Cause for Concern

Learn how to start and complete the 'Cause for Concern' sidequest in Horizon Zero Dawn, including Nil's duel and the rewards you'll get.

Alright, so you've been busy liberating Bandit Camps, huh? Good on ya! Once you've taken down all six of them, keep an eye out for Nil. He'll pop up right outside the last camp you cleared. Have a chat with him – he's feeling a bit down because there are no more bandits for him to, uh, 'deal with'. He'll ask you to meet him on a plateau south of Meridian.

This spot is pretty easy to find. It's just northwest of the Tallneck in the Spearshafts region. Funnily enough, it's also where you can find one of those Metal Flowers (the Mark III - F, to be exact). So, if you've already snagged that flower, you can just use the nearby campfire to fast travel straight there. If not, no worries, you'll need to make your way up the large rock formation. You can use the handholds on the eastern, western, or southern sides to get to the top.

Once you're up there, you'll find Nil. He's got a proposition for you: a duel. Now, you have a choice here. If you decline his offer, the quest ends right there. You won't get any rewards, but hey, Nil will still be around to help out in the final battles, so that's a plus.

However, if you're up for it, you can accept his challenge. You'll actually have to do this twice to fully complete the quest. Nil isn't exactly the toughest opponent you'll face, but he can pack a punch, so don't get careless. He usually starts things off with a blinding shot to disorient you, then he'll try to close the distance for some melee attacks. Honestly, if you can keep him close and in melee range, the fight becomes much easier because his attacks are pretty simple to dodge.

Warning: If Nil manages to create some distance, he'll pull out his bow and start firing arrows rapidly. It's much harder to dodge those, so your best bet is to keep him locked in close combat.

After you manage to down Nil in the duel, just talk to him, and you'll have officially completed this sidequest. For your trouble and for winning the duel, you'll earn 5,000 XP.