What to know
- Headaches unlocks after completing Fated Land.
- The quest begins at Hamamatsu Castle with Tokugawa Ieyasu.
- You must retrieve a recipe from a corpse near Silver Grass Meadow Shrine.
- The quest culminates in defeating a Nuppeppo yokai and crafting Ghostly Gall.
In Nioh 3, Headaches is a myth-type side quest tied to political tensions and strange yokai disturbances during the Warring States arc. The mission blends investigation, combat, and crafting, and while it is short, it introduces a field boss encounter that can catch players off guard.
The quest revolves around unexplained headaches afflicting retainers at Hamamatsu Castle, which are ultimately linked to a peculiar rolling yokai.
Locations of the Headaches myth quest in Nioh 3
The Headaches Myth quest revolves around investigating a disturbance near Futamata Road and ultimately confronting a yokai threat inside Hamamatsu Castle. You begin by speaking with Tokugawa Ieyasu at Hamamatsu Castle. From there, you travel to Silver Grass Meadow Shrine, head south into a damaged village area, and investigate a corpse inside a roadside house to uncover the cause of the “headaches.” After reporting back, the final confrontation takes place near the East Gate Shrine at Hamamatsu Castle, where you defeat Nuppeppo to complete the quest.
How to complete Headaches after Fated Land in Nioh 3
Headaches becomes available only after completing the prior myth quest known as Fated Land. Once that mission concludes, Headaches appears in your Progress menu.
You must then travel to Hamamatsu Castle and speak to Tokugawa Ieyasu at the top of the castle structure to formally begin the quest.
| Unlock Requirement | Result |
|---|---|
| Complete Fated Land | Headaches becomes available |
| Speak to Ieyasu | Quest officially starts |
The conversation frames the issue as a spreading illness or curse tied to unusual yokai movement in nearby territory.
Step 1: Investigating Futamata Road
After accepting the quest, you must travel to Futamata Road. The closest fast travel point is the Silver Grass Meadow Shrine.
From the shrine, head south into a partially ruined settlement area. The environment is marked by warped trees and signs of yokai corruption. Inside a roadside house, you will find a corpse that can be examined.
Interacting with the body grants a crafting recipe, advancing the investigation stage of the quest.
| Investigation Location | Objective |
|---|---|
| Silver Grass Meadow Shrine | Travel point |
| Roadside house | Examine corpse |
| Corpse interaction | Obtain crafting recipe |
This discovery confirms that the headaches are tied to supernatural interference rather than ordinary illness.
Step 2: Returning to Hamamatsu Castle
After obtaining the recipe, return to Hamamatsu Castle and speak again with Tokugawa Ieyasu. Additional dialogue may prompt consultation with Hattori Hanzo, reinforcing that the disturbance is caused by a roaming yokai.
Upon your return, more castle residents are suffering from symptoms. The threat has escalated.
Step 3: Confronting the Nuppeppo yokai
The next objective directs you toward the castle grounds near the East Gate shrine. Within the castle area, you encounter a field boss: Nuppeppo.
Nuppeppo behaves unusually compared to standard yokai. It frequently rolls away from the player, making direct melee pressure difficult during certain phases.
| Combat Phase | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Rolling Phase | Highly mobile, resistant to frontal pressure |
| Combat Phase | Engages normally, vulnerable to Ki damage |
| Final Phase | Stops retreating and commits to melee |
During its rolling state, patience is critical. Ranged attacks and ninja tools are effective for maintaining pressure without overcommitting. Once it stops rolling and prepares to fight, aggressive Ki damage and burst counters become viable.
Defeating Nuppeppo grants a gallstone, which is required to craft the cure.
Step 4: Crafting Ghostly Gall
After obtaining the gallstone, travel to the Eternal Rift and visit the blacksmith. Under the Forge Tools section, you will find the recipe for Ghostly Gall, which can now be crafted using the item dropped by Nuppeppo.
| Crafting Requirement | Source |
|---|---|
| Gallstone | Dropped by Nuppeppo |
| Forge Tools Menu | Blacksmith in Eternal Rift |
| Crafted Item | Ghostly Gall |
The crafting stage is mandatory to complete the quest. Simply defeating the yokai is not enough.
Step 5: Delivering the cure and completing the quest
Once Ghostly Gall has been crafted, return to Hamamatsu Castle and deliver the medicine to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Upon delivery, the afflicted retainers recover, and the quest concludes.
| Final Step | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Deliver Ghostly Gall | Quest completion |
| Speak to Ieyasu | Receive rewards |
Rewards typically include Amrita and progression benefits toward unlocking subsequent myth quests.
Combat strategy insights from community discussion
Players frequently note that Nuppeppo’s rolling phase can waste resources if you chase recklessly. Maintaining mid-range positioning and conserving stamina is recommended.
Because its health pool is higher than standard field enemies, saving buffs and Elixirs for the castle encounter is advisable.
| Strategy Element | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Ranged pressure during roll | Avoid wasted melee swings |
| Ki-focused builds | Faster stagger windows |
| Buff timing before final phase | Increased burst damage |
Patience is more effective than aggression during the initial encounter.
Why Headaches stands out as a myth quest
Headaches is not a simple fetch quest. It integrates investigation, environmental storytelling, boss combat, and crafting into one cohesive side mission.
The inclusion of Ghostly Gall crafting reinforces the game’s loop between combat rewards and blacksmith progression.
Completing Headaches efficiently
To finish Headaches in Nioh 3, complete Fated Land, speak with Tokugawa Ieyasu at Hamamatsu Castle, investigate the corpse near Silver Grass Meadow Shrine on Futamata Road, defeat the Nuppeppo yokai in the castle grounds, craft Ghostly Gall in the Eternal Rift, and deliver it back to Ieyasu.
The key challenges are locating the corpse inside the roadside house and managing the rolling behavior of Nuppeppo.
Once completed, the quest strengthens your progression through the Warring States arc and unlocks further narrative developments tied to Hamamatsu Castle.
