliberate movements win here: miss a grab and you’ll slide back to a checkpoint.
How do I beat Buried Secrets?
Beating Buried Secrets is less a test of combat tricks and more a stamina puzzle. The actual fight with Nirmala and Eamon is straightforward — you use your skills, parry, dodge, and hit windows of vulnerability. The real threat is the parkour gauntlet getting there: misread a ledge and you waste time and momentum. Trust your mission tracker when the path splits; it points you to Nirmala’s next flash of movement.
There are arrow traps visible if you pay attention; here’s how to avoid getting skewered
When ledges glow against the black wall, stop and scan. Some tiles are pressure traps that rain arrows — stepping on them is like pulling the cord of a crossbow. Use the safe ledges and time your leaps. Where a ledge ends, always commit to the jump; hanging and re-grabbing is how most players slip. At a couple of points you’ll need to let go and catch another ledge mid-air — treat those as short sprints, not platforming puzzles.
When you reach the hilly platform, follow the marker. You’ll hit two magical platforms that hop you forward: jump on the first, grab the ledge, then leap to the second. Precision matters on the raised embankments — a missed jump sends you back down, and the chase restarts like a broken record.
Where does Buried Secrets start?
The quest opens at the observatory on Mount Hei. If you’re using Ubisoft Connect, Steam, PlayStation, or Xbox Series X, the mission becomes available as part of the Black Tides storyline after a key cutscene: Yasuke gets hurt and the Templars escape with the Kassandra keystone. That moment shifts the mission from a fetch to a chase, and your objectives change from exploration to pursuit.
The observatory fight feels personal; here’s how to close the loop without spoilers
When you finally slide down to confront Nirmala, the game hands you a compact duel. I won’t spoil the cinematic beats. What I will say is this: treat the battle as a brief chess match of blades, not an endurance run. Use your parry windows, bait their counters, and don’t be greedy with heavy attacks. The mechanics reward measured strikes.
Who do you fight in Buried Secrets?
You face Nirmala and Eamon — the Templar duo holding the Kassandra keystone. Rufino provides cover during the chase and is essential for the glyph puzzles; Yasuke’s state in the cutscene frames the fight emotionally. If you want a cleaner run, remind yourself that the mission is less about special tech and more about execution of basic tools every AC player knows.
I’ve chased worse, and I’ve seen players rage-quit over a single missed grab. Treat the observatory like a frayed rope in a storm: steady your hands, breathe, and move when you can see the anchor. If the parkour grinds you down, take a breath and try the segment again; it’s a precision test, not a content gate.
Final note: this quest was designed to be cinematic, so let the moment land. You will feel the payoff when the keystone’s story thread snaps into place — and you’ll either celebrate or argue with Ubisoft’s choices afterward. Which side are you on?