A Knife in the Back

 is a Quest in Outward. It is fifth in the series of main quests, and is the second quest of the Sorobor Academy quest-line.

Starting Out
"Speak to Victor Berthelot, in the city of Harmattan."

To begin the quest, speak to Victor Berthelot, Dean of the Military in the military district. He asks us to run another errand for him, this time to the city of Levant in the Abrassar desert. Artois lets slip that this is also related to the distilled Immaculate's blood we helped collect earlier.

Electric Lab
"Speak with Orsten, the Engineering Merchant, in the city of Levant."

To get to Levant, you can speak to the Soroborean Caravanner and ask to travel. If you're lucky he will offer to take you there directly, otherwise you can either sleep for 3 days and try again, or travel to another city and simply walk there.

Either way, make your way to Levant and find Engineer Orsten in the south-east area of the city. Orsten will ask you to retrieve some items for him from a nearby fortress, the Electric Lab. This laboratory can be found north of Levant, and is marked as "Fort" on the map.

"[Optional] Retrieve 3 Replacement Valves from inactive Forge Golems in a supply closet in the Electric Lab."

Once in the Lab, head around the corner and take the elevator down to the next level. Head directly forward and then turn right down a narrow corridor. Interact with the wooden doors to reveal two secret rooms, one of which contains several Forge Golems, as well as many more broken ones. Three of these broken golems can be interacted with to obtain Replacement Valves. Collect these three valves and continue down through the dungeon.

"[Optional] Retrieve some Lightning Grease from a large alchemic device in the Electric Lab."

Head back into the large room with the elevator and head down the big ramp. Turn right, and then right ahead, and you will see a large golden machine ahead. Interact with this machine to obtain the Lightning Grease.

"Retrieve a piece of the Large Red Crystal in the Electric Lab, and bring it to Orsten in the city of Levant."

From the machine, turn around and head downstairs, as low as you can go, until you come across an elevator. Looking at the elevator, turn right and go downstairs again, through the short tunnel with ankle-high water, then upstairs to the right into a room with two Mantis Shrimp. On your right as you enter the room, there is a Power Coil on a table.

You will see the crystal through the gate. Interact with the lever nearby to open the gate, then interact with the Crystal to retrieve a piece of it.

"[Optional] Retrieve a Power Coil."

If you didn't take the Power Coil in the Mantis room, on the table, it can be found as spawns all throughout Electric Lab, found as loot from Sword Golems, or simply purchased from Orsten back in Levant.

Return to Orsten and speak to him, making sure to hand over all of the items and completing his dialogue.

Corrupted Cave
"Return to Victor Berthelot."

Return to Harmattan via any Soroborean Caravanner, and speak to Victor. If you were successful with Orsten he will reward you with 50 and 1 Wolf Medic Armor.

"Speak with Gregory Turnbull."

After speaking to Victor, head to Gregory Turnbull, Dean of the Arcane at the Sorobor Library. However he is not at his usual location by the Ley Line, he is right by the entrance of the Academy, to the left of the recruiter when you walk in.

Speak to Turnbull and he asks you to join him in his secret lab, which you can access by interacting with the circle on the ground behind the statue Turnbull was standing by.

"Speak to Gregory Turnbull inside Turnbull’s Hidden Lab, by entering the circular floor panel behind a pillar in Sorobor Academy’s Lobby."

Enter the lab to find Desy here as well. Speak to Turnbull and we learn that he is planning an experiment which he hopes will cure the Immaculates of their incessant hatred for Elatt. He asks us to head to the Corrupted Cave in north-east Antique Plateau to negotiate with the Friendly Immaculates before The Wolfgang beat us there.

"Enter the Corrupted Cave, in the North-East of Antique Plateau, in a canyon maze"

This section is likely timed, but it is not currently known what this timer is. Head to the Corrupted Cave in north-eastern Antique Plateau, inside you will find many Friendly Immaculates.

"Convince the Immaculates in the Corrupted Cave to come to Turnbull’s secret lab."

Head as far into this dungeon as you can to find one Immaculate wielding a large blade who you can speak to. Talk to him and begin negotiations.

The first two dialogue options do not matter, the negotiations begin when the Immaculate asks why they should trust in you. Choose these dialogue options to ally with the Immaculate:

If you want to fight the Immaculates instead, you can choose these options: (note, probably leads to worse rewards)

"Defeat the Wolfgang Mercenaries outside the Corrupted Cave."

If you successfully allied with the Immaculates, head outside the cave and defeat the two Wolfgang Mercenaries and the Wolfgang Veteran, then return to Turnbull in Harmattan. If you are defeated it doesn't really matter, just go to Harmattan afterwards, your backpack will be inside the nearby Mercenary Camp however.

"Negotiations failed. Defeat the Immaculates!"

Should you fail the negotiations you will begin combat with the Immaculate Raider. After defeating the Immaculate Raider you will be tasked with dealing with the guards outside by Desy. Be warned that combat starts immediately after leaving the cave.

"Return to Gregory Turnbull."

Return to Turnbull in Harmattan in his secret lab and speak to him to complete the quest. You can now speak to the Immaculate in the lab as well.