The Cost of Iron is an Act 1 side tale near the Kuta Grasslands in Ariake. Wounded men tell you a merchant carries a Mongol iron mark that grants safe passage, and you go after it. It rewards a Charm of Advantage.
Part 57 of 66 in Tales of Tsushima
Rumors mention extra Mongol patrols around Kuta Farmstead and merchants moving freely. The house of wounded men sits northwest of the Kuta Grasslands.
A house is full of wounded men who tried to take an iron mark from a merchant working with the Mongols. Whoever holds it can travel the roads without being stopped. Jin says he could use one, and the survivor tells him the cart is up the road.
Find the merchant's cart and search the area, the bodies and the cart. Fight off the archers and swordsmen who ambush you, then hurry back to the house. Talk to the survivor, follow the Mongol tracks and rescue the merchant.
Back at the house most of the men are dead. The survivor, dying, reveals the merchant is his brother and begs Jin to save him. Jin frees the merchant, who says he worked for the Mongols to protect his family. He never had an iron mark, and marks carry the owner's name anyway. Jin lets him go, but he cannot return home.
Nattou and the Sake Seller
Nattou and the Sake Seller is Kenji Tale 2 of 3, an Act 2 side tale south of the Ruins of Old Yarikawa in Akashima. Kenji says an empty Mongol camp is ripe for looting, and it is not empty for long. It rewards the Charm of Advantage.
A Healer's Touch
A Healer's Touch is an Izuhara escort tale where you guard Hanaoka, a monk healer, on his way to a sick camp in the woods. It has investigation stops and small fights, and pays a Charm of Divine Healing I.
A Mother's Peace
A Mother's Peace is an unnumbered Masako tale in Act 1 where you help Lady Masako find and bury her two sons on Komoda Beach. It opens after The Husband from a peasant at the Golden Temple and rewards the Charm of Fortunate Return and 2 Silk.
A Place to Call Home
A Place to Call Home is a short Ariake side tale where a panicked man asks you to retake his house from the Mongols. You clear the house, then follow clues to learn what became of his family, and earn a Charm of Well-Being I.