The Upperway area on Rykad Minoris can become one of the first real puzzle roadblocks in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. After dealing with the ritual inside the warehouse, players can discover a locked safe in the northern wall. To open it, they need to awaken a machine spirit through the correct Motive Force sequence.

At first, the room can look more confusing than it actually is. There are relays, a cogitator, a damper, a generator, steam hazards and traps. If you interact with the devices in the wrong order, the puzzle can feel unclear. With the correct sequence, however, the safe can be opened quickly.

Upperway Motive Force Puzzle Solution

Before starting the puzzle, make sure to watch out for traps and steam. Some hazards can be disabled with nearby valves, and traps are highlighted in red when your party gets close. It is worth clearing or avoiding these dangers before focusing on the machinery.

The correct order for the Upperway Motive Force puzzle is:

  1. Interact with the locked safe first.
  2. Power the cogitator directly to the left of the safe.
  3. Close the relay next to the large door near the 212 floor marker.
  4. Unlatch the damper near the middle of the room, close to the Sector B marker.
  5. Distribute the Motive Force using the generator near the corner of the room.
  6. Close the relay in the northeastern corner.
  7. Return to the terminal beside the safe and unlock it.

If you follow these steps in this exact order, the safe will open and you can claim the rewards inside.

Step 1: Examine the Safe First

The first step is easy to miss. You need to interact with the locked safe before working with the other devices. This appears to properly start the puzzle sequence.

The safe is located on the northern side of the warehouse. The cogitator you need for the next step is positioned directly next to it, so do not run across the room immediately. Start at the safe, then move through the machinery in order.

Step 2: Power the Cogitator

After examining the safe, interact with the cogitator on its left side. This powers the system and begins the Motive Force chain.

Pay attention to the feedback messages after each interaction. They help confirm whether the sequence is progressing correctly. If you have already pressed several devices in a random order, it may be easier to reset the puzzle before trying again.

Step 3: Close the Relay Near the Large Door

Next, go to the relay near the large door by the 212 floor marker. This is one of the most common points of confusion because the room contains multiple interactable machines.

Make sure you use the relay near the large door, not another similar-looking device elsewhere in the warehouse. Once it is closed, move toward the center of the room.

Step 4: Unlatch the Damper Near Sector B

The fourth step is the damper near the middle of the room, close to the Sector B ground marker.

Again, the location matters. The Upperway warehouse contains several technical objects, but only this specific damper is part of the correct solution. Interact with it to continue the Motive Force sequence.

Step 5: Distribute the Motive Force

Now you need to distribute the Motive Force by interacting with the generator near the corner of the room. This step pushes the energy through the system and prepares the final relay interaction.

Be careful when moving through the room. If you did not disable the steam vents or traps beforehand, you can still take unnecessary damage while walking between puzzle points.

Step 6: Close the Northeastern Relay

After distributing the Motive Force, go to the northeastern corner and close the relay there. This completes the main machinery chain.

If all previous steps were done correctly, the terminal beside the safe should now allow you to unlock it.

Step 7: Open the Safe

Return to the terminal next to the safe and use the unlock option. The safe can then be opened, giving you access to the rewards inside.

The safe contains three items:

Stubcarbine
Handflamer
Daemon Tool

The Stubcarbine and Handflamer are useful but not especially rare by this point, especially if you have already been looting enemies and containers thoroughly. The most interesting reward is the Daemon Tool.

Why the Daemon Tool Is the Best Reward

The Daemon Tool is an amulet that can be especially useful for characters who deal Warp damage. Its effect allows the wearer to set targets on fire after hitting them with Warp damage. The burning effect scales with current Veil degradation.

This makes the item particularly strong on characters who can trigger Warp damage often. Cassia is one of the best candidates because her core abilities, including Immolate the Soul, Held in My Gaze and Lidless Stare, all deal Warp damage.

If you are building around Pyromancer-style effects or Warp-based support damage, the Daemon Tool is worth testing. If not, the other rewards can still be sent to cargo and used later for faction reputation.

How to Reset the Puzzle

If you made a mistake or interacted with the devices in the wrong order, you can reset the Motive Force supply near the middle of the room. This returns the puzzle to a cleaner state and lets you try again from the beginning.

A reset should not be necessary if you follow the full sequence above, but it is useful if you started experimenting before checking the solution.

Quick Solution

For players who only want the short version, use this order:

Examine the safe
Power the cogitator beside the safe
Close the relay near the large door by 212
Unlatch the damper near Sector B
Distribute Motive Force at the generator in the corner
Close the relay in the northeast
Use the terminal beside the safe and open it

That completes the Upperway Motive Force puzzle and unlocks the safe.