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Needle in a Haystack - Version 19 vs Version 20
May 24, 2026, 08:33 PM
Add wikilinks to table cells (3 new links)
Jun 4, 2026, 07:19 PM
Removed duplicate in-body wikilinks
11Needle in a Haystack is the launch-content boss quest in the Foothills biome. Doctor Galen Skelton sends the player to hunt down Israel Hands, who hides in a sealed ancient temple. The temple cannot be entered until the player gathers three Ritual Keys, each held by one of Hands's lieutenants spread across the Foothills. Defeating Hands rewards the Charon's Obol artifact and frees John the cartographer. The Soul Eater greatsword is not a direct boss drop; it is found in a chest near the boss arena.22Quest Overview44PropertyDetailQuest giverDoctor GalenRegionFoothillsRecommended gear tier6 to 10PrerequisitesComplete the Coastal Jungle Revenge Is Best Served Cold quest (the Thomas Richards boss fight); reach the Foothills biomeBossIsrael HandsRewardCharon's Obol artifact (direct quest reward) and John the cartographer rescued NPC. The Soul Eater greatsword is found in a chest near the arena, not dropped by Hands directly.66Quest Flow77Receive the quest from Doctor Galen at his settled bonfire after completing Revenge Is Best Served ColdTravel to the Foothills via your repaired ship; the biome is gear tier 6-10, significantly tougher than the Coastal JungleLocate the three Ritual Keys each held by one of Israel Hands's lieutenants at separate Foothills locationsDefeat each lieutenant they appear at named encounters such as Pirate Camps or hidden caves; expect Pirate Sergeants and Grenadiers as their guardsLoot the three Ritual Keys after killing each lieutenant; combine them in your inventoryTravel to the sealed ancient temple the entrance is marked on your map after collecting the first keyUse the keys at the temple entrance to break the sealEngage Israel Hands in the temple's main chamber for the boss fightDefeat Hands claim the Charon's Obol artifact and rescue John; the Soul Eater greatsword is in a chest near the arenaReturn to Doctor Galen to complete the quest and trigger his "next step in your quest for a cure" dialogue99The Three Lieutenants1212Each Ritual Key is held by a different lieutenant at a different Foothills location. The lieutenants are tougher than standard Pirate Sergeants and may include Grenadiers or named enemy variants. Specific lieutenant names and locations vary somewhat with procedural island generation, but each fight follows a similar pattern: clear the lieutenant's guard force, then defeat the lieutenant in single combat (or with co-op support).1414Recommended preparation for each lieutenant fight:1616Full food buffs (Strength or Agility +20 plus a stamina buff)At least 3 Healing Potions and 5 BandagesLock-on (T) before engaging; lieutenants telegraph attacks but punish missed dodgesDrop a Fast Travel Bell at each lieutenant's location so you can warp out for repairs and back without retracing steps1818Boss Fight: Israel Hands2020Hands fights with Soulslite mechanics scaled for gear tier 6 to 10. Per community boss guides, he appears as an undead spectrally empowered enemy wielding a halberd and layering ghostly projectile and whirl attacks. Key patterns:2222Spectral Halberd Charge: a reaching committed dash that leaves a poison trail; dodge laterally rather than backwardOverhead Swing: a multi-hit overhead halberd combo that can be parried for poise damage on the last swingSpectral Shot: a ghost-fired projectile with a brief raise-and-aim tell; strafe across his line to avoidSpectral Whirl: a close-range spinning halberd arc; sidestep rather than try to block through the sweepSoul Barrage: a multi-projectile spectral volley that rains skulls; keep moving through the arena to break line of sight2424Recommended boss preparation: full Pikeman's or Conquistador's Armor for damage absorption, Sturdy Halberd or Captain's Greatsword for poise damage, full food buffs (Spicy Chicken with Sweet Potato +20 Strength is ideal), and Healing Potion (Great) stockpile. Bring at least 5 musket rounds for ranged opening if your build supports it. The fight is winnable solo with patience but is significantly easier in 2-4 player co-op.2626Rewards2828RewardDetailCharon's ObolArtifact direct quest reward; ties to the Ghost Captain's lore. The Soul Eater greatsword is not a direct drop from Israel Hands, but a chest near the boss arena contains it, so most players recover both on the same trip.John the cartographerRescued NPC who returns to your camp; provides cartography services and lore expositionFaction reputationBoost to all four player-facing factions for striking against Blackbeard's organizationQuest XPSignificant XP toward the next level milestoneStory progressionUnlocks Galen's next dialogue and the path forward to the Cursed Swamps3030Lore Connection3131Israel Hands' role as Blackbeard's second-in-command makes this fight a major narrative beat. Defeating Hands does not end the war, but it removes one of Teach's most capable strategic assets and signals the player has graduated from "survivor" to "threat." Galen's post-quest dialogue references "the next step in your quest for a cure," tying the victory back to the artifact still fused with the player's body and pointing the player toward the Cursed Swamps endgame content.3333Why Israel Hands held John the cartographer captive is part of the quest's broader mystery. Hands is a skilled navigator in his own right, but a captured cartographer with knowledge of obscure coastlines would be valuable both to Hands directly and as leverage against any faction John worked for. John's pre-capture history is currently undocumented in the launch build but expected to expand in later Early Access updates.3535Quest Path3737Stage-by-stage progression as recorded in the in-game quest log for Needle in a Haystack in Windrose version 0.10.0. The quest runs 8 tracked objectives from start to completion. Stage-level Required Items are objective-gated items the player must bring to progress; Rewards are items granted the moment each stage is closed out.3939Quest Rewards4141Items granted when the full Needle in a Haystack quest chain resolves, as listed in the quest log reward block.4343RewardQuantityCharon's Obolx14545Completion Text4646Narrative journal line the game writes once the final stage closes out:4848"I managed to recover one artifact, but it looks like I'll have to track down a few more if I want to stay alive."5050Stages5151The numbered flow below mirrors the objective list in the quest log. Each entry shows the in-game objective title, the journal description the player sees when the stage becomes active, and any stage-bound Required Items or Rewards.5353StageObjective1Search the pirate camps in the Foothills2Board the Unsinkable3Search the camp near the ruins4Collect the temple keys5Defeat Hands6Talk to the surviving captive7Continue the conversation with the cartographer at the camp8Talk to Doctor Galen5555Stage 1: Search the Pirate Camps in the Foothills5656My only lead is the pirate camps that Galen has heard about. Let's start with those.5858TypeItemQuantityRequiredOn Handsx1RequiredOn Foolsx1RequiredOn Prisonersx16060Stage 2: Board the Unsinkable6161Some of Hands' trusted men have set sail aboard the Unsinkable to bring back more captives. A perfect chance to save a handful of innocent souls, and learn where to find Hands himself.6363TypeItemQuantityRewardJournal of the Captain of the Unsinkablex16565Stage 3: Search the Camp Near the Ruins6666From the Unsinkable's papers, it seems the captives were meant for a camp by the ruins. If I go there, I might learn where to track down Hands.6868Stage 4: Collect the Temple Keys7070A note found in the camp says Hands has shut himself away in an ancient temple. To enter, I must retrieve three keys to the temple gates from his lieutenants.7272TypeItemQuantityRequiredRitual Key for the Temple Gatesx3RewardRitual Key for the Temple Gatesx17474Stage 5: Defeat Hands7575I managed to gather the keys. Now I can finally take the artifact from Hands. The world would definitely be a better place with one less mad, magic-wielding pirate.7777Stage 6: Talk to the Surviving Captive7979Whatever Hands was doing in the temple was monstrous. The bodies of his latest victims are still chained to the walls. Only one captive made it. I should speak with him.8181Stage 7: Continue the Conversation with the Cartographer at the Camp8383The surviving captive proved to be a cartographer named John Doe. He promised to answer my questions once he's recovered from the shock. I should meet him back at camp.8585Stage 8: Talk to Doctor Galen8787Blackbeard lost another lieutenant, and we recovered the governor's artifact. Still, if the cartographer is telling the truth, curing me won't be so simple. I should discuss my further actions with Doctor Galen.8989See Also9191Israel Hands - the boss targetDoctor Galen - quest giverSoul Eater - the greatsword rewardJohn the cartographer - the rescued NPCProcedural Biomes - the Foothills biomeRevenge Is Best Served Cold - the prerequisite quest9393The Unsinkable Naval Battle9595Between the first pirate-camp document loot and the three Ritual Keys hunt, the questline routes the player through a dedicated naval encounter against a named ship called the Unsinkable. Sailing east into open water triggers an interception by four standard Blackbeard escort ships before the Unsinkable itself closes in. The escorts have to be peeled off first; the player's own crew automatically prioritises the Unsinkable once it is within range, which lets the captain focus on steering and broadside angles rather than target switching.9797Engagement rhythm: circle the Unsinkable on a continuous arc rather than holding station. Stationary ships are easy targets for the Unsinkable's broadside, and the AI escort angles compound the damage if the player stops moving. Hammer the Unsinkable's hull with cannonballs, prioritising it over any remaining escorts. When its hull bar drops low enough, pull alongside so the crew can board; thin the deck from your own ship with ranged weapons before stepping across. If too many enemies rush at once, jump back to your own deck, soften the crowd from range, then board again. Looting the Unsinkable yields the Journal of the Captain of the Unsinkable, which advances the journal to the next objective.9999Wax-Stained Desk and the Hands Lieutenant Ambush101101Sailing northwest from the Unsinkable lands the player on a coastline that funnels through the coastal jungle into the Foothills. Wolves patrol the inland approach and can drop a careless player quickly, so keep moving along the quest marker rather than detouring. The destination is a pirate camp near Ancient Ruins, populated with grenade-throwing enemies that punish close engagement. Clear the camp from range first.103103The wax-stained desk: on the left side of the camp, a wax-stained desk holds the next clue. Interacting with the desk advances the journal but also triggers a scripted second wave of Grenadiers plus a Hands Lieutenant who attack immediately. Do not interact with the desk while still low on health or stamina; the encounter starts the moment the prompt closes. After the wave is down, follow the marker north to the next pirate camp where a dead pirate's body holds the three Ritual Keys, completing the prerequisite for the temple gate fight.
